Guide to Wendy Perron's "Concepts in Performance," In The Soho Weekly News
1976-1978
|
|
|
Descriptive Summary
|
|
Creator: |
Perron, Wendy
|
|
Title: |
Wendy Perron's "Concepts in Performance," In The Soho Weekly News (1976-78).
|
|
Dates: |
1976-1978 |
|
Abstract: |
Perron wrote reviews for The Soho Weekly News and focused on a range of experimental performance practices that flourished in New York during the late 1970s. Being knowledgeable
of the historical circumstances under which experimental "performance art" emerged in New York, She was among the earliest
critics to write about this then new genre combining thick description and critical analysis. This collection is comprised
of clippings of articles Perron wrote for The Soho Weekly News from 1976-1978.
|
|
Quantity: |
0.5 linear feet (1 box) |
|
Call Phrase: |
Wendy Perron's "Concepts in Performance," In The Soho Weekly News (1976-78). |
Return to top
Historical/Biographical Note:
Wendy Perron is a teacher, writer and choreographer. She started her career as a choreographer and dancer in New York in
the early 1970s. She was member of the Trisha Brown Company from 1975 to 1978 and danced for such choreographers as: Kenneth
King, Rudy Perez, Sara Rudner, Twyla Tharp, among others. She formed and operated the Wendy Perron Dance Company from 1983
from 1994. Since the 1970's, She has taught various aspects of dance at Princeton, NYU, City College of New York, and Rutgers.
In addition, she has been a frequent lecturer on the Judson Dance Theater of the 1960s. Perron has also written about dance
for The New York Times, The Village Voice, and The Soho Weekly News. Recently, she has become the New York Editor of Dance Magazine, and is a Senior Fellow of the Vera List Center for Art & Politics at the New School University.
Sources:
"ACDFA Central Region Festival, Brief Biographies of Central Region Festival Faculty; Adjudicators." University of Iowa,
College of Education. 3 Mar. 2002. [Online: http://www.uni.edu/coe/hpels/acdf/3rd/bio.htm1; Nov. 2002.].
Return to top
Scope and Content Note
The Wendy Perron "Concepts in Performance" collection is a part of the Downtown Collection at the Fales Library, New York
University. The Fales Library is the primary special collections division of the NYU libraries, housing nearly 200,000 volumes
of English and American literature from 1700 to the present. Strengths of the collection include the development of the English
and American novel, with an emphasis on the Gothic and the Victorian novel.
The Fales Library's collection of Wendy Perron's "Concepts in Performance" column, published in The Soho Weekly News, spans from 1976-1978. In her column, Perron reviews a range of experimental performance practices that flourished in New
York during the late 1970s. Among these are Steve Paxton's Contact Improvisation, Laurie Anderson's sound performances involving
electric violin, Trisha Brown's Accumulation pieces, and Merce Cunningham's integrations of dance, music, and theatre. Other
artists and ensembles whose performances Perron reviews are John Cage, Lucinda Childs, Michael Kirby, Jackson Mac Low, Meredith
Monk, Yvonne Rainer, Stuart Sherman, Squat Theatre, and Robert Wilson.
Perron's column is important for several reasons. First, she is among the earliest critics to write about a new genre known
as "Performance Art." In the 1970s, "Performance Art" came to designate experimental forms of embodied expression that fell
outside the conventional categories of theatre, dance, or music. Secondly, Perron combines thick description and critical
analysis. This combination not only allows readers to visualize the performances that occurred, but also sheds light on the
aesthetic, political, and theoretical issues underlying a given piece. Thirdly, Perron is knowledgeable about the historical
circumstances under which performance art emerged in New York, she is thus able to identify the central characteristics informing
performance art of the 1970s, distinguishing it from 1960s experimental theatre.
Return to top
|
|
|
Arrangement
|
|
Items are arranged chronologically within each folder. |
|
The files are grouped into one series.
|
Return to top
Related Material at the Fales Library and Special Collections
Please see the Judson Memorial Church Archive for related materials pertaining to Performance Art of the 1960s and 1970s.
The Judson Memorial Church was a theatrical 'home base' for many (though by no means all) of the performance artists and ensembles
whose work Perron reviews in her column.
The Judson Memorial Church Archive
The Robert Alexander Papers
Return to top
Separated Material
There is no information about materials that are associated by provenance
to the described materials that have been physically separated or removed.
Return to top
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Open to researchers. Appointments are necessary for the use of manuscript and archival materials.
Use Restrictions
Collection use is subject to all copyright laws. Permission to
publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Director of Fales
Library and Special Collections. For more information, contact
Fales Library and Special Collections
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2596
Fax: (212) 995-3835
Email: fales.library@nyu.edu
URL: http://www.nyu.edu/library/bobst/research/fales/cdfa.htm
Return to top
|
|
|
Access Points
|
|
|
|
Subject Names: |
|
|
|
|
|
Perron, Wendy |
|
Subject Organizations: |
|
|
The Soho Weekly News |
|
Subject Topics: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Choreography --United States. |
|
|
Choreography--History--20th century. |
|
|
Dance criticism. |
|
|
Dance--New York (State)--New York--Reviews. |
|
|
Performance art--New York (State)--New York. |
|
|
Theater--New York (State)--New York--Reviews. |
|
Subject Places: |
|
|
New York (State)--New York |
|
Document Types: |
|
|
|
|
|
Clippings. |
|
|
Reviews. |
Return to top
Administrative Information
Provenance
Acquired through donation from Wendy Perron, New York in December 2001.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Wendy Perron's "Concepts in Performance," In The Soho Weekly News; MSS 123; box
number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections
, New York University Libraries.
Return to top
Container List
[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.]
| Folder 1: Miscellaneous Originals (1976-1978).
|
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 1
|
|
Grow Up or Shut Up or Tell Me Something New, by Robert Patrick, October 6th,
1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 1
|
|
Exclusive, Never-Before-Published in the
History of Man Interview with Sigmund Freud, by Lewis Grossberger, October 6th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 1
|
|
Reading For Fun and Art's Profit, by
Wendy Perron, no date given.
|
undated |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 1
|
|
Deep Breathing
Accordion, by Wendy Perron, no date given.
|
undated |
|
Return to the Top of Page
| Folder 2: Copies (1976-1978).
|
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 2
|
|
Miscellaneous
Copies; All items in this folder are duplicates of the materials listed above; the contents are
identical to that of Folder 1.
|
1976-1978 |
|
Return to the Top of Page
| Folder 3: Perron, Wendy: Articles, 1976 (Originals).
|
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Finding a Thread in a Haystack, reviews by Wendy Perron and others, January 22nd,
1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Of Baggage, Short Stories, and Reflections,
reviews by Wendy Perron and others, January 29th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Followable Dancing, review of Mary Overlie and David Gordon by
Wendy Perron, March 4th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Energy Sparks,
review of Wendy Rogers by Wendy Perron, March 11th, 1976. "Performance Diary," by Peter
Frank, April 1st, 1976 (incomplete article).
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Unadorned, review of Suzanne Harris by Wendy Perron, April 8th, 1976. |
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
People Improvisation, review of Grand Union by Wendy
Perron, May 6th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
New Dimensions in
Self-Consciousness, review of Michael McClard by Wendy Perron, May 20th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Small Night Music in a Fog, Review of Yoshimasa
Wada by Peter Zummo, May 27th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Undiscovered: Bill Horowitz, review of Bill Horowitz by Wendy Perron, May 27th, 1976. |
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Keeping in Line, review of Philip Glass,
Dickie Landry, Andy DeGroat by Sally Banes, June 3rd, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
The Ceremony of Leonard Crow Dog, reviews of Leonard Crow Dog,
June 10th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Unpremeditated Honesty,
review by Wendy Perron, June 10th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Consuming Determination, review of Lucinda Childs by Wendy Perron, June 17th, 1976. |
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
It All Depends on How You Define It,
review of Wendy Perron by Robert J. Pierce, June 17th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Death or Rebirth, review of Julie Hymen by Mark Savitt, July 1st,
1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Discovery, review of Tony Azito by
Wendy Perron, July 1st, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Letters, response by
John Malpede to Perron's June 10th review, July 1st, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
When Is a Recital Not? review of U.S. Terpsichore by Robert J. Pierce,
July 8th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Secret Life of Cities
Surrealistic Baedekers, Review of Meredith Monk and Ping Chong, July 8th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Downtown Exiles, review of Tony Kushner, et al. by
Stephanie Woodward, September 30th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Live
and Non-Live; Motion and Stillness, review of Sylvia Whitman by Wendy Perron, Nov. 25th,
1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
"Three Angles on a Three Part Structure,
review of Michael Kirby by Wendy Perron, Dec. 2nd, 1976. 23. Roots and Rituals,"" review of
Geoff Hendricks by Sally Banes, December 9th, 1976."
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Backworks, review of Barbara Moore and Jon Hendricks by Wendy Perron, Dec. 9th,
1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Older is Better, review of Merce
Cunningham by Wendy Perron, December 16th, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
Transmission From Space, Review of Earth, Moon, Mars, and Jupiter by Peter
Zummo, Dec. 23rd, 1976.
|
1976 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 3
|
|
"Exporting SoHo,"
by Wendy Perron, December 30th, 1976.
|
1976 |
|
Return to the Top of Page
| Folder 4: Perron, Wendy: Articles, 1976 (Duplicates).
|
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 4
|
|
Perron, Wendy: Articles, 1976 (Duplicates). All items in this folder are duplicates of
the materials listed above; the contents are identical to that of Folder 3.
|
1976 |
|
Return to the Top of Page
| Folder 5: Perron, Wendy:
Articles, 1977 (Originals).
|
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Improvisation Part I: The Man Who Gets Away With It,
review by Wendy Perron, January 6th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Improvisation Part II: Acquaintanceship, review by Wendy Perron, January 13th, 1977. |
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
"Knife's Edge," review of Beth Soll by
Wendy Perron, January 20th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Politics as
Analysis, review of Lee Breuer by Madeleine Burnside, January 20th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Going to Pieces, review by Stephanie Woodward,
January 27th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Lost In Translation: The
Americanization of Jewish Humor, by Wendy Perron, February 3rd, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
David Behrman, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, review
by Peter Zummo, February 3rd, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Bad Taste,
review of Now I Know Why Cannibals Eat Their Enemies by Sally Banes, Feb. 10th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Reading Writing, review of women writers
by Wendy Perron, February 17th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Haystack,
review of performance art by Wendy Perron, February 24th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Words That Work, review of Robert Barry by Wendy Perron, March 3,
1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
When the Wind if High, review of Trisha
Brown by Stephanie Woodward, March 10th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Inner Vision Outer Space, review of Nancy Topf by Stephanie Woodward, March
17th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Chosen Toil, review of Steve Paxton by
Stephanie Woodward, March 24th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Works With Words, review of Lawrence Kucharz by Peter Zummo, March 31st, 1977. |
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Looking the Other Way, review of James
Barth by Wendy Perron, April 7th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Half
Hazard, by Wendy Perron, April 14th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Elemental Sounds, review of Alvin Lucier by Peter Zummo, April 28th, 1977. |
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Black Holes at Large, review of Star Station by Wendy
Perron, April 28th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Nursery Rhymes, review of
Julia Heyward and Paula Longendyke, May 5th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
New Mysteries, review of The Venue Caft Byrd Hoffman Studio, June 2nd, 1977. |
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Kushner Bares All, review of Robert
Kushner by Wendy Perron, June 9th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Guesswork, review of Meredith Monk by Wendy Perron, June 16th, 1977. |
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
A Rhythmical Guy, review of Dave Van Tieghem by
Stephanie Woodward, June 23rd, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Only an
Illusion, review of street performance by Wendy Perron, July 14th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Cuba, New York, review of New Cuban Cinema by Stephanie
Woodward, July 21st, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Direct to the Heart,
review of the Big Apple Circus by Stephanie Woodward, July 28th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Starting From Nothing, review of Michael Moschen by
Wendy Perron, September 22nd, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
That's
Entertainment, review of Becky Arnold by Sally Banes, October 13th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Fearless Squatters, review of Squat Theatre's Pig,
Child, Fire by Wendy Perron, October 20th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Poor White Tails, review of Tony Azito by Wendy Perron, November 10th, 1977. |
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
New Morning, review of Tall Tree by
Wendy Perron, November 24th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
"Susan
Sontag: On Writing, Art, Feminism, Life and Death," interview by Wendy Perron, December 1st,
1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Voices of Many Voices, review of Julia
Heyward and Pooh Kaye by Wendy Perron, December 15th, 1977.
|
1977 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 5
|
|
Cage's Shell Game, review of John Cage by Wendy Perron, December
29th, 1977.
|
1977 |
|
Return to the Top of Page
| Folder 6: Perron, Wendy: Articles, 1977 (Duplicates).
|
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 6
|
|
Perron, Wendy:
Articles, 1977 (Duplicates). All items in this folder are duplicates of the materials listed above;
the contents are identical to that of Folder 5.
|
undated |
|
Return to the Top of Page
| Folder 7: Perron, Wendy: Articles, 1978 (Originals).
|
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
45 Minutes, Spent With Friends, review of Wendy Perron and Susan Rethorst, by
Robert J. Pierce, Jan. 19th, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Within
You/Without You, review of Robert Ashley by Sally Banes, January 19th, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Historical Immaterialism, review of Ann Wilson's
Butler's Lives of the Saints, by Sally Banes, January 26th, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Two-Track Mind, review of Amy Taubin by Wendy Perron, January
26th, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Failure: An Exhibition, Preview of Bill
Lundberg by Jane Dubose Jones, February 2nd, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Gallery Humor, review of Michael Smith by Noel Carroll, February 2nd, 1978. |
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
"Austerity and Oppression," review of
Worksong by Wendy Perron, February 23rd, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Poet in the Bathroom, Review of Barbara Kruger by Louise Steinman, February 23rd,
1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
"Dummy Duality," review of Charles
Ludlam's The Ventriloquist's Wife by Eileen Blumenthal, Feb. 23rd, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Engineering Images, review of Sylvia Whitman by
Sally Banes, March 16th, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Spring
Mumbo-Jumbo, review of Anna Halprin by Sally Banes, March 23rd, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
"Humor, Blood, and Guts," review of Lanny Harrison
by Wendy Perron, March 30th, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Lovely
Lifelessness, review of Love of Life Orchestra by Wendy Perron, April 20th, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Adored, review of The Children of Theatre Street by
Wendy Perron, May 1st, 1978 (incomplete article).
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
"On the Rocks," review of Pooh Kaye by Wendy Perron, May 4th, 1978. |
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
The End of the Trail, Review of Echo Ranch by Noel
Carroll, May 11th, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Flu as Fashion and Art as
Business, review of Richard Foreman's Fashion Show by Sally Banes, May 18th, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
A Promising Journeyman, review of Hard
Pore Corn by Noel Carroll, May 18th, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Dancing Working, review of Miner's Lamp Dance Group by Wendy Perron, May 25th, 1978. |
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Sweet, review of Short and Suite by Sally
R. Sommer and Erica Sommer, June 1st, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Celebrating Survival, review by Sally Banes, June 15th, 1978. |
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
P.S. Afterthoughts, review of Patti Smith by Wendy Perron, June 15th,
1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
N Structures, No Cages, review of Simone
Forti and Peter Van Riper by Wendy Perron, August 31st, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Tout Sweet, review of Andy deGroat and Dancers by Sally Banes,
August 31st, 1978.
|
1978 |
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 7
|
|
Paxton Untitled, review of
Steve Paxton by Yvonne Rainer, November 16th, 1978.
|
1978 |
|
Return to the Top of Page
| Folder 8: Perron, Wendy: Articles, 1977
(Duplicates).
|
| Folder |
|
Title |
Date |
| 8
|
|
Perron, Wendy: Articles, 1977 (Duplicates). All items in this folder are
duplicates of the materials listed above; the contents are identical to that of Folder 7
|
1977 |
|
Return to the Top of Page
|
