José Vernon Brown papers
Scope and Contents
The Papers consist of programs, posters, announcements, and clippings covering Brown’s career as a dancer, dance teacher, and choreographer/author of his own dance/theatre projects, particularly while with his own company, Changing Dance Theatre. The scripts for several of his own projects are included. Performances are documented from Denmark, Greece, Italy, Japan, Spain, New York City, and Portland, Oregon. There are also some photographs, correspondence, and personal notes and papers. These materials span from the early 1970s through the mid-1990s.
Dates
- Creation: 1950 - 1996
Creator
- Brown, José Vernon (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Biographical / Historical
José Vernon Brown was a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher. Born in Gary, Indiana, in 1950, he attended Reed for two years from 1967 to 1969, then transferred to the California Institute of the Arts, where he majored in dance. He danced in the New York companies of Pearl Lang, Kei Takei's Moving Earth, and Rudy Perez and Rael Lamb's Dance for a New World.
As director of his own company, Changing Dance Theatre, Brown choreographed and performed in New York, Japan, Denmark, Spain, Italy, and Greece. His last work in Copenhagen was King Lear, translated by novelist Peter Hoeg and performed in the National Museum. In Tokyo he performed in the Noh Theater of Hideo Kanse, and in New York his choreography was seen at Hundred Grand, PS. 122, the Merce Cunningham Studio, La Mama Theatre, and St. Mark's Church, where Brown’s production Satyricon 2000 was performed. His last performance in Portland was a solo dance concert, Soldiers, given on April 1, 1995.
José Vernon Brown died on 1 May 1996 at the age of 46, of complications from AIDS.
[Based on the article on “José Brown Arte Povera” by Louise Steinman ’73, in Reed magazine, May 2001.]
Extent
1.5 Linear Feet (5 manuscript boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
José Brown (1950-1996) was a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher. He attended Reed for two years (1967-1969) before attending the California Institute of the Arts. He danced with many New York companies before founding and directing his own company, Changing Dance Theatre, which presented performances all over Europe and Japan. Brown’s Papers consist of correspondence, posters, programs and clippings covering his dance career, some scripts and photographs, and personal papers dating from the early 1970s through the mid-1990s
Physical Location
East Stacks Compact Shelving (near L17)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
An outright gift of George Cummings, a friend of Brown, on November 11, 2014, with some additional materials from Judy Massee, July, 2014.
Processing Information
Processed by Gay Walker January 2, 2015.
- Author
- Gay Walker
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Reed College Special Collections and Archives Repository
3203 Southeast Woodstock Boulevard
Portland Oregon 97202-8199 United States
archives@reed.edu