Special Collections and University Archives,
Rutgers University Libraries.
Finding aid encoded in EAD, version 2002 by Tara
Maharjan, March 2020
Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers
University received an operating support grant from the New Jersey
Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.
1.2 cubic feet (2 manuscript boxes and 1 newspaper box)
Abstract:
Scripts of his plays (sometimes in multiple versions) and related theatrical posters, photographs, programs, reviews and other
papers, including materials pertaining to Caffe Cino.
Collection No.:
MC 917
Language:
English
Repository:
Rutgers University Libraries.
Special Collections and University Archives
Robert Heide was born in 1939 in Irvington, New Jersey. After taking his bachelor’s
degree from Northwestern University, in 1962, he moved to New York. There Heide
began working with the avant-garde company The Living Theatre (led by Julian Beck
and Judith Malina); his first two plays, "Hector" and "West of the Moon," were
subsequently produced at the New Playwrights’ Theatre. "West of the Moon," perhaps
because it broke ground in its depiction of an encounter between a male hustler and
a young religious fanatic, was panned by the critical establishment. Heide, however,
was befriended by Joe Cino, owner of Caffe Cino and one of the dominant figures of
the early Off-Off-Broadway movement, who encouraged him to continue his work.
Heide’s first play for Cino was "The Bed,” performed at a benefit for the Caffe
Cino, which had been damaged by fire.
"The Bed," a drama without action in which two men sit in a bed and argue without
purpose, immediately became a cult classic, and was included by Andy Warhol in his
film Chelsea Girls. Heide continued to produce plays at
Caffe Cino and elsewhere, His most successful work, "Moon," in 1967, was published
in acting editions and anthologies and came to be produced at many local theaters
and college campuses. Other notable plays include "Why Tuesday Never has a Blue
Monday" (1966), which won a National Catholic Theatre Award in 1969, "At War with
the Mongols" (1970), which premiered at Brecht West in New Brunswick, New Jersey,
"Suburban Tremens" (1978) and "Crisis of Identity" (1986).
Robert Heide’s plays are characteristic of Off-Off-Broadway in their spareness and
their reliance on direct visual and emotional effect rather than plot. Always short,
they could be bleak, absurd, comical or despairing. They are also remarkable for
their early presentation of gay relationships on stage, although they did not so
much explore gay themes as such, as they did present existential dilemmas common to
modern life.
Concurrent to his career in the theater, Heide has also had success as a chronicler
of modern culture. With John Gilman, he has written books on popular decorative arts
and nostalgia collectibles: Dime-Store Dream Parade: Popular
Culture, 1925-1955; Cowboy Collectibles, Cartoon
Collectibles; and Starstruck. In addition, books on the state of New Jersey include Greetings from New Jersey and O! New Jersey!
This section provides descriptions of the materials found within each series. Each
series description is followed by a container list, which gives the titles of the
"containers" (for example, folders, volumes, or cassettes) and their locations in
the numbered boxes that comprise the collection. The availability of any digital
items from a container is indicated with a hyperlink.
Three different
(mimeographed/photocopied)typescripts (duplicate copies of two)
2
"West of the Moon," 1964
Mimeographed typescript
3
"The Bed," 1965
Five different (mimeographed) typescripts
(duplicate copies of one)
4
"Mother Suck," 1965?
"A monologue; note reads "for benefit at the
Village Gate for the Caffe Cino"; two typescripts: first draft is
emended in pencil and without a title leaf; plus a photocopy of the
final draft"
5
"Why Tuesday Never Has a Blue Monday," 1966
"Mimeograph script, plus photocopies of page
proofs from Breakthrough Press edition"
6
"Moon," 1967
"Two different mimeographed typescripts; book
cover from paperback edition of The Best of Off Off
Broadway (ed. Michael Smith, 1969), with
photocopied notes to "Moon’; photocopied transcript of excerpts from
reviews"
7
"At War with the Mongols," 1970
"Autograph MS in spiral notebook; autograph MS on
notebook paper, stapled; two (identical) mimeographed scripts, one
with pencilled emendations;final (mimeographed) draft"
8
American Hamburger, 1976
"Autograph MS on notebook paper, "Outline 1rst
Draft’; another autograph draft MS from same notebook; typescript
draft with emendations in pen and pencil; subsequent typescript
draft; photocopy of same with title emended to "American Hamburger"
and autograph pages attached; two (different) final typescript
drafts"
9
"Suburban Tremens," 1978
"Autograph MS on notebook paper, in pencil and
pen; a (photocopied) typescript with emendations in pen; typed final
draft marked "pre-production original / April 1978"
"Production script ("Director’s copy") bound in
green folder (photocopy of preceding script), with pencilled
emendations; photocopy of final draft, including "Increased
Occupancy"[short curtain-raiser]"
11
"Mr. Nobody," 1982
Autograph draft on yellow pad; final typescript
draft
12
"Tropical Fever in Key West," 1983
"Early draft, autograph MS (on white spiral
notebook paper); another autograph draft (on yellow notepad paper),
entitled "Deathwake"; another autograph draft entitled "The Cake,"
enclosed in a file folder"
13
"Tropical Fever in Key West," 1983
"Final typescript draft (mimeograph/photocopy) of
play in two parts: "The Cake" and "An Old Tune"
Box
Folder
2
1
"Crisis of Identity," 1986
"Autograph draft on notepad paper, title emended
to "Hollywood Palms" [an early version of "Crisis of Identity"?];
spiral notebook containing subsequent drafts"
2
"Crisis of Identity," 1986
"Autograph draft on spiral notebook paper
[removed from previous item?], with loose notes and additions;
second autograph draft on yellow notepad paper; final (mimeograph)
typescript draft; another copy of same enclosed in black binder,
with emendations and production notes [not in Heide’s hand]"
3
"Interim Play," [undated]
Autograph draft on notepaper; two photocopied
final drafts
4
"Statue," [undated]
"Typescript final draft to skit; note reads
"Statue" was performed as part of a short play series at Cafe La
Mama [no date given]"
Autograph draft, typed draft with emendations and
inserts, and typed final draft of lecture; plus miscellaneous
programs and publicity materials from the event "Caffe Cino and its
Legacy"
Clipped pages from The
Village Voice, May 11, 1972: article reporting Obie awards for that year {no direct
connection to Heide's apparent]
37
Book Review, 1984
Photocopy of book review of Cartoon Collectibles (New York: Doubleday, 1984),
"Mining Childhood Riches," from New York
Native, August 26, 1984; article is a profile of Heide
and coauthor John Gilman