Performance and Multimedia Artist Lee Nagrin Dies at 78

Lee Nagrin, 78, succumbed to complications from advanced colon cancer peacefully today at 8:45 AM in hospice care at Beth Israel Hospital, New York City, surrounded by loved ones including longtime companion Bruce Hutchinson, it was announced by Barbara Busackino, producer for Tandem Otter Productions. A memorial service will be announced at later date.

Lee Nagrin was a visual artist, performer, singer, choreographer, director and playwright. She was considered one of America's first women performance artists and a pioneer in the field of interdisciplinary performance work. She entered uncharted territory in her assimilation of many artistic mediums, which led one critic to comment, "Nagrin was a multi-media artist before the term was invented." Her highly original and unflinching vision has led to the creation of richly layered work that has been described as "pure image-theatre magic." Originally from Seattle, she studied Drama and English at the University of Washington.

At the same time she became deeply involved in the Seattle Repertory Playhouse founded by Florence Bean James and Burton W. James. Her experiences with the Playhouse were pivotal in her early theatre training. Nagrin moved to New York in 1950 and became a major force in the Off-Broadway theatre scene for more than forty years. She was instrumental in the development of several Off-Broadway theatres, including the Sullivan Street Playhouse, the Bridge Theatre, Theatre One and the Downtown Theatre. She produced, directed / or performed in some ten Off-Broadway productions between 1950 and 1963, and was first to produce the work of Ionesco in the U.S.

She trained with the Metropolitan Opera coach Kathleen Lawler, and was offered subsidy by Jan Peerce for an operatic career. Later vocal experiments led to the development of an approach that fused operatic vocal technique with more popular musical forms. This was combined with an investigation into the use of voice that has links with the method 'the extended voice' and the work of vocal pioneer Alfred Wolfsohn. In 1958, Nagrin appeared alongside Steve McQeen in the cult film The Blob, and was offered a four-year studio contract by Paramount. Nagrin declined the offer in order to pursue a creative life in New York City.

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, touring both nationally and internationally: Vessel (1971) Education of a Girl Child (1974), Paris/Chacon/Venice/Milan (1970, 1975), (Ping Chong and Monk) Small Scroll (1975), Quarry (1976), Recent Ruins (1979) and Ellis Island (1981). In 1975, Nagrin directed Eric Slazman's Lazarus, which premiered at La Mama in New York, followed by a European Tour.

In 1975-6 Nagrin co-created Stings with Margaret Beals which premiered at London's ICA in 1977 and was performed in New York at Kaufmann Hall of the 92nd Street Y and at Playwrights Horizon. Nagrin formed her own company the Sky Fish Ensemble in 1979 and created and directed the following: Sky Fish (1979), Bird/Devil (1980) which were performed at the Silver Whale Gallery, New York. In June/July of 1982, Whorl was performed at Danspace, St. Mark's Church, New York. All these works were produced by the Women's Interart Center. In 1986, Nagrin premiered two works: Bone Orchard and Bird/Bear. The latter won an OBIE Award for Best New American Play. In 1990, Dragon's Nest was presented at La Mama Annex in association with Women's Interart Center. Angels Elegy (1994) premiered at the Silver Whale Gallery. In 1995, a video production of Sky Fish was added to the Museum of Modern Art Film Archive Collection.

In 1997 Nagrin directed Pathways by choreographer Margaret Beals, which The Boston Globe included as its Best Theatre Works of the year. In 2000, The Valley of Iao was presented at La Mama Annex, co-produced by La Mama in association with Dance Street Productions. Nagrin also performed in the following Karen Malpede's plays: Blue Heaven (1992) at Theatre for the New City. A workshop production of Beekeeper's Daughter (1994-1995) in a role wrote for her that toured Italy. In 1995 she performed in Foundary Theatre's production of Deviant Craft by OBIE Award winning playwright W. David Hancock, at Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage.

She is currently represented by the world premiere of Behind the Lid at Silver Whale Gallery (21 Bleecker Street) that chronicles a woman looking back on her life through a dream; her memories expand, open and reveal while an intimate audience of 18 will travel with her through this hand made world. Audience members are guided by a young familiar through this older woman's life and dreams. They experience layer upon layer of the life of an American artist - Lee Nagrin. Basil Twist creates the puppetry and performs.