S. K. Thoth
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S. K. Thoth (or often just Thoth) is a New York-based performance artist known for his eclectic mix of violin, voice, and dance performance who was the subject of the Academy Award winning documentary Thoth. Thoth calls his work "prayformance", emphasizing a spiritual dimension. His motto from his website is "I heal through divine prayformance". He sings in a language he himself created, the language of the Festad, a mythical people and land in his "Solopera", his one-man opera.
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[edit] Early life
Thoth was born Stephen Kaufman in New York City during the 1950's. His father was a Russian Jew, and his mother was African-American. As a mixed race child, prejudice was a problem for the young man. These experiences were a contributing factor in his creation of a fantasy world later in life as a coping mechanism, complete with its own world and mythology.
His mother was the first African-American tympani player for the New York Philharmonic, and Thoth was exposed to classical music at a young age. His mother's connections allowed him access to education from professional musicians, among them Harry Glickman, longtime violinist with the NBC Orchestra.
[edit] Inventing Thoth
Kaufman chose the name of Thoth, an ancient Egyptian deity because he perceived Egypt to historically be "the center for mixed races",[1]. Thoth invented his own world, the Festad, from which his solopera The Herma: The Life and Land of Nular-In is taken. Thoth began performing this one man opera in San Francisco, and then New York.
[edit] Performance Style
Thoth's unique manner of street performance involves playing his violin while singing in his unique language, and dancing, with various chimes and bells attached to his costume providing percussion for the performance. He has called this form of entertainment a "Prayformance" because it is a prayer as well as a performance, together. [2]Thoth is famous for performing in a gold loincloth.
Thoth auditioned for the new summer reality show America's Got Talent with no success, but was seemingly entertained by judge David Hasselhoff.
[edit] Documentary and Academy Award
Documentary filmmakers Sarah Kernochan and Lynn Appelle won an Academy Award in 2002 for Best Documentary Short Subject for chronicling Thoth's life and public performances in New York City.
