Johnny Dodd (aka John P. Dodd) (June 25, 1941 – July 15, 1991) was an

off-off-Broadway Off-off-Broadway theaters are smaller New York City theaters than Broadway theatre, Broadway and off-Broadway theaters, and usually have fewer than 100 seats. The off-off-Broadway movement began in 1958 as part of a response to perceived commerc ...

lighting designer for theater, dance and music concerts in the downtown art scene in

Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...

during the latter half of the 20th century. He designed lighting for Judson Poets Theater, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, the Theater for the New City and the

glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...

band

New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground, the MC5, and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved ...

. He also acted in

underground art Underground art is any form of art that operates outside of conventional norms in the art world, part of underground culture. This can include essentially any genre of art that is not popular in the art world, including visionary art and stre ...

films and plays and in 1973 directed the

Anthony Clarvoe Anthony Clarvoe is an American playwright born in 1958. Education and training Princeton University, A.B. English, magna com laude, 1981 (studied with Daniel Seltzer, Michael Goldman, Jean-Claude van Itallie, Carol Rosen, Lawrence Danson) Padua ...

play ''City of Light'' based on the ''City of Light'' novel by Lauren Belfer.

Career achievements

During the 1960s, Dodd was resident lighting designer at the Caffe Cino after starting work there as a waiter in 1961. In 1967, Dodd received an

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...

for his work on Søren Agenoux's ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'',

Lanford Wilson Lanford Wilson (April 13, 1937March 24, 2011) was an American playwright. His work, as described by ''The New York Times'', was "earthy, realist, greatly admired ndwidely performed". Fox, Margalit"Lanford Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwrigh ...

's '' The Madness of Lady Bright'' and Tom Eyen's ''White Whore and the Bit Player''. Dodd also worked on productions at Judson Memorial Church, La MaMa and

Theatre Genesis Theatre Genesis was an off-off-Broadway theater founded in 1964 by Ralph Cook. Located in the historic St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery in the East Village of Manhattan, it produced the work of new American playwrights, including Lanford Wilson, ...

. During the 1970s, he served as lighting director on the

tours and worked with theater director Robert Wilson. He later founded and served as the president of the 14th Street Stage Lighting Inc. Towards the end of his life, Dodd worked at The Living Theater.

Underground film and theater appearances

Dodd was featured in

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

's 1963 film ''Haircut No. 3'' and he also appeared kissing

Fred Herko Frederick Charles "Freddie" Herko (February 23, 1936 – October 27, 1964) was an American artist, musician, actor, dancer, choreographer and teacher. Early life Born in New York City, Herko's father was a diner manager and his mother was a ...

in Warhol's 1963 film ''

Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...

'' (aka ''Salome and Delilah''). Dodd performed on stage the role of

Juanita Castro Juana de la Caridad "Juanita" Castro Ruz ( , ; 6 May 1933 – 4 December 2023) was a Cuban-American activist and writer, as well as the sister of Fidel and Raúl, both former presidents of Cuba, and Ramón, a key figure of the Cuban Revolut ...

Ronald Tavel Ronald Tavel (May 17, 1936 – March 23, 2009) was an American gay screenwriter, director, novelist, poet and actor, best known for his work with Andy Warhol and The Factory and the Theatre of the Ridiculous. Tavel was the founder, with th ...

’s absurdist play ''The Life of Juanita Castro'' that was turned into a Warhol film also called '' The Life of Juanita Castro''. He also performed in these

plays: Leonard Melfi's ''Times Square'' (1967),

Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, ...

's ''Melodrama Play'' (1967), Rochelle Owens's ''Futz'' (1967), ''Changes'' (1968), and ''Nova'' (1969).

Fred Herko suicide

On October 27, 1964, strung out and homeless

superstar

, who was romantically involved with Dodd, went to Dodd's fifth-floor apartment at 5 Cornelia Street to take a bath. According to Dodd,

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

's '' Coronation Mass'' was playing as Herko emerged from the bath and danced naked in the loft. As the music climaxed, Herko leapt through the open window and fell to his death five floors down.

Death

Dodd died in 1991, reportedly from

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

, at the age of 50.

Legacy

In 2011, Fast Books published the book ''Johnny!'' by

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...

critic Michael Townsend Smith that recounts much of the life of Johnny Dodd. Smith was from 1964 to 1971 Dodd's romantic partner. In 2017, Fast Books published a book of Johhny Dodd's

collage Collage (, from the , "to glue" or "to stick together") is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assembly of different forms, thus creating a new whole. (Compare with pasti ...

s entitled ''My Funny Valentine Collages'' under his full name John P. Dodd.

La MaMa credits

Dodd's credits at La MaMa included extensive lighting work as well as some acting and directing:Smith, Michael. ''Johnny!'' Silverton: Fast Books Press, 2011. ; Lighting Design * ''The Vacation'' (1964) * ''So Who's Afraid of Edward Albee?'' (1964) * ''The Recluse'' (1964) * ''The Hessian Corporal'' (1966) * ''Times Square'' (1968) * ''Melodrama Play'' (1968) * ''Futz'' (1968) * ''Changes'' (1968) * ''9 to 5 to 0'' (1969) * ''Hurricane of the Eye'' (1969) * ''Solar Inventions'' (1969) * ''A Rat's Mass'' (1969, 1971) * ''In Praise of Folly'' (1969) * ''Wanton Soup'' (1969) * ''Eye in New York'' (1969) * ''Nova'' (1969) * ''Big Charlotte'' (1969) * ''Sprint Orgasmics'' (1969) * ''Cock-Strong'' (1970) * ''Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit'' (1970) * ''Ubu'' (1970) * ''Arden of Faversham'' (1970) * ''Son of Cock-Strong'' (1970) * ''Captain Jack's Revenge'' (1970) * ''Shaved Splits'' (1970) * ''Night Club, or Bubi's Hideaway'' (1970) * ''The Monkeys of the Organ Grinder'' (1970) * ''Toy Show'' (1970) * ''Cranes and Peonies'' (1970) * ''La Cabeza del Bautista'' (1970) * ''La Rosa de Papel'' (1970) * ''Thief'' (1971) * ''The Red Horse Animation'' (1971) * ''Sissy'' (1972) * ''Persia, A Desert Cheapie'' (1972) * ''Satyricon'' (1972) * ''Pomp.eii'' (1972) * ''Audition!'' (1972) * ''Sobechanskaya Dances'' (1972) * ''Thoughts'' (1972) * ''Silver Queen'' (1973) * ''The White Whore and the Bit Player'' (1973) * ''The Golem'' (1974) * ''Stone'' (1974) * ''Big Mother'' (1974) * ''Starfollowers in an Ancient Land'' (1975) ; Directing * ''City of Light'' (1973) ; Performing * ''Times Square'' (1967) * ''Melodrama Play'' (1967) * ''Futz'' (1967) * ''Changes'' (1968) * ''The Life of Juanita Castro'' (1968) * ''Nova'' (1969)

Footnotes

References

* Scherman, Tony & Dalton, David, ''POP: The Genius of Andy Warhol'', HarperCollins, New York, N.Y. 2009

External links

* *

Biography book ''Johnny!'' by Michael Townsend Smith

''My Funny Valentine Collages'' book of collages by John P. Dodd AIDS-related deaths in New York (state) American lighting designers 1941 births 1991 deaths Place of birth unknown {{design-bio-stub