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typicalgirls - [TypicalGirls] bill rice r.i.p.

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Subject: Typical Girls: Women in Punk/Post-Punk/Underground Music (Circa 1975-1980s)

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  • From: harris smith <pleasebequiet AT gmail.com>
  • To: typicalgirls AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [TypicalGirls] bill rice r.i.p.
  • Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 01:45:43 -0500

This is slightly off topic, but I though relevant to the group.  I was sad to find out that Bill Rice died on Monday.  Bill was an East Village institution and an important figure in New York's downtown theatre, film and art scene.  As an actor, he was very active in the New York "No Wave" film scene of the 70s and 80s.  He was in films by Beth & Scott B, Amos Poe, Richard Kern, Robert Frank, Charlie Ahearn, Jonas Mekas and many others, co-starring with the likes of Lydia Lunch, Adele Berei, Pat Place, John Lurie, Cookie Mueller, Viva, Ann Magnuson, William S Burroughs, FM Einheit and various other luminaries on the underground scene.  His last role was in Jim Jarmusch's "Coffee & Cigarettes", with Taylor Meade, who he appeared in many films and plays with.  Another of Bill's frequent collaborators was Gary Indiana.  Bill remained active in the theatre up until a few months before his death.
I worked with Bill on a movie I made in 1998 and found him to be a very generous, patient, spontaneous and understanding actor.  In the years since, I would often run into him in the East Village and he was always very warm and funny.  All around I thought he was a wonderful, endearing, amazingly creative person and while I'm sad that he's gone, I am also very grateful to have had the opportunity to work and be friends with him. 
-harris smith


  • [TypicalGirls] bill rice r.i.p., harris smith, 01/25/2006

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