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Electronic Arts Intermix is pleased to present an evening honoring the legacy of Ron Vawter, a leading presence in downtown theater, as well as film and video, from the mid-1970s until his premature death from AIDS-related causes in 1994.

Held on the 30th anniversary of his passing, the program will highlight Vawter’s collaborations with artists in video, featuring works by Joan Jonas, Ken Kobland, Leslie Thornton, and The Wooster Group. Although devoted to theater, Vawter collaborated with many of the leading film- and video-makers of the 1980s and 90s throughout his career and this program highlights some of his most indelible performances in the realm of video. In Ken Kobland’s Flaubert Dreams of Travel But The Illness of His Mother Prevents It (1986), Vawter can be seen alongside his frequent collaborators in The Wooster Group, including Willem Dafoe and Kate Valk. In her hauntingly beautiful video, Volcano Saga (1989), Joan Jonas superimposes images of Vawter and Tilda Swinton over a mythic Icelandic landscape as Vawter interprets the dreams told to him by Swinton. With The Last Time I Saw Ron (1994), made shortly after Vawter’s death, collaborator and friend Leslie Thornton creates a moving elegy to his memory, employing footage taken of him in his final months. In addition, Ken Kobland’s End Credits (1994) for Jill Godmilow’s film version of Vawter’s legendary one-person show Roy Cohn/Jack Smith (1992-94), provide fascinating glimpses of Vawter backstage as he prepares for his celebrated dual performances. Together, these videos convey Vawter’s distinctive talent and charisma in its many facets, seen during a pivotal moment of experimentation in video and performance, as well as AIDS activism, all strands of Vawter’s prodigious legacy.

Following the program, there will be a discussion with Ken Kobland and Leslie Thornton. An online, closed-captioned version of this program will be accessible for a limited time in May.

This screening accompanies a weekend tribute to Vawter at Anthology Film Archives from April 19-21, dedicated to the stage and screen versions of the artist’s masterwork, Roy Cohn/Jack Smith, and Free Fall (1994), a documentary portrait of Vawter shot behind-the-scenes during a live performance. From April 19-26, Le Cinéma Club will stream Bruce and Norman Yonemoto’s Made in Hollywood (1989), in which Vawter stars opposite Patricia Arquette.

Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI)’s venue is located at 264 Canal Street, 3W, near several Canal Street subway stations. Our floor is accessible by elevator (63" × 60" car, 31" door) and stairway. Due to the age and other characteristics of the building, our bathrooms are not ADA-accessible, though several such bathrooms are located nearby. If you have questions about access, please contact cstrange@eai.org in advance of the event.