Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 2000 The hiC ldren of Molemo: an Analysis of Johnny Simons' Performance Genealogy and Iconography at the Hip Pocket Theatre. Tony Earnest Medlin Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Medlin, Tony Earnest, "The hiC ldren of Molemo: an Analysis of Johnny Simons' Performance Genealogy and Iconography at the Hip Pocket Theatre." (2000). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 7281. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/7281 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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THE CHILDREN OF MOLEMO: AN ANALYSIS OF JOHNNY SIMONS’ PERFORMANCE GENEALOGY AND ICONOGRAPHY AT THE HIP POCKET THEATRE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Theatre by Tony Earnest Medlin B.F.A., East Carolina University, 1975 M.F.A., Trinity University, 1982 Augiust 2000 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number 9984349 UMI’ UMI Microform9984349 Copyright 2000 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION I dedicate this work and my theatrical accomplishments during the last twenty years to Diane and Johnny Simons. Thanks are also due to my wife, Community Coffee, as well as state and federally funded educational programs. Their assistance meant that I am not unloading air conditioners from a box car today. I thank them all. Besides the Simons, I received guidance from other extraordinary mentors which include Paul Baker, Irene Corey, Les Wade, Bill Harbin, Gresdna Doty, Bill Sosa, Ricky Adams, Terry Rich, Don Biehn, Jim Thomas, and Don Lawler. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge the contributions of my advisor, Femi Euba, and the esteemed committee involved in the shaping of this document. 1 appreciate David Madden's assistance in structuring the form and Les Wade for his guidance and mentor-ship. Bill Harbin contributed continuous support and Lynn Keisker was a valued friend during the process. This is also an apology for robbing the Hip Pocket of its vitality and spirit by codifying it into unfeeling academic prose. These words are little more than bone fragments and an affront to the wild energies that haunt the dale where the Hip Pocket stands. This text must stand on its own since it can not recreate the magic of a Simons' performance and begin a new mythos, sung into being by a new mythmaker. Critical appreciation of the Simons is possible only by observing where the their imaginary universe intersects with the myths of contemporary criticism. Through this process, Johnny and Diane dealt gracefully with my errors and prying into their psyche. There are innumerable poseurs in the theatre and true genius is rare. Johnny Simons designs, builds, directs the production, writes music and lyrics, choreographs, and dares to take full responsibility. It is daunting to compare personal artistic successes with the Simons' achievements and surely as difficult for them to tolerate followers that seem incapable of finding their own means of creative expression. I hope they found the time we spent together as valuable as I do. More than any other artists, they profoundly affected my artistic identity. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION.......................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................................... iii ABSTRACT...............................................................................................vi I. MOLEMO, KING OF THE SEWER RATS: JOHNNY SIMONS' AUTO-CHTHONIC REINCARNATION IN AN ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE.....................................1 II. RECREATING THE LAKE WORTH MONSTER........22 III. THE BODY AS TEXT: THE CORPOREAL DIALECTICS OF THE LYRIC GROTESQUE IN JOHNNY SIMONS' PERFORMANCE DISPLAY....... 37 IV. THE TEXAS RENAISSANCE AND PAUL BAKER'S "INTEGRATION OF ABILITIES"...............................76 V. THE COMMEDIC ICONS IN SIMONS' SECONDARY THEATRICAL REALITY.................... 98 VI. "I SING THE BODY DIALECTIC:" INVERSION AND SATIRE IN SIMONS' MULTI-VOICED, PERFORMANCE DISPLAYS.......................................126 VII. CONCLUSION: THE CHILDREN OF MOLEMO........172 BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................178 APPENDIX A: A SELECT PRODUCTION HISTORY OF THE HIP POCKET THEATRE.......................................................................................192 B: RESUME FOR JOHN TOWNES SIMONS, JR. (1995).............199 C: DERIVATION OF THE ARCHETYPAL FORM OF ARLECCHINO................................................................................. 205 D: DERIVATION OF THE ARCHETYPAL FORM OF PANTALONE.................................................................................. 206 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. E: DERIVATION OF THE ARCHETYPAL FORM OF CAPITANO....................................................................................... 207 F: DERIVATION OF THE ARCHETYPAL FORM OF DOTTORE........................................................................................ 208 VITA........................................................................................................209 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Johnny Simons is Commediaa Dell'Arte master who brought contemporary commedic movement theatre to the American Southwest and deserves academic attention. Simons and his collaborators, Diane Simons and Doug Balentine, founded the Hip Pocket Theatre to explore original theatre that reflected their chthonic identity. Simons is anauteur, serving as playwright, lyricist, director, choreographer, designer, and technical director for his productions. His works synthesize classical forms with the archetypal associations of his childhood. This study examines Simons' pedagogical approach to his "lyric grotesque" genre of movement theatre. A documented recreation of Simons' most definitive work, the folk/rock operatic-ballet, The Lake Worth Monster, provides access to a Hip Pocket Theatre experience. Paul Baker's "Integration of Abilities" philosophy serves as a model for the examination of Simons' creative vision. Baker analyzes theatrical tension through the vocabulary of space, silhouette, rhythm, texture, sound/silence, and line. This study provides comparisons between the genealogy of Simons native characters and the iconic models from the Comtnedia, the Arlecchino, the Pantalone, the Capitano, and the Dottore. It also discusses the contributions of Simons' mentors, David Preston, Walther Volbach, Jacques Lecoq, and Bill Garber, to his definitions of the Commedic character forms. The work briefly discusses theoretical and philosophical perspectives as applied to Simons'