Point Judith (An Epilogue)

Point Judith is an epilogue to the trilogy, Three Places in Rhode Island. It was directed by Elizabeth LeCompte and composed by LeCompte and Spalding Gray with Libby Howes, Ron Vawter, Willem Dafoe, and Jim Clayburgh.

In Point Judith, the all-male crew of an oil rig perform a series of “party pieces” to entertain each other. The foreman’s party piece is a surreal staging of the climax of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Days Journey Into Night.

Initial rehearsals occurred in January 1979. At that time the piece was being called “Father & Sons”. In July and August, during a Performance Group residency at Connecticut College, the 16mm film By the Sea was shot along the coast of the Long Island Sound. The film was later incorporated into the last part (Part 3) of Point Judith. “Rig” by James Strahs was developed with the company and became Part 1. A greatly edited “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” by Eugene O’Neill became Part 2 (aka “Stew’s Party Piece”). Rehearsals continued from September through December.

Point Judith (An Epilogue) had its first public showing on December 28^th at The Envelope (35 Wooster Street, next door to the Performing Garage, now home to the Drawing Center). The Envelope was the second theater for The Performance Group and The Wooster Group during the 1970s.