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

SJB: Michael Smith said somewhere that Cino's death was the end of a writer's era,and the Open Theatre's demise in 1973 marked the end of another era ...LK: And Judson, my leaving and ... Well, I think it's very natural. Michael's tryingvery much to make sense of it, historically, which is good. Michael's been awonderful support. The Village Voice was very important. Jerry Tallmer, the originalcritic in 1961, was a big help... and the critics after that, Michael Smith, RossWetzsteon, Michael Feingold, Erika Munk, they've all been helpful: the Voice wasvery strong. Now the Living Theatre's great helper was Brooks Atkinson. BrooksAtkinson gave a great review to [?]... and he would come, and he would review it,and say I didn't understand this one, but other things he said you must go see this, thisis important. He was not the greatest critic, but he was open-hearted man. They'd bein financial trouble and he'd call and say can I be of any help? And he'd write anarticle ...SJB: Was Off-Off essentially the four major venues? Cino, Judson, La Mama,Genesis.LK: Those were the four main places, but there were lots of little things, groups ofpeople who were around. But certainly they were the four places that wereconsistent.And the Open Theatre later. And of course now, the OOB 'movement'might seem very large, but they seem to be doing plays hoping to get to B'way ...SJB: What are your main recollections of the Big 4? You've mentioned the LivingTheatre as being like a jewel box, and you've described Judson. What about theothers?LK: They were simply stages ... The atmosphere at La Mama was always heady,depending on whether it was a storefront theatre, or finally her 4th Street theatre,there's was always a very particular, wonderful, Ellen Stewart quality about thoseplaces. Her little bell would ring ...LK: Yes. In a slightly different accent each time. I think as far as real atmosphere ...the LT had the most consciously created atmosphere, aesthetic, locality ... Judsoncertainly had ... Have you been inside? It's kind of wrecked now, a lot of the stainedglass windows are out being repaired ... The answer to your question of whatatmosphere I remember the most - the only answer to that - was audience excitementat all of the theatres ... Of course I was always at Judson; I didn't go much to otherplaces because I was always working. But there was an incredible excitement, withaudiences waiting outside for doors to open, waiting at the ticket line to get theirticket, the conversation along the hallway before the doors to the theatre opened, theexcitement waiting to get in, people trying to get on the waiting list, people fighting