Hanon Reznikov, RIP

The Living Theater's Hanon Reznikov was a frequent guest on Beyond the Pale in recent years. He died May 3 at the age of 57. Here are contributor Alisa Solomon's words in rememberance, from our May 4 show:

Hanon Reznikov first encountered the Living Theater when he was an undergraduate at Yale in 1968 and the troupe came through New Haven with their infamous production of Paradise Now. As he liked to tell the story, Hanon was instantly excited by the non-verbal, non-linear, politically committed work. He later wrote,  "This indicated to me very much the sense of there being other possibilities than the limited, rational, logistic possibilities we were being told were the only way to go."

A couple of years later, Hanon joined the Living Theater, participating on every level--as actor, director, technician, writer, organizer--as America's oldest radical, avant-garde company changed and traveled, spending time in Latin America and Europe and then returning to the U.S. in the 1980s.

After the death of co-founder Julian Beck in 1985, Hanon became co-artistic director of the Living, along with the other co-founder, Judith Malina. And a few years later, Hanon and Judith got married.

Hanon helped the Living establish itself in its new home on Clinton Street and launch an exciting new phase of community, artistic and radical engagement.  A lifelong pacifist and activist, Hanon was a repeated guest on Beyond the Pale, both to talk about the work of the Living and to lend his resonant voice to readings by a range of important writers.

We will miss him.

We encourage listeners to make a donation to the Living Theater in his memory.