Al Carmines

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Reverend Al Carmines, (born Alvin Allison Carmines, Jr.) (25 July 1936-9 August 2005) was a key figure in the expansion of Off-Off-Broadway theatre in the 1960s.

Carmines was born in Hampton, Virginia; although his musical talent appeared early, he decided to enter the ministry, attending Swarthmore College, majoring in English and philosophy, and then Union Theological Seminary, earning a bachelor of divinity in 1961 and a master of sacred theology in 1963.

He was hired by Howard Moody as an assistant minister at Judson Memorial Church in Washington Square, to found a theater in the sanctuary of the Greenwich Village church in conjunction with playwright Robert Nichols. Carmines began composing in 1962, and acted as well. His Bible study group grew into the Rauschenbusch Memorial Church of Christ, with Carmines as pastor.

He taught at Union Theological Seminary and received the Vernon Rice Award for his performance and the Drama Desk Award for Lyrics and Music and was awarded the Obie award for Life Time Achievements.

His musicals reflected his eclectic interests, including:

Carmines's Judson Poets' Theater, with other burgeoning theatres Café Cino, La MaMa E.T.C. and Theatre Genesis were experimental and vibrant challenges to the commercialization and conformity of Off Broadway and Broadway houses.

His 1973 musical The Faggot was a success d'estime which transferred from the Judson Memorial Church to the Truck and Warehouse Theatre and ran for 203 performances.

In 1977 he had a cerebral aneurysm that required months of therapy. He underwent surgery a second time in 1985, which only then cured his crippling headaches. He died in St. Vincent's Hospital in New York, survived by his partner Paul Rounsaville.

Carmines found as much spiritual meaning in the theater as the church: "If you want to know how to live, go to church. If you want to know how your life is in its deepest roots, go to the theater."

[edit] Off-Broadway credits