When I really meditate on the subject, I will have to admit to myself, that I have been very lucky in very many ways: a happy childhood, relative good health, a college education with no student loans, a roof over my head (& own the roof), dogs, gardens, books, music, & for 32 years, more than half my life, someone to share it with. The serendipity carried on to some character changing concerts & performances by great artists.
I was very lucky when living in NYC in the mid-1970s to have seen some jaw-droppingly good theater. When I sat down with my comp tickets to see an opera/theatre piece at the Metropolitan Opera with the title – Einstein At The Beach, I had my little Rodger’s & Hammerstein loving, 22 year old brain fried by the wonder of it all. The piece was written by Philip Glass & directed & designed by Robert Wilson. My good blogger buddy Will, a world class opera & theatre designer should weigh in now.
Wilson’s work does not appear to have a gay sensibility, even if he has been an out gay man for more than 4 decades. He has had lovers over his long career. Wilson: “There hasn’t been a great romance in my life. I guess in the early part of my life I was very much looking for a relationship & trying to make it work. But like the Chinese say, ‘Don’t run after your horse; it will come back of its own accord.’ Maybe it’s a bit like that.”
Wilson’s masterpiece Einstein on the Beach made him one of the most sought-after theatrical craftsmen. The production I saw had him filling the space at the Met with light, color, and startlingly surreal images. He is known for his productions having a glacial pace, giving the audience the sense of being in a dream.
Wilson came out to his father as a young man in small town Texas. He left home to study architecture in New York City. The move was so overwhelming that Wilson retreated to Waco, attempted suicide, & was briefly institutionalized. A smart psychiatrist pointed out than being gay wasn’t troubling Wilson, but his father’s feelings about it were. Wilson moved back to NYC in 1963. In 1968, Wilson was witness to a black boy being beaten by police. He adopted the young man & has based several oh his pieces on his son’s dreams & drawings.
Wilson remains a major figure in the world of experimental theater. His works integrate a wide variety of media: movement, dance, painting, lighting, furniture design, sculpture, music, & text. He is best known for his collaborations with Philip Glass, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Lou Reed, Tom Waits, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson & Rufus Wainwright.
His non-theatre art work has been shown in museums & galleries around the world. his talent as an exhibition designer have included the Guggenheim Museum, the National Gallery in Berlin, the Vitra Design Museum, & the Barbican Centre.
Wilson: “I say I like to be alone, yet I am always surrounded by people. My theater is slow & calm, yet my life is fast & hectic, going in all directions. Yes, I’ve been in love, but I guess I’m too involved with myself & my work. I think I’m in love with my work, & I’m in love with the people I work with.”
Wilson’s work does not appear to have a gay sensibility, even if he has been an out gay man for more than 4 decades. He has had lovers over his long career. Wilson: “There hasn’t been a great romance in my life. I guess in the early part of my life I was very much looking for a relationship & trying to make it work. But like the Chinese say, ‘Don’t run after your horse; it will come back of its own accord.’ Maybe it’s a bit like that.”
Wilson’s masterpiece Einstein on the Beach made him one of the most sought-after theatrical craftsmen. The production I saw had him filling the space at the Met with light, color, and startlingly surreal images. He is known for his productions having a glacial pace, giving the audience the sense of being in a dream.
Wilson came out to his father as a young man in small town Texas. He left home to study architecture in New York City. The move was so overwhelming that Wilson retreated to Waco, attempted suicide, & was briefly institutionalized. A smart psychiatrist pointed out than being gay wasn’t troubling Wilson, but his father’s feelings about it were. Wilson moved back to NYC in 1963. In 1968, Wilson was witness to a black boy being beaten by police. He adopted the young man & has based several oh his pieces on his son’s dreams & drawings.
Wilson remains a major figure in the world of experimental theater. His works integrate a wide variety of media: movement, dance, painting, lighting, furniture design, sculpture, music, & text. He is best known for his collaborations with Philip Glass, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Lou Reed, Tom Waits, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson & Rufus Wainwright.
His non-theatre art work has been shown in museums & galleries around the world. his talent as an exhibition designer have included the Guggenheim Museum, the National Gallery in Berlin, the Vitra Design Museum, & the Barbican Centre.
Wilson: “I say I like to be alone, yet I am always surrounded by people. My theater is slow & calm, yet my life is fast & hectic, going in all directions. Yes, I’ve been in love, but I guess I’m too involved with myself & my work. I think I’m in love with my work, & I’m in love with the people I work with.”
Einstein On The Beach
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