The Regard of Flight

The Regard of Flight aired as part of PBS's GREAT PERFORMANCES series in 1983. It was a 45 minute comedy play with three performers: Bill Irwin, Michael O'Connor, and Doug Skinner. They performed The Regard of Flight on and off Broadway, throughout the United States and Australia. On this tour the show also included Bill Irwins solo piece, Clown Bagatelles. The show was also remounted and reworked into a full evenings show with the same cast in 2004. This production was called The Regard Evening.

Bill Irwin in flight.

Bill Irwin received his MacArthur Fellowship in November, 1984 for his work in theater. More specifically, he is a delightful zany, thinking man's clown who continues to produce work of original comic genius. Here he dances, floats, skips, and trips. His body is rubber, his wit is steel. Offering much more than pratfalls and tomfoolery, The Regard of Flight wittily critiques the "new theater." Irwin awakes in pajamas to an actor's nightmare. A heckling critic (Michael O'Connor) challenges and chases the pretentious theatrical artist. The stage manager (Doug Skinner, pianist and composer of the show's music) offers hilarious commentary on modernist theater. In one corner a sinister suction force repeatedly captures and draws Irwin feet-first off the stage. He may fight being sucked into the theater but he is, we are, and we love it. (Library Media)

 

Free Association segment

 

First Homesickness Song

 The Actor as Poet

Clown Bagatelles: the Waiter and the Swinger.

via Doug Skinner