Lar Lubovitch
The first time I laid eyes on Lar Lubovitch was in 1965 when he was a dancer in Donald McKayle’s company. Somehow, I knew he was both special and trouble at the same time. The kind of trouble you want to get into!
Lar formed his company in 1968. That was the first time I worked with him as a choreographer and artistic director.
In 1970, I stage-managed for Lar Lubovitch at American Theatre Laboratory, originally it was Jerome Robbins studio, now New York Live Arts.
Artistic Advisor and Lighting – Nicola Cernovitch; Choreography, Costumes, Set, choreographer – Lar Lubovitch.
Dancers: Takako Asakawa, Sally Trammell, David Hatch Walker, Teresa Hill, Kenneth Hughes, John Dayger, Yuriko Kimura, Mary Barnett, Jurg Burth, Jordan Schaps, and Marcus Williamson.
Repertory included “Variations & Fugue on a Theme of a Dream” – music: Ramayana (“Monkey Chant”), “Sam Nearly Deadman” – music: Mélange, “Ecstasy” – music: Olivier Messiaen.
Our touring schedule began in 1970, with a new company and repertory. We played many college towns as well as major theaters.
In 1971, I had a direct conflict between stage-managing for Lar Lubovitch at Stage City (it later became La Mama) and Les Grand Ballets Canadiens at City Center. In the end, I found an SM replacement for myself with the Lubovitch company but still acted as Production Manager. Stage City had been predominantly used as a TV Studio. For his performance at Stage City, Lar said he wanted a hill for the audience to sit on and so, we made one and covered it with poly urethane material. And yes, all those audience pillows you see in performance spaces these days, started there. We constructed a platform for side follow spots on scaffolds and covered the floor with poly urethane. That was the stage. Throughout the entire set up time there was no heat in the building. During this period, I was running uptown to do Tommy the Rock Opera Ballet and downtown to prep for Lar’s show.
By 1973 we were touring internationally to Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Finland, and Holland. At the end of 1973, Lubovitch disbanded the company. Several years later, between 1974-1977, Lar was inspired by two blond beauties, Rob Besserer and Susan Weber, and so once again, he amassed a company to tour and create new works.
In 1977, I left and was stage-managing for many other companies, assisting Broadway lighting designers, and started a company called Tag Foundation with Beverly Emmons and Bill Hammond. Tag had a 10-year life span helping young stage managers and lighting designers, as well as producing the Delacorte Dance Festival and the Dance Umbrella, precursors to today’s Fall for Dance and the Joyce Theater. We added more to the Tag staff when we started producing namely Micheal Kasdan and Micheal O’Rand, two knowledgable company managers. Additional personal in fund raising Regina Hoover and another Stage Manager Bruce Hoover.
I was back stage-managing for Lar from 1986-1995 and once again, we were touring aa venues in Mexico, South America, Guatemala, Spain, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Canada. By 1995 the touring was taking a toll and Lar disbanded the company again, making it clear he just wanted to create new works.
Over the many years working with Lar, I learned he had a predilection for alternate spaces. In 2000, at Angel Orensaz Center, a former synagogue and a landmarked art and performance space in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Lar created his iconic Men’s Stories. I was the Production Manager, Clifton Taylor designed the lighting, Scott Marshall arranged the music, and Ann Hould-Ward designed the costumes. “Men’s Stories” dancers included Scott Rink, Michael Thomas, Jason McDole, Griff Braun, Philip Gardner, Gerald Casel, Roger C. Jeffrey, Marc Mann, Kevin Scarpin. The permanent staff at this space consisted of an elderly man, a receptionist and a small comforting cat.
In 2004, for Lar Lubovitch’s 35th anniversary season, United Methodist Church in Washington Square was transformed into a theater space. Once again we had to make seating, hang lights, and divide the dance space with scrims. The work was called “Pentimento” with original sound score by Richard Woodbury, lighting and scenic design by Jack Mehler, and costumes by Ann Hould-Ward. Featured dancers included Roger C. Jeffrey, Ryan Lawrence, Jason McDole, Scott Rink, Jennifer Howard, Banning Roberts, Rachel Tess. Both at the Orensaz synagogue and at the church we had to bring in a Broadway crew and a seating company. Hanging scenery, lighting and sound equipment, plus loading a Genie lift was no small feat.
However, in 2009, the company picked up yet again and so we all lived thru the 40th and 50th anniversary seasons.
Lar Lubovitch has worked with generations of dancers, too many to list. He made them the dancers they wanted to be, a tremendous and wonderful feat. Very often, when dancers left Lar’s company, they wouldn’t join other troupes but instead became coaches, choreographers and teachers, others moved on into trades like real estate. Richard Caples has been Lar’s long time manager and he continues in the Executive Director role today.
At this point, I want to speak about the amazing, strong, and capable women that Lar has enlisted. Ann de Velder and Leticia Baratta are two company managers, who in many aspects acted like general managers. Rebecca Rigert, Ginger Thatcher, and Katarzyna (Kate) Skarpetowska are former dancers who have performed and now set and coach his work. Another important coach is Jonathan Alsberry. These people are the keepers of the flame who will always be there for Lar and I count myself among them.
The most recent time I worked with Lar was for a 2019 Chicago Harris Theater tribute to him and his body of work. Lar curated an evening of four different companies performing his dances. Martha Graham Dance Company, Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Ballet Austin took part in the celebration. Since many of his works have now found a home in other companies, I thought it clever on his part to curate an evening where he doesn’t need his own company to perform. There is still an exciting future for Lar’s work, so for now, we stand in the wings awaiting whatever comes next.
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