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43-653: Jackie Curtis (February 19, 1947 – May 15, 1985) was an American underground actor, singer, and playwright best known as a Warhol superstar . Primarily a stage actor in New York City, Curtis performed as both a man and in drag . Curtis made his stage debut as Nefertiti's brother in Tom Eyen 's play Miss Nefertiti Regrets (1965). He subsequently wrote several plays, including Glamour, Glory and Gold (1967), Amerika Cleopatra (1968), and Vain Victory: Vicissitudes of

86-671: A Boy George concert, he remarked, "I just couldn't like him because it reminded me of what Jackie Curtis could have been." Curtis had arranged to marry Warhol superstar Eric Emerson as a publicity stunt on July 21, 1969. When Emerson failed to show up, Curtis married a wedding guest. The mock wedding was covered by The Village Voice . In 1969, Curtis performed with the Playhouse of the Ridiculous in Tom Murrin 's Cock-Strong alongside Penny Arcade , Anthony Ingrassia , and others. Music for

129-712: A heroin addiction, and died from an overdose in on May 15, 1985. The wake was held at the Andrett Funeral Home, while the funeral service took place in St. Ann Church in New York. Curtis was laid to rest as a man wearing a suit, with a white flower on his lapel and his hair slicked back. A plaque bearing the words "John Holder, a.k.a. Jackie Curtis" and show business mementos were placed inside his coffin. Photographs of Curtis in drag were displayed on poster boards. Upon hearing news of Curtis' death, Warhol recorded in his diary, "It

172-441: A documentary Superstar in a Housedress exposed some little-known facts about Curtis to a wider public. Curtis's influence on a number of people, including friends and associates such as Holly Woodlawn , Joe Dallesandro , and Penny Arcade , and observers such as David Bowie , are noted in the film. Jayne County writes of Curtis as being "the biggest influence on me at this time." An album by Paul Serrato collecting songs from

215-552: A musical called Lucky Wonderful (1968) featuring featuring Candy Darling, Paul Serrato, Holly Woodlawn, and Melba LaRose. The playboy socialite Tommy Manville , who had a number of odd and exotic spouses, served as the inspiration for the play. The paly Amerika Cleopatra (1968) featured Agosto Machado and Harvey Fierstein and ran at the WPA Theatre. In 1968, Curtis was cast in the Warhol-produced film Flesh (1968), which

258-447: A production of a play that Curtis had written ( Heaven Grand In Amber Orbit ). Ludlam also wrote: "He is very primitive and very difficult for most actors to work with, because he's sort of savage. He gets you into doing things by rote. He criticizes ideas without giving any suggestions for improvments [ sic ], and then makes you do it over and over again. It's psychological torture." Similarly, Childers has said: "John Vaccaro

301-747: A production of the play at the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and the WPA in 1971. The play starred Candy Darling and Mario Montez . In 1974, Curtis and Holly Woodlawn performed together in "Cabaret in the Sky: An Evening with Holly Woodlawn and Jackie Curtis" at he New York Cultural Center . The poster for the show was designed by Interview magazine illustrator Richard Bernstein . Reportedly, Curtis graduated from Hunter College in 1975, but this can not be confirmed because no diploma has been found. Curtis's poem "B-Girls", much of which

344-545: A reincarnation of James Dean . I wanted to play James Dean, so I became him.'" Curtis is named in Lou Reed 's 1972 song " Walk on the Wild Side " which was about the 'superstars' he knew from Warhol's Factory . The verse speaks of her drug addiction and fascination with James Dean : "Jackie is just speeding away / Thought she was James Dean for a day / Then I guess she had to crash / Valium would have helped that bash". In 2004,

387-582: A style that inspired many entertainers, including Jayne County , the New York Dolls , and glam rock performers such as David Bowie , Iggy Pop , Gary Glitter and Mott the Hoople . Jackie Curtis was born John Curtis Holder Jr. in New York City to singer John Holder and Jenevive Uglialoroand had one sibling, half-brother Timothy Holder, who is an openly gay Episcopa priest. Their parents divorced and Curtis

430-704: A subsequent run of Camille in 1974, he argued emphatically two seemingly contradictory positions for his production. He maintained that his rendering of Camille is not an expression of homosexuality and, at the same time, that it represents a form of coming out." Cross-gender performance was central to Ludlam's work. Ludlam discussed his role as the Emerald Empress in Bill Vehr's Whores of Babylon : Bill wrote this line in Whores of Babylon in which his character said to mine, "How well I understand that struggle in you between

473-481: A supporting part as a witty chorus dancer. The program notes explained that Curtis was an emergency fill-in since the girl case in the part had abruptly quit. "This seemed to account for the strangely amorphous portrayal, neither male nor female, but a comedic talent" said Ernest Leogrande of the New York Daily News . Curtis took the starring roles in his following plays. He followed up his theatrical debut with

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516-598: A way that imitated the Hollywood studio system at its height in the 1930s and 1940s. Among the best-known of Warhol's superstars was Edie Sedgwick . She and Warhol became very close during 1965 but their relationship ended abruptly early in the next year. Warhol would continue to associate himself with people including Viva , Candy Darling , Ultra Violet , Nico and International Velvet . Warhol's studio, The Factory , played host to most of his superstars and as his experiments in film continued he became more interested in

559-449: A woman twenty-four hours a day. She sort of became Marisa Berenson ," said journalist Michael Musto in his 1986 Village Voice feature on Curtis. "In 1972, she/he returned to facial hair. . . . And in 1985, Jackie looked back on that era and told me: 'I'd say, "I'm tired of being Jackie Curtis," and someone would say, "But you have to be. We need Jackie Curtis." But it was a chore and I was already turning my auto-suggestive possession into

602-492: Is based on observations of people who visited grandmother Slugger Ann's bar, was included in the 1979 book The Poets' Encyclopedia . At eight pages long, it was the longest poem in the book. Curtis directed and performed in Nick Markovich's I Died Yesterday at La MaMa in 1983. Curtis portrayed a nurse in the documentary film Burroughs (1983). Curtis had a second wedding ceremony on May 26, 1984, with Gary Majchrzak as

645-594: Is especially pronounced. Characters include Mata Hari , Trilby , Svengali and Santa Claus , and Ludlam acknowledged no fewer than 40 sources for Big Hotel - everything from ads and Hollywood films to literary classics, textbooks and essays." Ludlam wrote a second play for the Play-House, Conquest of the Universe , but during rehearsals Ludlam and Vaccaro had a disagreement. Ludlam left to form his own company, which he named The Ridiculous Theatrical Group, and took many of

688-523: The bohemian eccentrics attracted to the studio. Some of the most important superstars to emerge from the period of the first Factory (known as the 'Silver Factory' because silver foil had been applied to the walls and ceilings) include Paul America , Ondine , Taylor Mead , Rolando Peña , Mary Woronov , Eric Emerson , Gerard Malanga , Billy Name and Brigid Berlin . Warhol significantly reduced his public accessibility after radical feminist Valerie Solanas attempted to assassinate him in 1968. In

731-493: The manifesto : "We have passed beyond the absurd: our position is absolutely preposterous." Theatre of the Ridiculous broke from the dominant trends in theater of naturalistic acting and realistic settings. The genre employed a broad acting style, often with surrealistic stage settings and props, and frequently made a conscious effort to be shocking or disturbing. Ridiculous theatre brought elements of queer and/or camp performance to experimental theater . Cross-gender casting

774-545: The Curtis works Lucky Wonderful and Vain Victory , including the love ballad "Who Are You", which Curtis sang to Darling, was released in 2004. Warhol superstars The first recognized superstar was Baby Jane Holzer , whom Warhol featured in many of his early film experiments. The superstars would help Warhol generate publicity while Warhol offered fame and attention in return. Warhol's philosophies of art and celebrity met in

817-559: The Damned (1971). Curtis appeared in the films Andy Warhol's Flesh (1968), directed by Paul Morrissey , and starred in Women in Revolt (1971), a comedic spoof of the women's liberation movement . While performing in drag on stage and screen, Curtis would typically wear lipstick, glitter, bright red hair, ripped dresses, and stockings. Curtis pioneered this combination of camp trashy glamour as

860-506: The Play-House actors with him. Vaccaro held the rights to Conquest of the Universe , and was able to perform it first, delaying the production of Ludlam's competing version (called When Queens Collide ) for several months. Vaccaro's Conquest of the Universe was performed at the Bouwerie Lane Theatre with many members of Andy Warhol's Factory, including Mary Woronov , Taylor Mead , Ondine , and Ultra Violet . The Play-House of

903-543: The Play-House of the Ridiculous as a key source of "a performance style that only recently is becoming mainstream, a style described by Bat Boy ' s original director and co-author Keythe Farley as 'the height of expression, the depth of sincerity,' a kind of outrageous but utterly truthful acting." Taylor Mac also credits Theatre of the Ridiculous as one of his professional influences. Concerning 1970s fashion, Childers has said: ... John Vaccaro used tons of glitter, that

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946-574: The Ridiculous Theatre of the Ridiculous is a theatrical genre that began in New York City in the 1960s. The phrase "Theatre of the Ridiculous" was created in 1965 by actor and director Ronald Tavel to describe his own work, which was later recognized as the beginning of the genre. Referencing Martin Esslin 's concept of a Theatre of the Absurd , Tavel promoted the first Ridiculous performances with

989-519: The Ridiculous Theatrical Company's productions were more daring: "I felt John [Vaccaro] was too conservative. He didn't want homosexuality or nudity onstage because he was afraid of being arrested. I wanted to commit an outrage. For me, nothing was too far out." Another perspective is that Ludlam's productions were too close to conventional comedy, while Vacarro's work was more challenging, emphasizing social commentary. Leee Black Childers

1032-431: The Ridiculous connected Warhol's Factory with the punk culture developing in the mid-1970s. Patti Smith performed in a play written by Jackie Curtis called Femme Fatale. According to Jayne County , also known as Wayne County: "Actually, it was [a] simulation of shooting up speed while shrieking, ' Brian Jones is dead!' That was Patti Smith 's big moment on the New York underground stage." Lou Reed has attributed

1075-500: The Ridiculous was a resident company at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village of Manhattan . Vaccaro's Play-House of the Ridiculous and Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatrical Company had similar approaches to gay themes. Both ensembles used cross-gender casting, often recruiting drag queens as actors. One perspective of the Play-House of the Ridiculous is that they were reluctant to address queer themes. According to Ludlam,

1118-431: The Ridiculous was a theatrical ensemble founded by John Vaccaro in the mid-1960s. The ensemble first produced works written by Tavel, beginning with Shower and The Life of Juanita Castro , which were originally intended as films to be produced at Andy Warhol's Factory . When these works were rejected by The Factory, Tavel decided to have them performed as plays, producing them together on a double-bill called "Theater of

1161-699: The Ridiculous". The Life of Lady Godiva , written by Ronald Tavel and directed by Vaccaro in 1967, was the first official production of the Play-House of the Ridiculous. Charles Ludlam , who would become a major figure in the "Ridiculous" genre, acted in the play as a last-minute replacement. Vaccaro then directed a play written by Ludlam, Big Hotel , which opened in an East Village loft in February 1967. David Kaufman, discussing Big Hotel , has said: "Various features of Ludlam's 28 subsequent works figure prominently in his first play. His predilection for collage - folding in cultural references, both popular and obscure -

1204-529: The groom and Curtis being given away by art dealer Leo Castelli . Curtis's final play Champagne ran at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club January 3–27, 1985 and featured George Abagnalo as the male lead. In 1985, Curtis used the name Shannon Montgomery and started going to the HB Studio for acting classes. New headshots of him were taken by photographer Francesco Scavullo and he began to audition for male parts in soap operas and plays in New York. Curtis had

1247-412: The later films, made in collaboration with Paul Morrissey , Warhol brought in new superstars including Joe Dallesandro , Penny Arcade , Andrea Feldman , Jane Forth , Geraldine Smith , and Sylvia Miles . During this period, Warhol developed an increasing fascination with trans women and drag queens , and promoted Candy Darling , Holly Woodlawn and Jackie Curtis to superstar status. Several of

1290-472: The origins of Rocky Horror and its cult following to the Theatre of the Ridiculous. Ludlam wrote of Vaccaro: "John has great instinct and is a brilliant actor. He gave me freedom. He allowed me to flip out all I wanted onstage. He never felt that I was too pasty, corny, mannered, campy. He let me do anything I wanted." Vaccaro was known for being a challenge to work with, as when he kicked Jackie Curtis out of

1333-718: The production was written by Ralph Czitrom and performed by the Silver Apples . In between filming with Warhol and Morrissey, Curtis continued to write plays. The play Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit (1970) with Ruby Lynn Reyner and Holly Woodlawn ran at the Playhouse of the Ridiculous for weeks. Another play, Femme Fatale (1970) starred Patti Smith , Jayne County and Penny Arcade . Curtis wrote Vain Victory: The Vicissitudes Of The Damned and co-directed

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1376-538: The superstars are mentioned in Lou Reed 's 1972 song " Walk on the Wild Side ". The age of the Warhol superstar faded as Warhol returned to painting in the 1970s. The 1966 film Chelsea Girls , about life amongst the superstars at Hotel Chelsea , was notable for finding success beyond New York City underground arthouse scene. The later Warhol/Morrissey collaborations Flesh , Trash , Heat , and Women in Revolt are more frequently screened. Playhouse of

1419-543: The theater and encouraged everyone to use as much of it as they possibly could, anywhere they could possibly put it. Of course their faces were covered with glitter, their hair was full of glitter, the actors who played the Moon Reindeer had their entire bodies covered in green glitter. Baby Betty, who was playing a thalidomide baby, had glitter coming out of her pussy – so it was because of John Vaccaro that glitter became synonymous with outrageousness. The Play-House of

1462-559: The theater. Ludlam talked about how the theatre had always been a refuge for gay people, and made clear that gay themes were important to his work. For Vaccaro, gayness was one theme among many that he used. Vaccaro made a distinction between theater people and gay people using the theater for camp and/or drag performances. Ludlam did object to being identified solely as a gay, female impersonator who produced works that were merely camp. Morris Meyer commented on Ludlam's ambivalence when discussing an interview he conducted with Ludlam: "During

1505-588: The warrior artist and the woman" – this was a wonderful self-revelation – and my line, he wrote, was " The woman? Don't you know there are a thousand women in me and I'm tormented by each one in turn? Theatre of the Ridiculous had a strong influence on 1970s culture. Elements of the genre can be seen in glam rock , disco , and in the Rocky Horror Picture Show . The genre has also influenced more mainstream productions, such as Bat Boy , Urinetown , and Reefer Madness . Scott Miller cites

1548-475: Was an awful day ... somebody called and said that Jackie Curtis O.D.'d. He's gone. And that wasn't something I wanted to hear." The following week, Warhol said, "Somebody told me that Jackie Curtis had a long obituary in The New York Times . I still keep wanting to think it was a put-on like his weddings." Throughout his adult life, Curtis dressed as both a woman and a man. He had taken on a male persona and

1591-474: Was auditioning for male roles the year he died. Photographer Peter Hujar took a photo of Curtis his casket wearing a suit, lying next to a picture of himself in drag. In an article published in The New York Times in November 1969, Curtis was quoted saying, "not a boy, not a girl, not a faggot, not a drag queen, not a transsexual — just me, Jackie ... I'm not trying to pass as a woman." "In 1968, Jackie lived as

1634-421: Was common, as was casting non-professional actors, such as drag queens or other "street stars". Ridiculous plays were often parodies or adaptations of popular culture , used as vehicles for social commentary and/or humour . Improvisation played a significant role in the often chaotic Ridiculous productions, with the script used as a starting point. Prominent works from the genre include: The Play-House of

1677-463: Was directed by Paul Morrissey. Curtis then starred alongside transgender Warhol superstars Candy Darling and Holly Woodlawn in Women in Revolt (1971), which satirizes the Women's Liberation Movement and alludes to Valerie Solanas and her SCUM Manifesto . Warhol said of Curtis, "Jackie Curtis is not a drag queen. Jackie is an artist. A pioneer without a frontier." Years later when Warhol attended

1720-542: Was his trademark. Everyone wore glitter. The whole cast was always covered in glitter. People had been wearing glitter for a long time and the drag queens were wearing it on the street, but I think "glitter' really took off when John Vaccaro went shopping for costume material and he came across this little place in Chinatown that was having a big clearance sale on their glitter. He bought it all – giant shopping-bag-size bags of glitter in all colors. John brought it back to

1763-586: Was mostly raised by maternal grandmother Slugger Ann (Ann Uglialoro), an East Village bar owner. In 1965, Curtis appeared in Tom Eyen 's play Miss Nefertiti Regrets at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club along with fellow newcomer Bette Midler . Curtis reprised the role as Ptolemy II . Curtis' play Glamour, Glory and Gold , which chronicled the ascent and decline of a female film star, debuted in an East Village basement in 1967. The play starred Darling, Melba LaRose, Jr., and Robert De Niro in his first appearance on stage, playing several roles. Curtis played

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1806-477: Was quoted in Legs McNeil 's 1997 Please Kill Me : In my opinion, John Vaccaro was more important than Charles Ludlam, because Ludlam followed theatrical traditions and used a lot of drag. People felt very comfortable with Charles Ludlam. Everyone's attitude going to see Charles's plays was that they were going to see a really funny, irreverent, slapstick drag show . They never felt embarrassed. But John Vaccaro

1849-547: Was way past that. Way, way past that. John Vaccaro was dangerous. John Vaccaro could be very embarrassing on many levels. He used thalidomide babies and Siamese triplets joined together at the asshole. One actor had this huge papier-mache prop of a big cock coming out of his shorts, down to his knees. He also couldn't control his bowel movements, so shit was dripping down his legs the whole time and everyone loved it. People loved this kind of visually confrontational theater. Vaccaro and Ludlam had different attitudes toward gayness and

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