Ethyl Eichelberger

Ethyl Eichelberger (July 17, 1945 – August 12, 1990) was an American drag performer, playwright, and actor born in Pekin, Illinois to Amish Mennonite parents. An Obie Award winner, Eichelberger became a significant figure in experimental theater, authoring nearly forty plays that centered on historical women including Jocasta, Medea, Nefertiti, Clytemnestra, and Lucrezia Borgia.

Eichelberger studied at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois before completing his formal training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, graduating in 1967. He subsequently spent seven years as a lead character actor at the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. Returning to New York, he adopted the name Ethyl and joined Charles Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatrical Company, where he both acted and designed wigs. It was there that he formed a close friendship with actor Black-Eyed Susan, for whom he wrote the play Saint Joan in 1987, following Ludlam's death.

During the East Village performance bar scene of the 1980s, Eichelberger staged his plays across a wide range of New York City venues, from the Pyramid Club, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, and 8 B.C. to more established spaces such as P.S. 122, Dixon Place, La Mama, the Performing Garage, and Dance Theatre Workshop. He also toured productions internationally, including to Australia and Europe. His solo works, frequently written in free verse, drew on the lives of historical figures such as Lola Montez, Carlotta Empress of Mexico, and others. His 1984 play Leer condensed Shakespeare's King Lear into three characters, all performed by Eichelberger alone. These works demanded that a single performer play accordion, eat fire, turn cartwheels, and execute acrobatic feats including splits.

Eichelberger's Broadway career ran from 1987 to 1989 and included two productions. He appeared alongside The Flying Karamazov Brothers in Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors and performed with Sting in The Threepenny Opera. Beyond the stage, he was a cast member of the HBO variety series Encyclopedia and appeared on the television drama The Equalizer in the 1987 episode "Shadow Play," playing a butler.

Eichelberger died by suicide on August 12, 1990. It became known after his death that he had developed AIDS two years before he died and had been experiencing the effects of the disease and its available treatments. In 2005, P.S. 122 established the Ethyl Eichelberger Award in his memory, presenting the inaugural honor to Taylor Mac.