Scope and arrangement
The Richard James Allen and Karen Pearlman papers date from 1991 to 2006 and document the careers of Richard James Allen and Karen Pearlman, particularly with their dance companies That Was Fast, Tasdance, and the Physical TV Company. The collection holds Tasdance company files; clippings and articles; programs and publicity materials; and writings.
Tasdance Company files consist of strategic plans, company and project descriptions, press releases, and articles. A limited amount of correspondence and memorandums are also present. The majority of this material is photocopied. Projects discussed in the files include What to Name Your Baby and Thursday's Fictions, among others.
The bulk of this collection consists of newspaper and magazine clippings and articles, the majority of which are photocopies. Projects represented through this material include the stage and film productions of Richard Allen's epic poetry compilation, Thursdays Fictions, and Tasdance's What to Name Your Baby. Allen and Pearlman's company, That Was Fast, is also represented through clippings and articles, particularly their performances of Blue Cities and a residency they held at Pennsylvania State University.
Programs and publicity materials are present in this collection. Materials document projects done by Allen and Pearlman's companies, as well as other Australian performing arts companies, conferences, and festivals. Publicity materials are comprised of press kits, announcements, and pamphlets.
Writings in the collection consist of poetry and creative writing compilations, theses, and scripts and synopses. Scripts and synopses were created for the Physical TV Company by Allen and Pearlman between 1998 and 2001. A company description of the Physical TV Company is also included amongst the writings. Pearlman's thesis, Cutting Rhythms: Ideas about the shaping of rhythm in film making, was published in 2006. Allen's thesis, Out of the Labyrinth of the Mind: Manifesting a Spiritual Art beyond Dualism (2004), examines the intersection of poetry, performance art, and film within a spiritual context. Other writings in the collection include autographed, published works, such as The Air Dolphin Brigade, New Life on the Second Floor, and Performing the Unnamable: an anthology of Australian performance texts. A ninth draft of Allen's Thursday's Fiction is also present.
One DVD of the theatrical performance of Thursday's Fiction is present in the collection. Inquiries regarding audiovisual material in the collection may be directed to the Dance Division at dance@nypl.org. Audiovisual material will be subject to preservation evaluation and migration prior to access.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into four categories: Tasdance Company Files; Clippings and Articles; Programs and Publicity; and Writings. Material within each group will is arranged chronologically.