Kenneth Otis Bernard (May 7, 1930 â€" August 9, 2020) was an American
author, poet, and playwright.Bernard was born in Brooklyn and raised
in Framingham, Massachusetts; he lived his adult life in New York
City. He married Elaine Ceil Reiss in 1952 and they had three
children, Lucas, Judd, and Katey.Bernard was involved in the
Off-Off-Broadway movement throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s,
often working with the Playhouse of the Ridiculous at La MaMa
Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village of Manhattan. The first
production he contributed to was Jackie Curtis's Heaven Grand in Amber
Orbit, which opened in 1969 and was first produced at La MaMa in 1970.
Bernard wrote the lyrics with Curtis and Tom Murrin; the production
was directed by John Vaccaro and performed by the Playhouse of the
Ridiculous.Bernard's play, Night Club, or Bubi's Hide-Away, was
produced at La MaMa by the Playhouse of the Ridiculous later in 1970,
and featured Ondine in the title role. Vaccaro directed a second play
by Bernard in 1970, The Monkeys of the Organ Grinder, which was
performed by the London-based La MaMa ensemble The Wherehouse. Vaccaro
directed the Playhouse of the Ridiculous in Bernard's The Magic Show
of Dr. Ma-gico in 1973, and in The Sixty Minute Queer Show in 1977,
both at La MaMa.
author, poet, and playwright.Bernard was born in Brooklyn and raised
in Framingham, Massachusetts; he lived his adult life in New York
City. He married Elaine Ceil Reiss in 1952 and they had three
children, Lucas, Judd, and Katey.Bernard was involved in the
Off-Off-Broadway movement throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s,
often working with the Playhouse of the Ridiculous at La MaMa
Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village of Manhattan. The first
production he contributed to was Jackie Curtis's Heaven Grand in Amber
Orbit, which opened in 1969 and was first produced at La MaMa in 1970.
Bernard wrote the lyrics with Curtis and Tom Murrin; the production
was directed by John Vaccaro and performed by the Playhouse of the
Ridiculous.Bernard's play, Night Club, or Bubi's Hide-Away, was
produced at La MaMa by the Playhouse of the Ridiculous later in 1970,
and featured Ondine in the title role. Vaccaro directed a second play
by Bernard in 1970, The Monkeys of the Organ Grinder, which was
performed by the London-based La MaMa ensemble The Wherehouse. Vaccaro
directed the Playhouse of the Ridiculous in Bernard's The Magic Show
of Dr. Ma-gico in 1973, and in The Sixty Minute Queer Show in 1977,
both at La MaMa.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.