Andy Warhol's Pork

Andy Warhol's Pork (also known as Pork) is the first and only play by Andy Warhol. It was directed by Anthony Ingrassia, produced by Ira Gale, and stage-managed by Leee Black Childers.^[1][2] Pork opened on May 5, 1971, at La MaMa Experimental Theatre in New York City for a two-week run.^[3] It was brought to the Roundhouse in London for a six-week run in August 1971.^[4]

The production was controversial due to the nudity and simulated sexual acts performed. In London, the lead actress Geri Miller caused a scandal when she was arrested for exposing her breast during a photo session in front of Clarence House, the residence of the Queen Mother.^[5][6] Musician David Bowie, who saw the play, later hired several of the Pork cast members to join his management firm MainMan.^[7][8]

Synopsis

Pork was based on tape-recorded conversations between Brigid Berlin and Warhol during which Brigid would play for Warhol tapes she had made of phone conversations between herself and her mother, socialite Honey Berlin.^[9]

The play featured Jayne County as "Vulva," Cherry Vanilla as "Amanda Pork," Tony Zanetta as a Warhol-analogue called B. Marlowe, Geri Miller as Josie, Cleve Roller, Julia Breck, and Suzanne Smith.^{[10][3][11][12]} Other cast members included the "Pepsodent Twins" who, according to Jayne County, represented Warhol's boyfriend Jed Johnson and his twin brother, Jay Johnson.^[13][14]

According to a review of the London production, "[Amanda] Pork is estranged from her husband and attended by the Pepsodent twins, two boys alike only in their nudity and their pastel powdered genitals."^[13]

Critical reception

Left to right: Dana Gillespie, Tony Defries and David Bowie at Pork at London's Roundhouse in 1971.

Reviewing Pork for The New York Times, journalist Grace Glueck wrote, "All in all, it's a cozy bunch; take out the fornication, masturbation, defecation and prevarication with which 'Pork' is larded and you might have a certain similarity to the juvenile gang in 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.'"^[3]

The British press panned the play.^[15] Journalist Valerie Jenkins wrote for the Evening Standard that "Pork's redeeming essence is that it finds itself so ridiculous; from start to finish it demands not to be taken seriously; it's Warhol people debunking themselves."^[16]

References

1. "Leee Black Childers Chronicler Of Drag Queens And Punks Dies". Artlyst. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
2. Auslander, Philip, 1956- (2006). Performing glam rock : gender and theatricality in popular music. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press. p. 121. ISBN 0-472-09868-3. OCLC 60743181.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
3. Glueck, Grace (1971-05-23). "'Pork' Is Not The Kosher-est Show in Town". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
4. Lokke, Geoffrey (2019-01-01). "The Theatre of Andy Warhol: Pork in New York and London". PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art. 41 (1): 54–75. doi:10.1162/pajj_a_00452. ISSN 1520-281X. S2CID 59337107.
5. McNeil, Legs; McCain, Gillian (2014-01-28). Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. Grove/Atlantic, Inc. ISBN 978-0-8021-9276-9.
6. Matlock, Glen (2024-02-20). Triggers: A Life In Music. Simon and Schuster. p. 30. ISBN 979-8-88674-181-0.
7. Weiss, Curt (September 2017). Stranded in the jungle : Jerry Nolan's wild ride--a tale of drugs, fashion, the New York Dolls, and punk rock. Milwaukee, WI. ISBN 978-1-5400-0493-2. OCLC 1031401746.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
8. Development, PodBean. "Tony Zanetta - talking Andy Warhol, David Bowie, Pork & much much more". www.c86show.org. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
9. "Andy Warhol's PORK - Roundhouse - Celebrating 50 Years". 50.roundhouse.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
10. "Talk on the Wild Side: The Effect of Andy Warhol's PORK on the evolution of Glitter, Glam and Punk Rock". warhol.org. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
11. "Reportage photo of Geri Miller as Josie, PORK by Andy Warhol, Roundhouse... 03..." Report digital. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
12. "Obituary: Julia Breck – TV and stage comedy actor who was a favourite of Spike Milligan". The Stage. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
13. "1971-05-09". White Crane Institute. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
14. Bockris, Victor (1989). The life and death of Andy Warhol. New York: Bantam Books. p. 263. ISBN 978-0-553-05708-9.
15. Jenour, Kenelm (1971-08-03). "Sex Show 'Pork' Is The Top Of The Flops". Daily Mirror. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
16. Jenkins, Valerie (1971-08-03). "Valerie Jenkins at the Round House". Evening Standard. p. 13. Retrieved 2024-03-18.