Lamar Alford (October 11, 1944 – March 29, 1991) was an American actor and singer.
Early life
Wilkie Lamar Alford was born on October 11, 1944, in Troy, Alabama. He was the youngest of five children (Fletcher, Franklin, Bertha, Stella, and Lamar), and his father was a Baptist minister.[1]
Alford first appeared in a production at La MaMa in 1969. He appeared in multiple Eyen plays that year, including "Four No Plays by Tom Eyen" with the Theatre of the Eye Repertory Company.[4] He also appeared in excerpts from the "Four No Plays" presented alongside excerpts from Why Hanna's Skirt Won't Stay Down and Who Killed My Bald Sister Sophie, both written and directed by Eyen. Eyen dedicated this production to the "West Village raid of June 26, 1969", which would later be known as the Stonewall riots.[5]
He also appeared in Eyen's Caution: A Love Story[6] and Hurricane of the Eye[7] at La MaMa in 1969. That same year, he appeared in Edward de Grazia's The Americans as directed by Martin Brenzell at La MaMa.[8] He also appeared in Donald Julian's In Praise of Folly as directed by Marshall W. Mason[9] and Ching Yeh's Wanton Soup,[10] both at La MaMa in 1969. Alford also wrote the music for Adrienne Kennedy's A Rat's Mass, and appeared in the production at La MaMa in 1969[11][12] and again in 1971.[13]
Acting
Lamar made his Broadway debut as Lamar in the 1971 musical Godspell,[14] and sings the solo on the song "All Good Gifts" on the original cast recording.[15]
Alford's own play, Thoughts, was produced at La MaMa in 1972, 1973, and 1974. The 1972 production featured performances by Mary Alice and Jeffrey Mylett, among others.[20] The 1973 production featured a similar cast.[21] Neither Mary Alice nor Mylett appeared in the 1974 production, but Andre de Shields was added to that year's cast.[22] The Jarboro Company took the play on tour to Venezuela in 1974.[23] Alford was also musical director for several productions at La MaMa. These included Wilhelm Pevny's Sprint Orgasmics as adapted by Gitta Honneger and directed by Gotz Fritsch[24] and Andy Robinson's Spring-Voices as directed by Joel Zwick,[25] both in 1969.