Last month at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center, Living Theatre co-founder Judith Malina received a lifetime achievement award. The experimental theater legend was introduced by Academy Award winning actress Olympia Dukakis. The presentation was part of the annual gala for Mark DeGarmo & Dancers/Dynamic Forms. The proceeds went to benefit the organization’s early educational intervention programs in schools on the Lower East Side and in other neighborhoods.
Malina gave an inspirational speech to the young dancers in attendance (see video). The 88-year-old visionary was forced to relocate to the Lillian Booth Actors Home in New Jersey from her theater and living space on Clinton Street last year. But she’s still going strong. At the Bowery Poetry Club this coming Sunday, she’ll read from her new poetry collection and take part in a followup discussion from the Living Theatre’s performances at Burning Man this past summer. You can find out more about that event here.
