I discovered Edmond Haraucourt’s scabrous theological poem in the anthology L’Esprit fumiste, by Daniel Grojnowski and Bernard Sarrazin. In it, Haraucourt compares our passage through life to a turd dropping from God’s anus. He published it in 1883, and it caused him a bit of trouble. I’ve translated it, and set it for four-part choir. […]

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This started out as a song, but soon settled into a piano piece.  I used it in some of the shows I did with Bill Irwin, particularly in The Clown Lecture.

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This brisk barnstormer was part of my show of the same name, back in 1984.

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My first solo show in NYC, Pay Attention, was produced at the American Place Theatre in 1984, as part of their American Humorists Series.  The New York Times was rather sanguine about it, which was a relief.

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My adaptation of Collodi’s immortal Pinocchio was part of my 1985 show, An Attractive Production. My version included a ukulele, books, water, melon balls, a rubber fish, and irrelevant slides. Eddie Gray was cast as Pinocchio, much to his dismay. The incomparable Helen Dannenberg made a splendid Blue Fairy. I, of course, was Geppetto. These […]

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“The Puppet Show,” a large exhibit of artworks relating to puppetry, curated by Ingrid Schaffner and Carin Kuoni, appeared at the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, January 18 – March 30, 2008. It then toured other museums. Michael Smith and I were represented by some videos of our performances, and a display […]

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This bustling prelude is taken from the music I wrote for Bill Irwin’s show The Courtroom, back in 1985. And it starts out like this.

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My slide show on a curious NYC street artist, who called himself Pantuso, appeared on the former webzine “Word.” I also performed it at the Brooklyn Museum, the gallery Four Walls, Dixon Place, and other fine venues. The “Word” version is archived here.

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The phenakistascope was one of the earliest animation devices. The back of the wheel is black; the wheel is spun before a mirror as the viewer peers through the slots from behind. I’ve drawn a number of them. In this study, the early bird still can’t get that worm.

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I joined Brian Dewan and Nina Katchadourian in this collection of songs about Roosevelt Island. The island has a long and colorful history, and has had many names over the years: Hog Island, Manning’s Island, Blackwell’s Island, Welfare Island. For much of the 19th and 20th century, it was used as a prison and hospital. […]

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