John Kelly (September 21, 1959 – ) is a protean actor, writer, choreographer, singer, and visual artist. He integrates many disciplines in performance works that resist easy categorization. He initially studied visual art at the Parsons School of Design and trained with the Harkness Ballet. By his early twenties, he began developing hybrid performance forms centered on the exploration of identity through the embodiment of iconic outsider cultural figures. These include Egon Schiele, Antonin Artaud, Barbette, and Caravaggio.
Kelly gravitated to the burgeoning East Village performance and club scene of the 1980s. He appeared at venues such as PS 122, the Limbo Lounge, and the Mudd Club. His principal base of activity was the Pyramid Club. It was the home of such artists as Ethyl Eichelberger, Ann Magnuson, John Jesurun, Lady Bunny, RuPaul, Anohni, and Tabboo! In pieces centered on Joni Mitchell, and the fictional Dagmar Onassis, he combined lip-synching with his exceptional vocal range.
Over a long and ongoing career comprising more than seventy works, John Kelly has addressed autobiographical and social themes, notably the AIDS crisis. He has also presented work at venues such as The Kitchen, the BAM Next Wave Festival, and the Walker Art Center. His honors include Obie Awards, Bessie Awards, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
About The Downtown Performance Series
NYU Skirball and Artifacts have teamed up to produce NYU Skirball Presents Downtown Performance. This series spotlights the directors, performers, and artists who shaped the movements loosely defined as “Downtown.”
Inspired by the cultural history rooted in NYU Skirball’s neighboring blocks, the Downtown Performance series captures in-depth interviews with living legends of performance. The first installment features groundbreaking directors Robert Wilson, Richard Foreman, JoAnne Akalaitis and Richard Schechner. For more on NYU Skirball, please visit their website.
