Even iconic counterculture figures felt theater was powerless in 1960s New York.

Evidence

The Mime Troupe took off on a tour of New England colleges. Returning to New York in late November, Davis expected to see Fred McDarrah’s photograph on the Voice front page. He didn’t (the picture ran with Smith’s review while the Troupe was in New England). Its absence may explain the downbeat interview he gave another Voice writer, Ross Wetzsteon. “I feel out of place in this big ugly fucking city,” Davis complained. “Theatre is totally impotent here. You can’t have any effect on anything.” — J. Hoberman, Everything Is Now, 1090

Categorization

• XREF: Contradicts the later myth that the 60s counterculture was a confident, triumphant moment — useful against present-day nostalgia narratives on the shelf.