Charles Ludlam
Encyclopedia
Charles Braun Ludlam was an American
actor, director, and playwright.
, the son of Marjorie (née
Braun) and Joseph William Ludlam. He was raised in Greenlawn, New York
, on Long Island, and attended Harborfields High School
. The fact that he was gay was not a secret. He performed locally in plays with the Township Theater Group, Huntington's community theater, and worked backstage at the Red Barn Theater, a summer stock company in Northport. While he was in his senior year of high school, he directed, produced and performed in Madman on the Roof by Kan Kikuchi
, Theatre of the Soul http://openlibrary.org/books/OL14045017M/The_theatre_of_the_soul, their own Readers' Theater adaptation of Spoon River Anthology
by Edgar Lee Masters
, as well as plays by August Strindberg
and Eugene O'Neill
with a group of friends, students from Huntington, Northport, Greenlawn, and Centerport. Their "Students Repertory Theatre" in the loft studio beneath the Posey School of Dance on Northport's Main Street was large enough to seat an audience of 25; their audiences were appreciative and enthusiastic, and the house was sold out for every performance. He received a degree in dramatic literature from Hofstra University
in 1964, by which time he had officially come out.
in 1967. His first plays were inchoate exercises: however, starting with Bluebeard he began to write more structured works, which, though they were pastiches of gothic novels, Lorca, Shakespeare
, Wagner
, popular culture, old movies, and anything else that might get a laugh, had more serious import. Theater critic Brendan Gill
after seeing one of Ludlam's plays famously remarked, "This isn't farce. This isn't absurd. This is absolutely ridiculous!". Ludlam usually appeared in his plays, and was particularly noted for his female roles. He wrote one of the first plays to deal (though tangentially) with HIV
infection; he was diagnosed with AIDS
in March 1987. He attempted to fight the disease by putting his life-long interest in health foods and macrobiotic diet to use. He died of PCP pneumonia in St. Vincent's Hospital, New York
. The street in front of his theatre in Sheridan Square was renamed "Charles Ludlam Lane" in his honor.
Ludlam taught or staged productions at New York University
, Connecticut College for Women
, Yale University
, and Carnegie Mellon University
. He won fellowships from the Guggenheim
, Rockefeller
and Ford Foundation
s and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts
and the New York State Council on the Arts
. He won four Obie Award
s, the last one 2 weeks before his death, and won the Rosamund Gilder Award for distinguished achievement in the theater in 1986. After his death, "Walter Ego", the ironically named dummy character from Ludlam's play "The Ventriloquist's Wife" was donated to the Vent Haven Museum
in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
, where it remains on exhibit today; the puppet was designed and built by actor and noted puppetmaker Alan Semok.
His most popular play, and the only one to enter the standard repertory, is The Mystery of Irma Vep
, in which two actors manage, through a variety of quick-change techniques, to play seven roles in a send-up of gothic horror novels. The original production featuring Ludlam and his lover Everett Quinton was a tour de force. In order to ensure cross-dressing
, rights to perform the play include a stipulation that the actors must be of the same sex. In 1991, Irma Vep was the most produced play in the United States; and in 2003, it became the longest-running play ever produced in Brazil
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor, director, and playwright.
Early life
Ludlam was born in Floral Park, New YorkFloral Park, New York
Floral Park is an incorporated village in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island. The population as of the US Census of 2010 is 15,863. The village is at the western border of Nassau County, and is located in both the Town of Hempstead and the Town of North Hempstead...
, the son of Marjorie (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Braun) and Joseph William Ludlam. He was raised in Greenlawn, New York
Greenlawn, New York
Greenlawn is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 13,286 at the 2000 census. Students primarily attend the Harborfields Central School District...
, on Long Island, and attended Harborfields High School
Harborfields High School
Harborfields High School is a four year secondary school located in Greenlawn, New York. It functions as the high school for Harborfields Central School District, which serves the communities of Centerport and Greenlawn and parts of Huntington, Huntington Bay and Northport...
. The fact that he was gay was not a secret. He performed locally in plays with the Township Theater Group, Huntington's community theater, and worked backstage at the Red Barn Theater, a summer stock company in Northport. While he was in his senior year of high school, he directed, produced and performed in Madman on the Roof by Kan Kikuchi
Kan Kikuchi
, known by his pen name Kan Kikuchi , was a Japanese author born in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. He established the publishing company Bungeishunjū, the monthly magazine of the same name, the Japan Writer's Association and both the Akutagawa and Naoki Prize for popular literature...
, Theatre of the Soul http://openlibrary.org/books/OL14045017M/The_theatre_of_the_soul, their own Readers' Theater adaptation of Spoon River Anthology
Spoon River Anthology
Spoon River Anthology , by Edgar Lee Masters, is a collection of short free-form poems that collectively describe the life of the fictional small town of Spoon River, named after the real Spoon River that ran near Masters' home town. The collection includes two hundred and twelve separate...
by Edgar Lee Masters
Edgar Lee Masters
Edgar Lee Masters was an American poet, biographer, and dramatist...
, as well as plays by August Strindberg
August Strindberg
Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg's career spanned four decades, during which time he wrote over 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography,...
and Eugene O'Neill
Eugene O'Neill
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into American drama techniques of realism earlier associated with Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and Swedish...
with a group of friends, students from Huntington, Northport, Greenlawn, and Centerport. Their "Students Repertory Theatre" in the loft studio beneath the Posey School of Dance on Northport's Main Street was large enough to seat an audience of 25; their audiences were appreciative and enthusiastic, and the house was sold out for every performance. He received a degree in dramatic literature from Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
in 1964, by which time he had officially come out.
Career
Ludlam joined John Vaccaro's Play-House of the Ridiculous, and after a falling out, became founder of the Ridiculous Theatrical Company in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1967. His first plays were inchoate exercises: however, starting with Bluebeard he began to write more structured works, which, though they were pastiches of gothic novels, Lorca, Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
, popular culture, old movies, and anything else that might get a laugh, had more serious import. Theater critic Brendan Gill
Brendan Gill
Brendan Gill wrote for The New Yorker for more than 60 years. He also contributed film criticism for Film Comment and wrote a popular book about his time at the New Yorker magazine.-Biography:...
after seeing one of Ludlam's plays famously remarked, "This isn't farce. This isn't absurd. This is absolutely ridiculous!". Ludlam usually appeared in his plays, and was particularly noted for his female roles. He wrote one of the first plays to deal (though tangentially) with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
infection; he was diagnosed with AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in March 1987. He attempted to fight the disease by putting his life-long interest in health foods and macrobiotic diet to use. He died of PCP pneumonia in St. Vincent's Hospital, New York
Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers ' was a healthcare system, anchored by its flagship hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, locally referred to as "St. Vincent's". St. Vincent's was founded in 1849 and closed in 2010...
. The street in front of his theatre in Sheridan Square was renamed "Charles Ludlam Lane" in his honor.
Ludlam taught or staged productions at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, Connecticut College for Women
Connecticut College
Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women...
, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, and Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
. He won fellowships from the Guggenheim
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
, Rockefeller
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
and Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
s and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
and the New York State Council on the Arts
New York State Council on the Arts
The New York State Council on the Arts is an arts council serving the U.S. state of New York. It was established in 1960 through a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell , with backing from Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and began its work in 1961...
. He won four Obie Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
s, the last one 2 weeks before his death, and won the Rosamund Gilder Award for distinguished achievement in the theater in 1986. After his death, "Walter Ego", the ironically named dummy character from Ludlam's play "The Ventriloquist's Wife" was donated to the Vent Haven Museum
Vent Haven Museum
Vent Haven Museum is the world's only museum of ventriloquial figures and memorabilia. The museum is in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, just 5 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio....
in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 8,207 people, 3,530 households, and 2,033 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,581.8 people per square mile . There were 3,744 housing units at an average density of 1,195.0 per square mile...
, where it remains on exhibit today; the puppet was designed and built by actor and noted puppetmaker Alan Semok.
His most popular play, and the only one to enter the standard repertory, is The Mystery of Irma Vep
The Mystery of Irma Vep
The Mystery of Irma Vep is a play in two acts by Charles Ludlam. A penny dreadful, Irma Vep is a satire of several theatrical and film genres, including Victorian melodrama, farce and the Alfred Hitchcock film Rebecca .-Background:...
, in which two actors manage, through a variety of quick-change techniques, to play seven roles in a send-up of gothic horror novels. The original production featuring Ludlam and his lover Everett Quinton was a tour de force. In order to ensure cross-dressing
Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the wearing of clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with a gender within a particular society that is seen as different than the one usually presented by the dresser...
, rights to perform the play include a stipulation that the actors must be of the same sex. In 1991, Irma Vep was the most produced play in the United States; and in 2003, it became the longest-running play ever produced in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Plays (as playwright)
- Big Hotel (1967)
- Conquest of the Universe, or When Queens Collide (1968)
- Turds in Hell, an adaptation of The SatyriconSatyriconSatyricon is a Latin work of fiction in a mixture of prose and poetry. It is believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius, though the manuscript tradition identifies the author as a certain Titus Petronius...
(1969) - The Grand Tarot (1969)
- Bluebeard, an adaptation of H. G. WellsH. G. WellsHerbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
's The Island of Dr Moreau (1970) - Eunuchs of the Forbidden City (1971)
- Corn (1972)
- Camille (1973)
- Hot Ice (1974)
- Stage BloodStage BloodStage Blood was a comedy by Charles Ludlam that spoofed Shakespeare's Hamlet, as well as the third-rate touring company who are performing it. The cast was headed by Ridiculous Theatrical Company veterans Black-Eyed Susan, Lola Pashalinski, Bill Vehr, Jack Mallory, John D. Brockmeyer and Ludlam...
, an adaptation of HamletHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
(1975) - Tabu Tableaux (1975)
- Caprice (1976)
- Jack and the Beanstalk
- Der Ring Gott Farblonjet, an adaptation of The Ring Cycle
- The Ventriloquist's Wife
- Utopia, Incorporated
- The Enchanted Pig
- Elephant Woman
- A Christmas Carol
- Reverse Psychology (1980)
- Love's Tangled Web (1981)
- Secret Lives of the Sexists
- Exquisite Torture
- Le Bourgeois Avant-Garde, an adaptation of MolièreMolièreJean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
's Le Bourgeois GentilhommeLe Bourgeois GentilhommeLe Bourgeois gentilhomme is a five-act comédie-ballet—a play intermingled with music, dance and singing—by Molière, first presented on 14 October 1670 before the court of Louis XIV at the Château of Chambord by Molière's troupe of actors... - The Mystery of Irma VepThe Mystery of Irma VepThe Mystery of Irma Vep is a play in two acts by Charles Ludlam. A penny dreadful, Irma Vep is a satire of several theatrical and film genres, including Victorian melodrama, farce and the Alfred Hitchcock film Rebecca .-Background:...
(1984) - Salammbo (1985), an adaptation of Flaubert'sGustave FlaubertGustave Flaubert was a French writer who is counted among the greatest Western novelists. He is known especially for his first published novel, Madame Bovary , and for his scrupulous devotion to his art and style.-Early life and education:Flaubert was born on December 12, 1821, in Rouen,...
novel of the same nameSalammbô (novel)Salammbô is a historical novel by Gustave Flaubert. It is set in Carthage during the third century BCE, immediately before and during the Mercenary Revolt which took place shortly after the First Punic War. Flaubert's main source was Book I of Polybius's Histories... - GalasGalasIn Greek mythology, the name Galas was attributed to individuals. Galas, in mythological accounts, was regarded as the eponymous founder of the Gauls.*Galas was the son of Polyphemos and Galatea and the brother of Illyrius and Keltos....
(1983), inspired by the life of Maria CallasMaria CallasMaria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts... - The Artificial Jungle (1986]
- How to Write a Play
Plays (as actor)
- The Life, Death and Assumption of Lupe Velez by Ronald TavelRonald TavelRonald Tavel was an American screenwriter, director and actor, best known for his work with Andy Warhol and The Factory.-Early life and career:...
(as The Lesbian) - The Life of Lady Godiva by Ronald Tavel (as Peeping Tom)
- Indira Gandhi's Daring Device by Ronald Tavel (as Kamaraj)
- Screen Test by Ronald Tavel (as Norma Desmond)
- Hedda GablerHedda GablerHedda Gabler is a play first published in 1890 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play premiered in 1891 in Germany to negative reviews, but has subsequently gained recognition as a classic of realism, nineteenth century theatre, and world drama...
(title role) Pittsburgh (1984)
Plays (as director)
- Whores of Babylon by Bill Vehr (1968)
- The English CatThe English CatThe English Cat is an opera in two acts by Hans Werner Henze to an English libretto by Edward Bond, based on Les peines de coeur d'une chatte anglaise by Honoré de Balzac...
by Hans Werner HenzeHans Werner HenzeHans Werner Henze is a German composer of prodigious output best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life"...
, American premiere, at the Santa Fe Opera in 1985. - Die FledermausDie FledermausDie Fledermaus is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée.- Literary sources :...
at the Santa Fe Opera
Films (as actor)
- Lupe (1967)
- Underground and Emigrants
- Imposters (1980)
- Museum of Wax
- Doomed LoveDoomed LoveDoomed Love is a 2009 Portuguese film directed by Mario Barroso.-Cast:* Tomás Alves* Ana Moreira* Rafael Morais* Patrícia Franco* Willion Brandão* Catarina Wallenstein* Ana Padrão* Rui Morisson...
(1983) - The Big EasyThe Big Easy (1987 film)The Big Easy is a 1987 American neo-noir crime film directed by Jim McBride and written by Daniel Petrie Jr. The executive producer of the motion picture was Mort Engelberg and the cinematographer was Affonso Beato...
(1987) - Forever, LuluForever, LuluForever, Lulu is a 1987 film starring Hanna Schygulla, Deborah Harry and Alec Baldwin in his film debut....
(1987) - She Must Be Seeing Things (1988)
Television (as actor)
- Miami ViceMiami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
- Tales from the Dark Side
- Oh, Madeline!
Further reading
- Ludlam, Charles, Ridiculous Theatre: Scourge of Human Folly: The Essays and Opinions of Charles Ludlam, edited by Steven Samuels, 1992. ISBN 1-55936-041-0
- Ludlam, Charles, The Complete Plays of Charles Ludlam, edited by Steven Samuels. ISBN 0-06-055172-0
- Kaufman, David A., Ridiculous!: The Theatrical Life and Times of Charles Ludlam, 2002. ISBN 1-55783-588-8
- Roemer, Rick, Charles Ludlam and the Ridiculous Theatrical Company: Critical Analyses of 29 Plays by Rick Roemer, 1998. ISBN 0-7864-0340-3
- Baron, Michael, The Whore of Sheridan Square (a play inspired by the life of Charles Ludlam) in Plays and Playwrights 2006 An Anthology, edited by Martin Denton, 2006. ISBN 09670234-7-5