ENCYCLOPEDIA OF IMAGES
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MEADOR, DALE Actor, director and Mentor to all of AAA Productions, New Mexico, 1927 - 1982
Dale Meador was the director of the Emsemble Theater in Seattle, Washington, when I arrived in 1968. That spring he had a role in one of the Ensemble's anti-war pieces, "Viet Rock," below.
I started to work at the Ensemble and did the sets for Camus' "The Misunderstanding," with Dale in the lead and directed by his wife, Vivian. We did a nice poster for the show.
In September, 1968, the Ensemble did the anit-American, anti-war "America Hurrah," and again Dale had a role in one of the segments as a television character. Note the audience at their tables and chairs, in the three-quarter, wrap around intimacy of the Ensemble's small space.
By 1971, we had all moved to San Francisco and Dale lived with us on Vicksburg Street, in the nice little "attic" studio. His daughters, Nickole and Sasha, would come visit. Here he is with Sasha.
We were rehearsing a new piece called "The Triple-Dick Monster from Outer Space." Here's Dale and Joy Phipps preparing their roles as Mary Lou and "Ma," in our living room.
We played it around to some clubs and bars in North Beach and had a grea time. Dale and Joy had lots of good parts, below, as Poopsie and the sex-obsessed Leonard.
As well as the unforgettable, Sheriff Hard-on and his secretary. Miss Twat.
In 1974, we did a wonderful Gertrude Stein called "Turkey and Bones and Eating and We Liked It," up at the Julien Theater on Potrero Hill. Dale and I had lots of good scenes together, below, as Antony and Cleopatra.
And then as the dirty old man corrupting the innocent youth (me) with smoking and gambling. He was always good in that kind of role.
By summer of 1972, we were playing our silly "living tableaux" around town wherever we could. At Maria's Bakery in the Polk Street Fair, Terry McGee played the Baker, "beating" the poor Egg (Dale).
Another silly event took place at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood Rumble Sale, below. We presented living tableaux of "Scenes from Pals of the Saddle," our brave Western. Here's Terry as the Chinese coolie, San Louie, catching the prim Mrs. Clemment on the pot. Dale was particularly good in this humilliating role.
In October of 1974, AAA Productions did our biggest parade float to date, this called "Queen Isabella Gives her Jewels to Columbus." Marge Rooney played Queen Isabella and the Nicklettes played her jewels. The rest of us dressed up in appropriate costumes and walked along the sides. Kevin and Dale were memorable as the sadistic torturer and drooling hunchback. Nice.
Then in 1975, we began filming our big, Super-8 movie epic, "Rocket To Mars," in the Neighborhood Arts Program's big central stage. Dale was magnificent in the choice role of Treamor, the sadistic torturer of Mars. Here he is with his Eunich, Dan Woodworth, below.
The evil Treamor, of course, was not in the big, happy party scene, "The Splenders of Mars," but everybody wanted to be in it. On the day of the shooting I told Dale to dress in something that didn't look like Treamor. He did a good job.
In 1976, even AAA Productions, about the most UN-patriotic group of artists and actors in the country, put on our own Bi-Centential living tableau. It was called "A Far-Out Fourth," and Dale played a cowboy. Gee.
Another cowboy, this a "character" role in the ridiculous western porn movie, "Lipps and McCain." I did the sets.
In 1977, we produced with Ron Blanchette and Bill Bathhurst at their Demystavision, a video experiment called "The Dale and Priscilla Show," with the great actress, Priscilla Alden.
Dale was always a great inspiration to us all, a sly wit, a great actor, and a wonderful friend.
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Dale had studied with Stella Adler in the 50's in New York and taught us a lot about her "method acting," finding one's center, being real, and really believing every word you said. Thanks, Dale.
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