Next September, the historic Neutra Institute and Museum in Silverlake will host a new play by Tom Lazarus entitled ‘The Princes of Kings Road.’ Based on a true events, the production imagines a reunion between the two iconic figures of LA modernism, Rudolf Schindler and Richard Neutra.
The architects have a storied history, which was recounted in a Vanity Fair article from 1999. After building his West Hollywood home (now the MAK Center), Schindler and his partner invited Neutra and his wife to live with them. The house was originally intended as a communal living space for two couples, with open-air "sleeping baskets" rather than bedrooms. But after five years of cohabitation and professional partnership – the two architects collaborated on an entry for the the League of Nations palace in Geneva – their relationship turned sour, transforming into a bitter rivalry.
Lazarus' play imagines Schindler and Neutra reunited in a room at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital (now the bright blue Scientology building), 23 years after their initial estrangement. Presented by Ensemble Studio Theatre/Los Angeles, a preview of the production will open on September 12.
For more information call (323) 641-7747 or visit www.ThePrincesofKingsRoad.com.
1 Comment
I used to live there. Right after Pauline Schindler died. Some of the stories I heard made Kings Road house look like a real party palace. When I was there lots of architects would drop by. And Japanese tourists knocking on the sliding glass doors 7AM. Weekend pot-luck dinners with the likes of Julius Schulman, Glen Small, Bernard Judge (Marlon Berando's architect), I dont remember all. A long tiome ago. Frank Lloyd Wright took a piss in my toilet. Aldous Huxley stayed in the room where I lived after his house burned down. Anis Nin dropped acid there and avant- garde composer Harry Partch held a recital playing hand made percussion instruments exploring his alternative music scales.
Charles Jencks lived there. Met Richard Rogers there. Found Reynar Banhem's poorly typed letter asking to visit for his then unpublished THEORY AND DESIGN book. Rescued and glued back together Schindler's furrniture which was dumped in a leaky garage.
I hope they get this play right. The tales are true, the names famous. There are eight million stories in this naked Kings Road city.
eric chavkin
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