#charles ludlam

[joeinct]

Charles Ludlam (III) (Morton Street), Photo by Peter Hujar, 1975,

[musicmags]

[roses--and--rue]

Peter Hujar is perhaps best known for his photos of the downtown NYC art scene of the 70s: They are technically perfect, uncannily intimate, & emotionally revelatory. They immortalize a brief & beautiful time in New York when I know I would have found my tribe, but the feelings his work inspires go way beyond FOMO. 

Peter never could have known when he took these photos in the catacombs of Palermo that his own death would claim him just 25 years later, and that the entire world he documented would disappear in an instant during the AIDS crisis. The juxtaposition of these Palermo photos alongside portraits of his friends & colleagues- so many of whom we lost- haunts me tremendously. These images contribute to my acute & persistent fears that I am wasting my time, particularly now that I am older & have noticed the first signs of my body beginning to decay. They make me feel very urgently that I need to live- immediately, ferociously, & without reservation. 

They are also an intense reminder of what my community lost. As a queer creative, I am constantly aware of it- I carry it with me like a vendetta. It reminds me to remain vigilant & engaged, as once again our community is under attack, with our trans & nb siblings & youth the most vulnerable. Consider this an advisory to vote, & a warning that it will take a lot more than just voting to keep what is precious to us safe.

Palermo photos are from ‘63. The others:

Fran Lebowitz, ‘75

Candy Darling on her deathbed, ‘83

David Wojnarowicz, ‘81

David Brintzenhofe Making Up, ‘82

Charles Ludlam as Camille, ‘74

[erstwhile-punk-guerito]

[yourdailyqueer]

Charles Ludlam (deceased)

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

DOB: 12 April 1943

RIP: 28 May 1987

Ethnicity: White - American

Occupation: Actor, director, playwright, puppeteer

Note: Had HIV

[kurtneylovain]

The arthouse drama film Pink Narcissus, directed by James Bidgood, debuted in New York City 49 years ago today on May 24th, 1971.

[jacobwren]

Theatre is a humble materialist enterprise which seeks to produce riches of the imagination, not the other way around.

Charles Ludlam

[shakespearenews]

Uncovering the Hidden History of the AIDS Crisis on the New York Times Obituary Page

Prejudice and stigma marred the paper’s coverage of the epidemic, but the story was still there if you knew where to look.

@public-digiturgy

“[Charles Ludlam] was just becoming a larger figure in the cultural world and had been a superstar in the world of avant-garde theater. When it was announced that he was withdrawing from Titus Andronicus, I, like many people, assumed he had AIDS.”

“On Friday, May 29, 1987, Jeremy Gerard’s obituary for Charles Ludlam ran on the front page of the New York Times. The first obituary that named AIDS as a cause of death to run on Page 1...” 

Ludlam, in Hospital, Explains Postponement, May 20, 1987

“Charles Ludlam, who withdrew last week as director of Shakespeare's ''Titus Andronicus,'' scheduled for Central Park this summer, is recovering from double pneumonia, he said yesterday, explaining that the illness was the reason for his withdrawal.''...''Titus'' will be replaced by ''Henry IV, Part I'' and will be staged by Joseph Papp, producer of the New York Shakespeare Festival. Mr. Papp said last week that Mr. Ludlam would stage ''Titus'' next season.” 

CHARLES LUDLAM, 44, AVANT-GARDE ARTIST OF THEATER, IS DEAD, May 29, 1987

“Only last week, Mr. Ludlam sat in his room at St. Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village and discussed a production of Shakespeare's ''Titus Andronicus'' with Joseph Papp, producer of the New York Shakespeare Festival. A few days before, he had withdrawn as director of the same play at Mr. Papp's Free Shakespeare in the Park and the producer promised to reserve the play for Mr. Ludlam, perhaps next season, in a space in the Public Theater complex.“