Meryl Vladimer
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Meryl F. Vladimer is an artist, theatrical producer, and political activist.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Meryl Vladimer began her career as a noted and critically reviewed sculptor, and was featured on the cover of Artforum Magazine. Disenchanted by the art world, by the late 80's she left art for Multi-Media Design where she worked for Fannon and Osmond, Doug Mesny and the fifth Bartok and Staging Techniques.
Still not satisfied artistically she left corporate Audio-Visual to do multi-media design for theater, working first at Theatre for the New City and later at La MaMa E.T.C. where she tried a variety of fields including stage management. This lead her to Broadway to stage manage "Haarlem Nocturne" a musical review created by André DeShields and arranged and composed by Marc Shaiman.
Returning to La MaMa, she resumed stage managing "The Club" cabaret theater created by Ellen Stewart in the style of the original La MaMa Theater, where one was required to become a member.
Working there for several years, first under the direction of Rick Richardson and then Liz Dunn, Vladimer received the artistic directorship of The Club upon Dunn's departure.
In 1990 while she was artistic director of The Club, Meryl was approached by Ellen Stewart, Founder and Artistic Director of La MaMa E.T.C., and asked if she would join the management staff as associate director of the entire complex after the departure of Wickie Boyle; she excepted.
From 1990 to her departure in 1998, she worked tirelessly for La MaMa E.T.C. Through creative fundraising and critical and commercial success producing in The Club, she was able to reduce an over half a million dollar deficit from the previous administration to just over fifty thousand dollars.
During her tenure as Artistic Director of The Club at La MaMa she produced two OBIE Award and ten Bessie Award winning productions, including:
- Blue Man Group "TUBES" - which, in the last decade and a half, has garnered La MaMa E.T.C. over one and one half million dollars in royalties from the Astor place and subsequent productions.
- "Stump the Host", "Stitches", One Woman Shoe", "The Little Frieda Mysteries" - plays co-authored by David Sedaris and Amy Sedaris under the name "The Talent Family".
- "The Hospital", "The Haunted Mansion" - works written and created by composer John Moran
- "Lesbians who Kill", "Your Just like My Father", "Belle Reprieve" in collaboration with "BLOOLIPS" -works written and created by "Split Britches" Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver.
- "Black Water" - created and choreographed by Alice Farley
In 1998, tired of the struggles and intrigues of theater, she left La MaMa E.T.C. After taking several years off, and incensed by theft the Presidency by the Republican Party and George W. Bush she returned to work with several local political candidates, as well as Move On, and Daily Kos. She is a frequent editorial commentator and a vocal and active social reformer.
