LARRY KORNFELD INTERVIEW with Steve Bottoms, 9.95 - Judson ...

een very different from Torn's, but I think it would've been good too because it's agood play. That was Rochelle. I didn't talk to her for years ....SJB pushes issue about whether writers resented at all what was done with theirplays:LK: We had big fights and rages and then we made up. Don't quote me calling her abitch. She is one, but. .. Everyone has their Rochelle Owens story. I mean she's fromanother planet. Well she pays her social now.It was that or be a bourgeoishousewife ...LK: I worked very well with him. Oh no, I had heavy trouble with Al after he nearlydied of a cerebral aneurysm, and after that... I didn't realise that he was still sick, andwasn't in full control. Something happened, about a play with a theatre that we weregoing to do, and he just fucked up. We've made up since, we're good friends againnow, always have been really. He was best man at my wedding, he's my daughter'sgodfather, we had this great partnership together for years ... But Al has people whoare very loyal to him, and he also has people who really hate him. Irene for one,Madeleine Kahn being another, the actress.SJB: At what stage did you leave Judson? When you founded Theatre for the NewCity?LK: That was 71, 72, I'm not quite sure. I left Judson because it was over. I found outyears later that I was actually manipulated out, that it was a political thing within thechurch ... The movement itself was over, the Judson Poets' Theatre was more andmore becoming, in the seventies, AI's oratorios, which were very popular. And hewanted to direct them, and I never felt that Al was much of a director, because Aldirects a play by sitting and looking at the script, the printed word, he'd never look atthe stage, and he'd say 'Larry why isn't it interesting?' and I'd say because you're notlooking! (We were so close I could say those kind of things) And ... I wanted my owntheatre. Fully my own theatre, not the Judson Poets' Theatre. And a year after I builtit, raised the money and built it, I left. Because I was not happy with some of thepeople I had brought on... And it was for me a very critical point in my life. Instead offighting for a change, I did leave New York for about two years. I carne back again, Ihad to corne back. But I went very much into regional theatre, and kept corning backand doing occasional shows at Judson and elsewhere.