Bleeker Street has lost a dragon [boomerang poem]

(i)

Bleeker Street has lost a dragon
        shouldn't one see its traces?

strike the drum or lift the flagon
        putting you through your paces

        many the empty places
blooming with the news of Nagrin

        Maya her scroll erases
Bleeker Street has lost a dragon


(ii)

Bleeker Street has lost a dragon
        sing from Basaavanagudi

what's the race we run or lag in?
        why has the mode gone moody?

        celestina from Punch & Judy?
strike up strings again for Nagrin

        choo-choo brings tutti-frutti
Bleeker Street has lost a dragon


(iii)

Bleeker Street has lost a dragon
        weeping a tear   beloved?

what's the play we soar or sag in?
        isn't it clear   beloved?

        life is here   beloved
where the streams flow rife for Nagrin

        chanticleer   beloved
Bleeker Street has lost a dragon



an elegy for Lee Nagrin

from d.i. in Bangalore


notes:
many the empty places: cf. W.S. Merwin, "Search Party"
maya: creative principle underlying the great world-illusion
Basaavanagudi: (or Basavanagudi; I double the "aa" to note the long syllable) -- a neighborhood in Bangalore (where I'm staying w/ friends at the moment)
celestina: an antique musical instrument (same or similar to the glass harpsichord?) with a fine, high, heavenly tone; (also, name of a figure in Cervantes' Don Quixote)
Punch & Judy: stock figures in 19th century puppetry (antecedent to early 20th century Vaudeville characters); but the Wikipedia entry notes a longer European history
tutti-frutti: among cries of food-hawkers who repeatedly pass through the aisle on India's distinctive trains, are: "pani water" (enjoyably redundant -- inasmuch as "pani" means "water" in Hindi) / "masala chai" (spiced tea) / and "tutti-frutti" (signifying, a small fruit-juice box)
chanticleer: employed (neologistically) as a verb: to call like hen or rooster

remembering Lee Nagrin

I received a startling (though not an un expect able) email yesterday --

Dear David

Sorry to inform you by email -- Lee passed way on Friday 7th June -- it was peaceful.

I had learned of Lee's late carcinoma diagnosis some couple months ago (when phoning NYC from Bhopal to touch base with her). Lee was, in my view, among New York City's best kept secrets: a deep-thinking/feeling theatre artist, extraordinarily innovative and creative, exceptionally patient, persistent, idealistic, gifted with a myriad fine qualities. Her work was only seen in New York, never elsewhere. It was known primarily to relatively small circles among the performing arts avant-garde, on whom it exerted (if one may so generalize) a strong impression. Statistics and numbers are illusory. The influence of such a formidable artist (no matter how hidden from view of our day's ephemeral mass culture) can be both profound and long-lasting.

Theatre Mania (an online news & reviews conduit) carried this obituary:

Playwright Lee Nagrin Dies at 78
By: Brian Scott Lipton

Playwright Lee Nagrin, whose new work Behind the Lid will debut in New York City next week, succumbed to complications from advanced colon cancer this morning in New York City. She was 78.

In addition to being a playwright, Nagrin, who was originally from Seattle, was a visual artist, performer, singer, choreographer, and director. She moved to New York in 1950 and was instrumental in the development of several Off-Broadway theaters, including the Sullivan Street Playhouse, the Bridge Theatre, and the Downtown Theatre. She produced, directed and/or performed in 10 Off-Broadway productions between 1950 and 1963.

From 1971 to 1981, Nagrin was a member of Meredith Monk's company, The House, with whom she developed and performed in a number of works. In 1979, she formed her own company, The Sky Fish Ensemble. Her 1986 work Bird/Bear won an Obie Award for Best New American Play. Over the years, her work was also seen at such venues as La MaMa, the 92nd Street Y, St. Mark's Church, and the Silver Whale Gallery, where Behind the Lid will have a 12-performance run beginning on June 12.

Nagrin is survived by her longtime companion, Bruce Hutchinson. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

That was published on June 7. This evening, Mary-Clare McKenna -- Lee's tireless documentarian (who ventured to New York from her native England a couple years ago, with the aim -- now in process of being well realized -- of helping Lee organize the record of her artistic work) -- sent this note:

I will let you know about plans for a memorial.

Lee's play Behind The Lid it went up on her birthday June 3 and it runs till the end of the month. So I am thrilled [she] and Basil got to make that happen. It felt like a miracle.

One could say that all of Lee's theatre works felt like a miracle. But this would seem particularly so. Wonderful that she was able to have this work see the light of day.

One looks forward -- in the ripeness of time -- to enjoying the book that Mary-Clare has been preparing.

Behind the Lid is slated to be performed through June 28th. Those in the area are cordially encouraged to go and enjoy it. Wish I could see it myself -- but I remain in India some days into July.

Then I fly to China . . .

=====================

Other articles & obits --

from Playbill, Robert Simonson, Lee Nagrin, Trailblazing Downtown Artist, Dies at 78 (June 8, 2007)

from Variety (under their unique "legit" rubric), Lee Nagrin, performance artist, 78: Director part of Off-Broadway scene for decades (June 7, 2007)

from BroadwayWorld.com, Performance and Multimedia Artist Lee Nagrin Dies at 78 (June 7, 2008)

from United Press International (under "Newstrack - Entertainment" rubric), Lee Nagrin, off-Broadway influence, dies (June 8, 2007)

/ / / / /

Reading thru yet another such obit -- Andrew Salomon's, from BackStage.com -- the words "Nagrin grew up in Seattle" triggers a recollection. I think it was around 2000 that Lee sent me -- or was going to send me -- on a mission to Seattle. I was anyway going there to visit my brother Larry (who later moved down to Santa Cruz, but had been then living in Seattle since many years). There was an incredible legal wrangle about some family land. This somehow involved the death of Lee's brother -- an event that lies near the center of her remarkable production, The Valley of Iao, seen at LaMama (I think in 2000). But what exactly was the mission? Memory is surprisingly vague -- I suppose I was to meet with a lawyer and give him some documents? Or hire a local lawyer for her? Or . . . Perhaps this got worked out in other ways. It's odd I cannot recall what in fact happened!

I shot, on video, Lee's The Valley of Iao, for more than a dozen performances -- sometimes one camera, sometimes there were two cameras, once or twice we had three. The mass of video footage was more than I was able to get organized, editing-wise; the project lay on the shelf for some years. At last, Lee connected with Dana Duke, a good video editor in upstate New York (where she was living part of the time). I was delighted -- when speaking with Mary-Clare some weeks ago -- to learn that the edit was brought fully to completion by Dana.

Among my US errands (later this summer) is retrieving (from New York) the digital deck that I lent Dana for this editing work. I recall some of that footage (a fair bit of which I showed to Lee in her East Bleeker Street studio) warmly, and look forward to reviewing the edited play-on-camera at some future time. Besides The Valley of Iao, Lee and Mary-Clare and Dana evidently managed to get into edited form many other video documentations of her productions.

Back when I was shooting The Valley of Iao at LaMama (in downtown New York), I was living in Washington, DC, and working fulltime (word processor in a law firm). I would travel to NYC each weekend for a few days. I also recall once having stupidly left my video camera in a taxi. The cab driver kindly came backa nd found me, and the work went on.

=====================

Also from BroadwayWorld.com, Nagrin and Twist's Dream Play Behind the Lid Begins 6/3 (published May 14, 2007)

=====================

Ah, but I think I recall a bit more about the Seattle lawyer thing. Maybe I had been encouraging Lee to get a lawyer in Seattle, or she had been thinking to do so. I did meet with one lawyer -- though the upshot of that, remains vague in recollection . . .

/ / / / /

The New Yorker Magazine online includes this notice among current theatre listings:

BEHIND THE LID

A new play written by Lee Nagrin and the puppeteer Basil Twist, about a woman in her seventies who travels through her dreams, featuring puppetry by Twist. Opens June 3. (Silver Whale Gallery, 21 Bleecker St. 212-868-4444.)

blogo-cross-ref:

my elegaic poem
Bleeker Street has lost a dragon

on pillows [ghazal]

Some ways   into the sky
                          we sit on pillows
one sways   into a sigh
                          we sit on pillows

the instruments are tuned
                      the poets are talking
our days   seeking reply
                          we sit on pillows

the wisdom of the world
                          gets lost in torpor
dismay's mixed in the fry
                          we sit on pillows

if now   you glimpse her face
                          anon   she's veiled
your haze   explains not why
                          we sit on pillows

how could it hurt   to smile
                          amid the ruins?
the ney's   lovers' ally
                          we sit on pillows

the curtain falls   the thunder
                          signals drama
the play's done in July
                          we sit on pillows

was Raphael   submerged
                          in depths of dreaming?
his case   when drawing nigh
                          we sit on pillows



[the rubai, expanded to a ghazal -- but I'd just assume leave its initial form intact: for if the ghazal rather obliterates the original context, the rubai anyway preserves it]

notes:
the ney -- i.e., the Persian flute
in July -- alluding to the Asian monsoon season

some ways [rubai]

Some ways   into the sky
                      we sit on pillows
one sways   into a sigh
                      we sit on pillows
the instruments are tuned
                  the poets are talking
our days   seeking reply
                      we sit on pillows



(written for & occasioned by a little musical/poetry soiree in Bangalore -- held in a posh, 13th floor apartment)

a note from the Peachy Guest House

I think during some periods (including today), the only way I'm apt to continue blogging is if I now & then post, here, a copy of an email I've sent to friends. Here, at any rate, is one such. Perhaps a term should be coined for this form of email-turned-into-blog-post . . . What to call it? Otherwise, historians can wrangle out a suitable moniker. For now, the term "note" can suffice.

=================

dear Vasu & Vidya,

I've just officially checked out of the Peachy (noonish, Friday) and am hanging out in their on-site internet cafe for a bit before moving along with my day. I may be able to go to the Indian Embassy -- it's something like half-way between here and the airport -- though in fact I think I could as easily deal with the question of Indian residency status via the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC when I'm there later in the summer. I'll see how my day evolves and whether I have enough time for this jaunt today.

You know, I forgot that I will be back here in Bangkok for one day, en route between Bombay and Beijing -- I arrive, in that itinerary, at 5:15 a.m., 6 July, and depart for Beijing not till around midnight that night. Some folks form New Zealand, this morning at breakfast, recommended to me another, newer guest house -- called in fact New Siam II -- just around the corner from the Peachy (the guy said in past years he has also stayed at the Peachy). I think I'll go take a look, and may book ahead a room for myself for 6 July.

I've been spending my morning reading the biography of Annapurna Devi -- lovely book. It makes me want to pay a visit to Raviji sometime. I had some email correspondence with his wife maybe 4 years ago, when I was working on starting my DVD venture -- and prior to that, in the 1980s, I had several contacts with Raviji (when I was making some effort to help promote his son, Shubho's renascent sitar career. Shubho was known and well-liked by music-lovers in the Los Angeles area).

Anyway, I have not even gotten on a boat-taxi yet in Bangkok, but have in mind to do so shortly . . .

much enjoying this place.

I hope that Vidya has connected with Raghav. Raghav, I think, may not realize I am only briefly staying at your house. He was talking about hiring an electrician to help with the grounding of electricity -- but that may be a bigger job than is needed in this situation. We may simply need to use one extension cord!

And I pray the computer problems can find solution, so the film work can be brought to a happy conclusion. For this purpose, it really seems best to me if I may stay on in Bangalore for the one week -- whether or not the red-tape for my "work as an American visiting" is successfully resolved. But in fact it seems nice to do both these things (film-work plus Vasu-hitech-writing-editing-work) for a week in the wonderful environs of your good home.

I tried calling you yesterday, Vasu, to get your opinion about the digital camera purchase situation. Thing is, the cost here actually isn't cheaper than in India, so far as I've been able to find. In addition, I'm concerned that if I bring in a new camera to India, they might well charge me customs -- which can be like 30% of the retail price. So in short, anyway really I've decided to buy a camera in India, not Bangkok. I'm looking at two models -- both are latest models -- of Powershot cameras by Canon. (The models are G7, and S5-IS. I'm inclining toward the latter, as it has 14x optical zoom -- very unusual among such cameras. But the G7 has some extra good format options for video.) Anyway, my camera dealer in Bhopal will give me price quotes on the phone, probably today. When in Bangalore, I can shop at places there -- and if they offer these models at a good rate, I'll prob. buy one in Bangalore TOMORROW -- so I can record our "concert" :-)

Warm greetings from far southlands,
d.i.

ps -- copying Eric with this. Eric, if you get this note today (Friday), and if convenient, you could reach me on my Thai mobile -- it's [such & such] -- my flight departs tonight for Bangalore, leaving 7:30pm. Glad you'd suggested Bangkok, which I've had a good, if brief, intro to now. Inshallah, I might make this a semi-frequent place to chill out in future. Did I mention, I managed to locate the samadhi of Narayan Maharaj in Bangalore -- not all too far from my hosts' home there. The priest who cares for the place seemed a sweet and charming man -- he lives there with several children, including a couple girls who speak some English (unlike himself -- but he chants what must be pucca Sanskrit while waving the aarti tray). I was shown the exact location of the samadhi (after some mis-directions by others nearby, who pointed me to other little local tomb-shrines, including one that I sat at for 15 minutes' meditation, mistakenly thinking it to be Narayan's! -- but at last this good bearded gent who sells books at the around-the-corner Vivekananda Yoga Center managed to recollect the right location and took me down the road to where it is. There are photographs of Meher Baba and his Five Perfect Masters there, along with photos of Narayan -- whom they call, if I have this right, "Bet Narayan Maharaj" -- I'm not quite sure what the "Bet" is about, though it seems vaguely familiar in connection with him. I wonder if this is simply like saying "betta" (i.e., "dear, beloved"). But I rather think it may instead be some name or title that's geographically-based (in Maharashtra). But in short -- I'm just making guesses.

At the Peachy Guest House, yesterday, I was a bit surprised to find the check-in lady chatting in Mandarin with a man there -- so I was able to chip in 2 or 3 words. But not so surprising that Chinese has some presence & influence here. The place where I took breakfast, too, is adorned only with Chinese calligraphy and paintings.

===========

a blog-only p.s. --
the New Siam Guest House chain also has a River Side edition (likely more pricy -- I glanced [online] at cost for a simple, one-person room at New Siam II; it's 240 Bhat (about US $8), same as at the Peachy. One might have to splurge at the River Side and pay more than $10 :-) Anyway, I'll go around the corner now and take a look...