City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 10-2014 Ridiculous Geographies: Mapping the Theatre of the Ridiculous as Radical Aesthetic Kelly Aliano Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/313 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Ridiculous Geographies: Mapping the Theatre of the Ridiculous as Radical Aesthetic by Kelly Aliano A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Theatre in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, City University of New York 2014 2014 KELLY IRENE ALIANO All Rights Reserved ii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Theatre in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. May 5, 2014 _______________________ Date Chair of Examining Committee James Wilson Professor May 5,, 2014 ________________________ Date Executive Officer Jean Graham-Jones Professor ______________________________ Edward Miller Professor ______________________________ David Savran Distinguished Professor Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii Abstract Ridiculous Geographies: Mapping the Theatre of the Ridiculous as Radical Aesthetic by Kelly Aliano Adviser: Professor James Wilson This dissertation is a comprehensive study of the artists associated with the Theatre of the Ridiculous. The discussion begins with Charles Ludlam, the most famous practitioner of the form and then extends to artists with whom he collaborated, including Jack Smith, the Play-House of the Ridiculous, Ethyl Eichelberger, and Charles Busch. The argument traces the overlapping aesthetic qualities of all of these theatre practitioners; they all shared a reverence for popular culture of the twentieth century; they all blended references from high and low culture in their dramaturgy; and they all created performances that took a unique approach to cross-dressed performance. The objective of this project is to “map” the Theatre of the Ridiculous in order to display that it was a coherent and cohesive theatrical movement that contained a radical, queer quality. To do this, this dissertation engages Ludlam as a kind of apotheosis of Ridiculous play making, displaying how his works exemplified all three of these key aesthetic elements. Then, the discussion turns to Ludlam’s inspiration, experimental artist Jack Smith, who was preoccupied to the point of obsession with twentieth-century cinema. I then look at the Play-House of the Ridiculous, headed by director John Vaccaro and playwrights Ronald Tavel and Kenneth Bernard, as the site for the genesis of Ridiculous iv Theatre. Here, I highlight a preoccupation with textual collaging, or remixing, in playwriting, especially insofar as it valued popular references alongside of or even over highbrow ones. I then study gender performance in the Ridiculous, looking at the mashed up performances of Ethyl Eichelberger, which create identities that defy gender categorization. Finally, I consider the legacy of the Ridiculous, tracing both direct inheritors of the form as well as those whose more contemporary work appears influence by it. v Acknowledgments This dissertation would not have been possible without the help and encouragement of many people. My committee members, Prof. Jim Wilson, Prof. David Savran, and Prof. Edward Miller, helped this project take shape, offering useful comments and suggestions that enriched the work at every stage. My advisor, Prof. Wilson, deserves particular thanks, as he was incredibly patient with my intense process, reading multiple drafts of the same chapters, offering constructive criticism and guidance, and always being available to answer any questions I might have. Prof. Jean Graham- Jones, the department’s Executive Officer, has also been a wonderful mentor throughout my years in graduate school. I am also indebted to other faculty and colleagues at the Graduate Center. Prof. Judy Milhous was my first advisor and an early supporter of my work in the department. I am forever grateful that she encouraged me to find my own academic voice and subject matter and for all the work she put in to helping me to craft my writing style. Eternal gratitude also goes to Lynette Gibson who was always so kind and helpful to me in my many roles in the Theatre Department, both as a student and as a member of our student association. I am forever grateful for the friendships I made at the Graduate Center as well. Thank you to my cohort: Emily Clark, Wei-Ming Liu, Kayla Yuh, Jessica Del Vecchio, Julia Goldstein, Sascha Just, Andrew Friedman, and Jake Hooker for being my first friends and my early supporters. Thank yous also go to Brooke Christensen and Sissi Liu, who have been true friends to me throughout my time in the program. A big thank you goes out to the archives at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and at the Museum of Modern Art, P.S. 1 for all of their help with my vi research. All of the staff with whom I worked were incredibly helpful and supportive. Thanks also to those who were willing to be interviewed: Uzi Parnes, Charles Busch, Everett Quinton, and Peggy Shaw. This project would not have been the same without their contributions. I am also grateful for the support that I found at Hunter College, where I worked throughout my time writing this dissertation. Thank you to the faculty and students of the Theatre Department for being a wonderful community of which to be a part. Dennis Paoli, at Hunter’s Writing Across the Curriculum program, was particularly encouraging and motivating, and I am so glad that I had the privilege to work with him. My gratitude goes out to everyone at the Thomas Hunter Honors Program, faculty, staff, and, especially, my students. I learned as much from all of them as them may have learned from me. Thank you to my friend Andrea Pinyan for her amazing work editing and proofreading the dissertation. I do not know what I would have done without her. A million thanks to all of my friends, especially Diana Ingles, who first supported me on my journey through higher education. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for her. A very special thank you to Robert Hooghkirk, Kiki to my Herb, who has always been one of my biggest and best supporters. Gratitude also goes to Stephanie Lehman, one of my oldest and dearest friends, for always believing in me. Thank you to my entire extended family, but especially Nicole, David, and Brody Johnson and Samantha Dominik who have kept me happy and believed in me even during the darkest moments. Thank you to my father, John A. Aliano, for always supporting me and for introducing me to all of the great classic movies whose references appear in Ridiculous plays. vii Although I will be the one they call “Dr. Kelly,” the achievement that is this dissertation is shared entirely with Henry Borriello, my partner in life and in love. Without his unending support and encouragement, I could not have completed graduate school. I only hope someday to live up to his vision of me. *** There are four individuals who are not here to share in the joy of the completion of this dissertation who I would like to thank now. Prof. Daniel Gerould was one of the most important influences on my life, not just my graduate studies, and he will be sorely missed throughout my academic career. This dissertation would probably never have taken the shape that it has if it hadn’t been for Prof. Gerould. His courses, particularly his seminar on the interwar avant-garde, inspired me to focus on the twentieth century as my period for research. His tireless support as he mentored me for the Second Exam will never be forgotten. I try hard in my own work to emulate his style and intelligence. He was also a dear friend and a trusted advisor and I miss him a great deal. This dissertation is dedicated to his memory. My uncle, Peter Carroll, was one of the great heroes of my life. His tireless support for his family showed me what it means to be a good person. He was much beloved by all of us and will forever be missed. Also, I want to thank my grandmother, Iris Cofsky, for being one of the most wonderful people I ever knew. She always thought I was something special and I wish she were here for me to tell her how special she is to me. Finally, in the last days of preparing for my dissertation defense, my beloved mother, Joy C. Aliano, passed away. I wish I had told her just how much of this project viii is forever indebted to her influence. She always not only encouraged but also engaged in my every interest, and without her, I might never have seen Hedwig and the Angry Inch or gotten an autograph from Charles Busch. She was my first and greatest friend and the sadness of completing my doctorate is that I will never be able to share it with her. I hope she would have been proud of me. She was a strong and beautiful person and I am so proud of her and so thankful that she was my mother. I miss her everyday and I dedicate this work to her memory. ix Table of Contents Abstract iv Acknowledgements vi Introduction 1 “Ridiculous Cartography”: Finding My Way Through the Ridiculous Geography Chapter One 31 “A Ridiculous Triple Threat”: Charles Ludlam and the Making