Tom Murrin: Artist, Playwright And 'The Alien Comic' Passes Away From Cancer

RIP, Performance Artist, Playwright, And 'Alien Comic' Tom Murrin

Tom Murrin, the beloved New York performance art icon, passed away yesterday after a long struggle with cancer, The Village Voice reports.

"The Alien Comic," as he was known, was a California transplant who made a name for himself in New York in the 1960s at La Mama theater in the Lower East Side; he later co-founded "Balloon Theater," "Dwarf Theater," and "Trash Theater" (at this point, he took on the moniker "Tom Trash").

"I'm not afraid to look ridiculous," Murrin said to Michael Musto at The Village Voice .

Murrin's plays were usually one or two syllables, and were pretty self-explanatory: "Hung," "Cock-Strong," and "Roommates" premiered at La MaMa, while another play, which Theater Mania reports was "Myth (or Maybe Meth)" had its fifteen minutes of fame at the Andy Warhol Theater. Murrin was also a Bowery Poetry Club regular and contributor to Paper Magazine. His obit in Paper is a touching tribute to the artist and and can be read here.

See a clip from his "Talking Show" teaser below:

On his website, Murrin wrote, "Murrin was of the opinion that any object could become a prop, as well as that almost anything could become a costume, or be worn on his head."

In the 1980s, Murrin started The Full Moon Crew with Jo Andres, Mimi Goese, Lucy Sexton and Annie Iobst -- a group of performance artists who regularly performed at PS 122. In his Moon performances, Murrin would pay homage to "Luna Macaroona, the moon goddess." Eventually a monthly Full Moon Spectacular was born. Find out how we can receive Luna's power in the video below:

RIP, Tom Murrin. You will be missed.

Before You Go

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot