John Vaccaro and the Play-House of the Ridiculous Papers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
John Vaccaro is an actor and theatrical director who became a primary figure of the Off-Off Broadway and gay theater communities in New York City. The John Vaccaro Papers preserve the items related to Vaccaro's theatrical productions, including scripts, correspondence, photographs, posters and critical notices. Materials date from 1959 to 2005.
Biographical Note
John Vaccaro was born in Steubenville, Ohio on December 6, 1929. After serving in the U.S. Navy from 1951-1955, and receiving a B.A. in English from Ohio State University in 1961, he moved to New York City and became involved in the underground art and film community of the early sixties. After acting in Jack Smith's Normal Love and Flaming Creatures, and performing in the "Happenings" of Robert Whitman and Walter DeMaria, Vaccaro founded the Play-House of the Ridiculous in the summer of 1965. Early collaborators and playwrights in this community included Ronald Tavel, Charles Ludlam and Kenneth Bernard. In 1967, during preparatory work for a production of Ludlam's play Conquest of the Universe, or When Queens Collide Vaccaro and Ludlam came to a disagreement and split into competing companies (Vaccaro retained the Play-House of the Ridiculous; Ludlam founded the Ridiculous Theatrical Company).
Vaccaro's productions were staged at the Coda Gallery, La Mama ETC, the Gotham Art Theater, Max's Kansas City, The American Place Theater, and other Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway venues in New York. In 1970 Vaccaro received a special citation OBIE award. While sometimes performing in and writing the music for his own productions, Vaccaro took his companies on tours of Europe throughout the 1970s and served as director of the Native American Theatrical Ensemble. His theatrical influences include Alfred Jarry, Amiri Baraka, Eugene Ionesco, Charlie Chaplin, Antonin Artaud, and Jack Smith. In addition to the non-professional actors often employed in his productions, Vaccaro is associated with a variety of figures from the New York art and theater worlds, including Taylor Mead, Beverly Grant, Mary Woronov, Rene Ricard, Rosalyn Drexler, Ultra Violet, and Richard Weinstock. Vaccaro has lectured at a number universities and workshops, and has directed performances of his productions for the BBC and Dutch television.
Partial List of Productions (as director)
"Life of Juanita Castro" by Ronald Tavel (1965)
"Shower" by Ronald Tavel (1965)
"The Life of Lady Godiva" by Ronald Tavel (1966)
"Screen Test"/"Indira Gandhi's Daring Device" both by Ronald Tavel (1966)
"Big Hotel" by Charles Ludlam (1967)
"Conquest of the Universe" by Charles Ludlam (1967)
"The Moke Eater" by Kenneth Bernard (1968)
"Monkeys of the Organ Grinder" by Kenneth Bernard (1969)
"Cock Strong" by Tom Murrin (1969)
"Heaven Grand In Amber Orbit" by Jackie Curtis (1969)
"Son of Cock Strong" by Tom Murrin (1970)
"Night Club" by Kenneth Bernard (1970)
"XXXXX" by William M. HOffman (1970)
"Life of Lady Godiva" by Ronald Tavel (1971)
"The Life of Juanita Castro" by Ronald Tavel (1971)
"Persia, A Desert Cheapie" by Bernard Roth & Vaccaro (1972)
"Sissy" by Seth Allen (1972)
"Satyricon" by Paul Foster (1973)
"Elegy for a Down Queen" by Leslie Lee (1973)
"Body Indian" by Hanay Getgoman (1973-1974)
"The Magic Show of Dr. Magico" by Kenneth Bernard (1973-1974)
"La Bohemia" by Vaccaro (1974)
"Workshop of Y.M.C.A." by Gerome Ragni & James Rado (1975-1976)
"The Sixty Minute Queer Show" by Kenneth Bernard (1977)
"Juba" by Lawrence Holder (1978)
"Gulliver's Travels" by William M. Hoffman (1978)
"The Book of Etiquette" by William M. Hoffman (1979)
"The Writer's Opera" by Rosalyn Drexler (1979)
"Derby" by Barry Arnold (1979)
"Vulgar Lives" by Rosalyn Drexler (1979)
"Graven Image" by Rosalyn Drexler (1980)
"Flop" by Seth Allen (1980)
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare (1980)
"Starburn" by Rosalyn Drexler (1983)
"La Fin du Cirque" by Kenneth Bernard (1984)
"Transients Welcome" by Rosalyn Drexler (1984-1985)
"Goatman" by Raymond Schanz (1986)
"The Heart That Eats Itself" by Rosalyn Drexler (1987)
"Cara Pina" by Rosalyn Drexler (1992)
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 4 series. Oversize materials are listed at the end of the finding aid.
- Series I: Projects
- Series II: Posters and Ephemera
- Series III: Photographs
- Series IV: Publications
- Oversize - Series I: Projects
- Oversize - Series II: Posters and Ephemera
Scope and Contents
The John Vaccaro and the Play-House of the Ridiculous Papers contain materials that document Vaccaro's professional theatrical career, ranging from the early 1960s through 2005. The collection preserves Vaccaro's primarily collaborative work, including scripts, notebooks, articles, essays, and correspondence that date back to his early career as an actor in the emerging world of Off-Off Broadway theater in New York. Elements include source material for his productions as well as promotional material in the form of ephemera, flyers, festival programs, posters and postcards. This body of components also includes the work of collaborating playwrights, and material related to the theatrical and Greenwich Village communities of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. In addition, this collection includes professional and personal correspondence, production and personal photography, original illustrations, publications, and a scrapbook. Materials date from 1959 to 2005.
Subjects
Organizations
Genres
People
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection, created by John Vaccaro was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; John Vaccaro and the Play-House of the Ridiculous Papers; MSS 321; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by John Vaccaro, 2011. The accession number associated with this gift is 2011.321.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Processing decisions made prior to September 2018 have not been recorded.
In September 2018, unprocessed publications, ephemera, and project files were housed in archival folders and boxes.
Revisions to this Guide
Repository
Series I: Projects, 1959-1992, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
Series I: Projects contains the work of John Vaccaro and others. Materials inculde press clippings, screenplays, contracts, and ephemera generally related to the titular project. Materials date from 1959 to 1992.
Arrangement
Series I: Projects is organized alphabetically by project title.
American Indians N.A.T.E., 1973, inclusive
Extent
"American Indians (Niagara Falls)", 1973, 1981, inclusive
"Article About Cino etc.", Undated
Extent
Big Hotel, 1967, inclusive
Extent
Subjects
People
Body Indian I and II, Undated
Extent
"The Book of Etiquette", 1986, inclusive
Extent
Cara Pina Script, 1992, inclusive
Cockstrong, 1971, inclusive
Extent
"Colleges (Lectures)", Undated
Conquest of the Universe Script, Undated
Conquest of the Universe Contract, 1967
Conquest of the Universe 1 of 2, 1967, inclusive
Conquest of the Universe 2 of 2, 1967, 1968, inclusive
Derby Script, Undated
The Derby, 1980, inclusive
The Destruction of Atlantis Rehersal, 1965
Dr. Magico, 1973, 1979, inclusive
Etiquette Script, Undated
Etiquette Revival, 1978, 1986, inclusive
Evergreen Review, 1969, inclusive
Flop, Undated
Flop Script, 1973, inclusive
Goatman, 1985, inclusive
Goatman Script, 1984, inclusive
Graven Image Script, Undated
Graven Image, 1980, inclusive
Gulliver's Travels Script, Undated
Gulliver's Travels, 1978, inclusive
The Heart That Eats Itself, 1987, inclusive
The Heart That Eats Itself Script, 1987, inclusive
Heaven Grand 1 of 2, 1969-1976, inclusive
Heaven Grand 2 of 2, 1969 - 1976, inclusive
Heaven Grand Script, Undated
"Indira Gandhi", 1966, 1967, inclusive
Indira Gandhi's Daring Device Script, 1965, 1966, inclusive
Juba, 1978, inclusive
Juba Script, Undated
La Bohemia, 1974
Lady Godiva Contract, 1969
La Fin Du Cirque Script, Undated
La Fin Du Cirque, 1984, inclusive
La Justice Script, Undated
"Le Justice", 1979, inclusive
The Life of Lady Godiva, Undated
Midsummer Night's Dream, 1980, inclusive
Miscellaneous, 1959 - 1986, inclusive
Moke-Eater, 1968, inclusive
Moke-Eater Script, Undated
Monkeys of the Organ Grinder, Undated
The New Yorker, 1976, inclusive
Night Club Script, Undated
Night Club, 1970, inclusive
Nutcracker, 1979
Persia 1 of 2, 1972
Persia 2 of 2, Undated
Persia Notebook, undated
Pineapple Face, 1992, inclusive
Play With an Ending, 1984, inclusive
Play With an Ending Script, Undated
Primitive World, 1984, inclusive
Primitive World Script, 1983, inclusive
Room 17C Script, 1983, 1984, inclusive
Rosalyn Drexler, 2003-2004, inclusive
Satyricon, 1972, inclusive
"Screen Test/Juanita Castro/Screen Test II", 1965, 1966, inclusive
"Shower/Juanita Castro", 1965, inclusive
Sissy Script, 1971, inclusive
Sissy, 1971, inclusive
The Sixty Minute Queer Show, 1977, 1978, inclusive
The Sixty Minute Queer Show Script, Undated
Son of Cockstrong Script, 1969, inclusive
Son of Cockstrong, 1970, inclusive
"Songs from Cockstrong, Heaven Grand, Son of Cockstrong", Undated
Spiders, Undated
Starburn, 1983, inclusive
Starburn Script, 1982, inclusive
Theater, Winter 1985, 1985, inclusive
The Theatre in Poland, 1972, inclusive
"Three Plays at New Theatre by K. Bernard", 1969, inclusive
Torino Festival, 1991 - 1992, inclusive
Transients Welcome, 1985, inclusive
Vulgar Lives, 1979, inclusive
Vulgar Lives Script, 1978, inclusive
The Writer's Opera, 1979, inclusive
The Writer's Opera Script 1 of 2, Undated
The Writer's Opera Script 2 of 2, Undated
"XX XXX", 1970 - 1972, inclusive
Series II: Posters and Ephemera, 1981-2005, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
Series II: Posters and Ephemera contains posters, publicity material, objects, and a scrapbook. All the materials relate to Vaccaro's theatrical productions and his work with with the Play-House of the Ridiculous. Materials date from 1981 to 2005.
Arrangement
Series II: Posters and Ephemera is organized alphabetically by production title or the name of the institution.
Big Hotel Poster, Undated
Etiquette Posters, undated
Goodie Pamphlet, undated
The Heart That Eats Itself, Undated
Indira Gandhi/Screen Test Poster, Undated
Indira Gandhi Poster, Undated
Kenneth Bernard "American Drama" article, 2005, inclusive
Lady Godiva Poster, Undated
Life of Lady Godiva Poster (alternate), Undated
La Fin Du Cirque, Undated
A Matter of Life and Death, 1986, inclusive
Moke-Eater Poster, Undated
Nightclub Posters, 1981, inclusive
No President Poster, Undated
Otto Award, 2002, inclusive
Play-House of the Ridiculous Embosser, undated
Play-House of the Ridiculous Stamp, undated
Play-House of the Ridiculous Repertory Club Membership Cards, undated
Scrapbook, Undated
Sharon Thompson Piece, 1970
Untitled Double-Sided Sketch, Undated
Young American Beatnicks Poster, Undated
Series III: Photographs, undated
Extent
Scope and Contents
Series III: Photographs contains photographs, contact sheets, negatives, and slides pertaining to Vaccaro's productions and personal collection. Most of the people and plays in the photographs in the collection are unidentified at this time. Materials are undated.
Arrangement
Series III: Photographs has not been arranged by an archivist. The materials are arranged in the order in which they were received from Vaccaro.
Daniel Nagrin, Undated
Photographs (unsorted), Undated
Photographs (unsorted), Undated
Fred Ohrenstein Photo of John Vaccaro, Undated
Starburn Photos (1 of 2), Undated
Starburn Photos 2 of 2, Undated
Photographs (unsorted), Undated
Photographs (unsorted), undated
Series IV: Publications, 1964-2005, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
Series IV: Publications contains monographs, exhibition catalogs, journals, and magazines. The publications were collected by John Vaccaro and are related to theater and music. Some of the publications contain articles about Vaccarro and his work. Materials date from 1964 to 2005. Most of the publications are in English, with a few in French, German, Italian, and Dutch.
Arrangement
Series IV: Publications has not been arranged by an archivist. The materials are arranged in the order in which they were received from the donor.
Publications
Oversize - Series I: Projects, 1966-1985, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
Oversize Series I: Projects contains oversize material related to theatrical productions. Materials date from 1966 to 1985.
Arrangement
Oversize Series I: Projects is arranged alphabetically.
"American Indians N.A.T.E.", 1973, inclusive
"American Indians (Niagara Falls)", 1981, inclusive
Cockstrong, 1971
Conquest of the Universe, 1967, inclusive
Dr. Magico, 1973, inclusive
Goatman, 1985, inclusive
Heaven Grand, 1976, inclusive
"Indira Gandhi", 1966. 1967, inclusive
Juba, 1978, inclusive
The Life of Lady Godiva [newspapers], 1969, inclusive
Miscellaneous [more newspapers], 1969 - 1976, inclusive
Satyricon, 1972, inclusive
Sissy, 1971, inclusive
The Sixty Minute Queer Show, 1977, inclusive
"XX XXX", Undated
Oversize - Series II: Posters and Ephemera, 1961-1979, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
Oversize Series II: Posters and Ephemera contains posters and publicity material related to Vaccaro's theatrical productions. Materials date from 1961 to 1979.
Arrangement
Oversize Series II: Posters and Ephemera is arranged alphabetically.
Cockstrong de Tom Murrin Poster, undated
The Derby, Undated
Graven Image Poster, Undated
Gulliver's Travels Poster, Undated
Juba Poster, Undated
La Bohemia Poster, Undated
"Lady Cockstrong" Drawing, 1971, inclusive
La Justice Poster, 1979, inclusive
La Fin Du Cirque Character Drawings, Undated
La Mama Posters, undated
A Midsummer Night's Dream Poster, Undated
Miscellaneous, Undated
"Persia" (A Desert Cheapie) Posters, undated
"Pugliese" Drawing, 1961, inclusive
The Sixty Minute Queer Show Poster, Undated
The Sixty Minute Queer Show Poster (Dutch), 1977, 1978, inclusive
Theater Im Reichskabarett Poster, 1973
Untitled Stage Sketch, 1979, inclusive
Vulgar Lives Poster, Undated
Vulgar Lives Poster (alternate), Undated
"WELL LOVE WILL EAT THE WORLD WILL BE PEACEFUL WILL EAT SHIT" Drawing, October 1969
The Writer's Opera Poster, Undated
The Life of Lady Godiva, the Playhouse of Ridiculous, Undated
General
Poster painted on wood.
