Martha Clarke
Martha Clarke (born June 3, 1944) is an American theater director and choreographer noted for her multidisciplinary approach to theatre, dance, and opera productions. Her best-known original work is The Garden of Earthly Delights (1984, re-imagined 2008), an exploration in theatre, dance, music and flying of the famous painting of the same name by Hieronymus Bosch. The production was honored with a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, an Obie Award for Richard Peaslee's original score, and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for choreography.
In 1990, Clarke received a
Training and early career
Born and raised in Pikesville, Maryland (
Theatre, dance and opera career
Martha Clarke's many original productions include The Garden of Earthly Delights (with musical score by
Her original productions have been presented at
Mel Gussow in The New York Times Magazine article called "Clarke Work" wrote: "In Martha Clarke's work, theater and dance are inseparable, unified into a style of performance that lacks a name but not a dimension. Her pieces, marked by their precision and visual beauty, are performance art objects."[11]
From June 12 to July 2, 2022, Ms. Clarke's latest multidisciplinary theatre work God's Fool was presented at
Clarke has choreographed for the Nederlands Dans Theater, the Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Rambert Dance Company, and The Martha Graham Company, among others.
Clarke has directed Mozart's
She directed Shakespeare's
She has collaborated with playwrights Christopher Hampton, Richard Greenberg, Charles L. Mee, and Alfred Uhry.
While Clarke does not compose the musical scores or texts (when present) for her original works, she is engaged in all aspects of production and direction, from conception and structure to details of music, text, lighting, and costumes. Britannica Online summarizes her choreographic approach in saying that her "emotionally evocative work draws extensively on theatrical elements."[14]
Clarke's work mostly draws inspiration from the visual arts, especially painting. In this preoccupation, Clarke can be associated with such disparate artists as
In June 2007, a version of The Garden of Earthly Delights show opened the 30th anniversary of the American Dance Festival.[16] On November 19, 2008, the re-imagined Garden of Earthly Delights opened Off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theater in New York City and ran until April 5, 2009.
In 2011, Clarke created Angel Reapers, in a collaboration with Pulitzer prize-winner
Personal life
Clarke was married to sculptor Philip Grausman and has one son - jazz musician and actor David Grausman.[8]
Honors and recognition
Clarke has received several awards including a
In addition to the
She was the subject of the film Martha Clarke: Light and Dark for PBS, and her Garden of Earthly Delights has been filmed by the BBC.[24]
Kaos, adapted from stories by Luigi Pirandello, received the first Tony Randall Foundation Award; and was presented at the New York Theatre Workshop (2006).
In 2007, the NEA gave a grant for the remounting of The Garden of Earthly Delights under a program dedicated to the remounting of American masterworks.
References
- ^ "Martha Clarke". www.macfound.org. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ Rasmussen, Frederick N. (April 4, 2016). "Dale W. Sehnert, longtime Peabody dance instructor, dies". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- JSTOR 1145710.
- ^ Kriegsman, Alan M. (October 28, 1983). "Crowsnest Dancers: Brilliantly Weird". Washington Post. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ Stanley Kauffmann wrote in The New Republic, "Garden transformed 'our whole notion of theater'. It epitomized everything that is unique and imitable about the theater".[full citation needed]
- ^ Smith, Dinita. "Martha Clarkes Midlife Dream". The New York Times.[full citation needed]
- ^ Rich, Frank (April 21, 1986). "The Stage: 'Vienna' from Martha Clarke". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ^ ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "After New York Adversity, a Director Rebounds in London". AP NEWS. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Dance Alumna Martha Clarke on Her Career of Collaborations | The Juilliard School". www.juilliard.edu. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ Gussow, Mel (January 18, 1987). "Clarke Work". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Martha Clarke". Oxford Reference. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Martha Clarke". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ^ Kimmelman, Michael (July 6, 1988). "Critic's Notebook". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ^ Woods, Byron (June 13, 2007). "The Independent Review: Martha Clarke's "Garden of Earthly Delights"". INDY Week. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ Clement, Olivia (February 2, 2016). "The Return of Angel Reapers Begins Tonight Off-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Martha Clarke to receive the 2010 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival $50,000 award". Triangle Arts & Entertainment. March 26, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ^ "The Joe A. Callaway Award | Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation". Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ McCauley, Mary Carole (November 16, 2008). "Of heaven and hell". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "1980 – 1989 Awards :: LA Drama Critics Circle". Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Recipients by Category". The Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "The Dramatists Guild Awards". Dramatists Guild. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- AllRovi. Archived from the originalon July 18, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
External links
- Video - Interview Women in Theatre: Martha Clarke, director/choreographer
- Interview in book, "Conversations with Anne" by Anne Bogart
- God's Fool was presented June 12 - July 2, 2022 at La MaMain New York City.
- God's Fool - Opinion Lyrical retelling of St. Francis' life captivates at La MaMa | Faith Matters