Sister Suzie Cinema: Collected Poems and Performances 1976-1986

In an astonishing blend of cultural idioms, Lee Breuer merges the driving rhythms of rock music, the imagery of hotels and drive-ins, and the language of the street with the lyricism of dreams, of memory, of fairy-tale fantasy. The result is what he terms “performance poetry” – intensely personal works that have evolved from narrative poems into highly original works for the stage. Here, collected for the first time, are Breuer’s poems into highly original works for the stage. Here, collected for the first time, are Breuer’s poems and their performance scripts, with details of their stagings under his direction.
The title work of the volume, Sister Suzie Cinema, is a “doo-wop opera” inspired by the author’s coming of age amidst the pop culture of the ‘50s. Other works include Haji, a multimedia, one-character collage charting a woman’s personal pilgrimage; Red Beads, a Halloween fairy tale turned nightmare; Lies!, a jive satire of sex and money; A Prelude to Death in Venice, the saga of a street-smart puppet named John whose life is always a pay-phone call away; and The Warrior Ant, Breuer’s latest, the Latin/reggae mythical journey of a modern day “every ant.”

Critical acclaim for the performance works in this volume –

Haji
“A haunting poetic monologue.” – Stephen Holden, The New York Times

Sister Suzie Cinema
“A fantasy about fantasies – about the way movies, music and other cultural artifacts shape what we feel.” – Jon Pareles, The New York Times

A Prelude to Death in Venice
“A stunning theatre piece.” – New Statesman

The Warrior Ant
“[Breuer’s] astonishing marriages of disparate elements produce great joy.” – Michael Feingold, The Village Voice


Lee Breuer is a founding member of the acclaimed avant-garde company Mabou Mines and the creator of the internationally renowned Gospel at Colonus. He has long been considered one of our most gifted theatrical innovators.