Al Carmines

Reverend Alvin Allison "Al" Carmines Jr. (July 25, 1936 – August 9, 2005) was a composer, lyricist, playwright, and clergyman. He is often regarded as 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 in the City of New York, earning a bachelor of divinity in 1961 and a master of sacred theology in 1963.

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

Carmines' Judson Poets' Theater, along with other theaters; Caffe Cino, La MaMa E.T.C. and Theatre Genesis, were experimental. They were different to Off Broadway and Broadway houses due to their experimental nature and small size.

His 1973 musical The Faggot was a succès 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. 1963 Home Movies Consists of two one act musicals: Softly and Consider the Nearness 1964 Patter for a Soft Shoe Dance 1964 Sing Ho for a Bear 1965 The Promenade Book and Lyrics by María Irene Fornés. 1966 Pomegranada

Cast Recording released by Patsan. 1967 Gorilla Queen Additional music by Robert Cosmos Savage 1967 San Francisco's Burning

1967 In Circles Transferred Off-Broadway 1968 The Sayings of Mao Tse-tung 1968 Peace Composer/Lyricist Transferred Off-Broadway in 1969. 1969 Christmas Rappings Composer/Lyricist/Playwright 1969 Promenade Composer Reworking of The Promenade. 1969 The Urban Crisis

The first in a series of "Oratorios" by Carmines 1970 The Playful Tyrant 1970 About Time Composer 1971 W.C. Composer/Lyricist A musical based on the life of W. C. Fields, which starred Mickey Rooney and Bernadette Peters but closed out-of-town. 1971 Sister Composer/Lyricist Unproduced. Written with Paul Zindel for Angela Lansbury. 1971 The Journey of Snow White Composer/Lyricist/Playwright 1971 Wanted Composer/Lyricist Transferred Off-Broadway in 1972. Produced by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in 1995. 1971 Joan

Transferred Off-Broadway in 1972. 1972 The Duel An opera based on the lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr 1972 A Look at the Fifties Transferred to Arena Stage in 1973. Produced by Seattle Rep in 1974. 1972 The Life of a Man 1972 The Making of Americans Composer 1973 Religion

1973 The Faggot Transferred Off-Broadway 1974 The Future 1974 Listen to Me Composer 1974 Christmas '74 Arranger 1975 Why I Love New York Composer/Lyricist/Playwright 1976 The Bonus Army Composer/Lyricist 1976 Camp Meeting

Originally titled Camp Meeting 1840 1976 A Meditation on Beauty 1976 A Manoir Composer Gertrude Stein adaptation 1978 In Praise of Death

1979 Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah 1979 Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights Composer 1980 The Agony of Paul

1981 T.S. Eliot: Midwinter Vigil(ante) Last show at Judson 1985 The Making of Americans

New Version with Libretto by Leon Katz, directed by Anne Bogart 1989 Máslova Awards