John P. "Johnny" Dodd (June 25, 1941 – July 15, 1991) was a

lighting designer In theatre, a lighting designer (or LD) works with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create the lighting, atmosphere, and time of day for the production in response to the text while keeping ...

for theater, dance and music active in the downtown art scene in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

during the latter half of the 20th century.

Career achievements

During the 1960s, Dodd was resident lighting designer at the Caffe Cino. In 1967, he received an

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...

for his work on Soren Agenoux's ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...

'',

Lanford Wilson Lanford Wilson (April 13, 1937March 24, 2011) was an American playwright. His work, as described by ''The New York Times'', was "earthy, realist, greatly admired ndwidely performed."Margalit Fox, Fox, Margalit"Lanford Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-Wi ...

's '' The Madness of Lady Bright'' and

Tom Eyen Tom Eyen (August 14, 1940 – May 26, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist, television writer and director. He received a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for ''Dreamgirls'' in 1981. Eyen is best known for works at opposite ends ...

's ''White Whore and the Bit Player''. Dodd also worked on productions at

Judson Memorial Church The Judson Memorial Church is located on Washington Square South between Thompson Street and Sullivan Street, near Gould Plaza, opposite Washington Square Park, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It ...

La MaMa La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer. Located in Manhattan's East Village, the theatre began in the ...

and Theater Genesis. During the 1970s, he served as lighting director on the

New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succe ...

tours and worked with theater director Robert Wilson. He later founded and served as the president of the 14th Street Stage Lighting Inc. Towards the end of his life, Dodd worked at

The Living Theater The Living Theatre is an American theatre company founded in 1947 and based in New York City. It is the oldest experimental theatre group in the United States. For most of its history it was led by its founders, actress Judith Malina and painter/po ...

. In 2011, Fast Books published the book ''Johnny!'' by Michael Townsend Smith that recounts much of the life of Johnny Dodd. In 2017, Fast Books published a book of Johhny Dodd's

collage Collage (, from the french: coller, "to glue" or "to stick together";) is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. ...

s entitled ''My Funny Valentine Collages'' under his full name John P. Dodd.

Underground film appearances

Dodd was featured in

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

''Haircut No. 3'' (1963) and also appeared in Warhol's film ''

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

'' (1964).

Fred Herko suicide

On October 27, 1964, strung out and homeless

superstar

Fred Herko Frederick Charles "Freddie" Herko (February 23, 1936 – October 27, 1964) was an American artist, musician, actor, dancer, choreographer and teacher. Early life Born in New York City, Herko's father was a diner manager and his mother was a ...

went to Johnny Dodd's Cornelia Street apartment to take a bath. According to Dodd,

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

Coronation Mass A Coronation Mass is a Eucharistic celebration, in which a special liturgical act, the coronation of an image of Mary, is performed. The coronation of an image of Mary is an act of devotion to her. It expresses the belief that Mary as mother ...

was playing as Herko emerged from the bath and danced naked in the loft. As the music climaxed, Herko leapt through the open window and fell to his death five floors down.

La MaMa credits

Dodd's credits at La MaMa included extensive lighting work as well as some acting and directing:Smith, Michael. ''Johnny!'' Silverton: Fast Books Press, 2011. ; Lighting Design * ''The Vacation'' (1964) * ''So Who's Afraid of Edward Albee?'' (1964) * ''The Recluse'' (1964) * ''The Hessian Corporal'' (1966) * ''Times Square'' (1968) * ''Melodrama Play'' (1968) * ''Futz'' (1968) * ''Changes'' (1968) * ''9 to 5 to 0'' (1969) * ''Hurricane of the Eye'' (1969) * ''Solar Inventions'' (1969) * ''A Rat's Mass'' (1969, 1971) * ''In Praise of Folly'' (1969) * ''Wanton Soup'' (1969) * ''Eye in New York'' (1969) * ''Nova'' (1969) * ''Big Charlotte'' (1969) * ''Sprint Orgasmics'' (1969) * ''Cock-Strong'' (1970) * ''Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit'' (1970) * ''Ubu'' (1970) * ''Arden of Faversham'' (1970) * ''Son of Cock-Strong'' (1970) * ''Captain Jack's Revenge'' (1970) * ''Shaved Splits'' (1970) * ''Night Club, or Bubi's Hideaway'' (1970) * ''The Monkeys of the Organ Grinder'' (1970) * ''Toy Show'' (1970) * ''Cranes and Peonies'' (1970) * ''La Cabeza del Bautista'' (1970) * ''La Rosa de Papel'' (1970) * ''Thief'' (1971) * ''The Red Horse Animation'' (1971) * ''Sissy'' (1972) * ''Persia, A Desert Cheapie'' (1972) * ''Satyricon'' (1972) * ''Pomp.eii'' (1972) * ''Audition!'' (1972) * ''Sobechanskaya Dances'' (1972) * ''Thoughts'' (1972) * ''Silver Queen'' (1973) * ''The White Whore and the Bit Player (1973) * ''The Golem'' (1974) * ''Stone'' (1974) * ''Big Mother'' (1974) * ''Starfollowers in an Ancient Land'' (1975) ; Directing * ''City of Light'' (1973) ; Performing * ''Times Square'' (1967) * ''Melodrama Play'' (1967) * ''Futz'' (1967) * ''Changes'' (1968) * ''Nova'' (1969)

Death

Dodd died in 1991, reportedly from

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

at the age of 50.

Footnotes

References

* Scherman, Tony & Dalton, David, ''POP: The Genius of Andy Warhol'', HarperCollins, New York, N.Y. 2009

External links

* *

Biography book ''Johnny!'' by Michael Townsend Smith

''My Funny Valentine Collages'' book of collages by John P. Dodd AIDS-related deaths in New York (state) American lighting designers 1941 births 1991 deaths Place of birth unknown {{design-bio-stub