MAGNUSON, Ann 1956–

PERSONAL

Born January 4, 1956, in Charleston, WV; father, a lawyer; mother, a journalist; companion of Brad Dunning. Education: Studied theatre at Denison University and at British and European Studies Group.

Addresses: Manager —Gene Parseghian, Parseghian/Planco Management, 23 East 22nd St., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10010.

Career: Actress, writer, comedienne, performance artist, and director. Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York City, intern, 1978; Club 57 (cabaret), New York City, cofounder and manager, 1979; performed as lady wrestler, Club 57 and Fashion Moda, both New York City; performer in clubs, art spaces, and on college campuses throughout the United States, beginning 1980. Bongwater (rock band), singer and songwriter, 1980s; also performed with the music groups Bleaker Street Incident, Pulsallama, and Vulcan Death Grip.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Pamela Fleming, Vortex, B Movies, 1982.

Woman in disco, The Hunger, Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer/United Artists, 1983.

Malda, the feminist, Perfect Strangers (also known as Blind Alley ), New Line Cinema, 1984.

Cigarette girl, Desperately Seeking Susan, Orion, 1985.

Isabelle, Sleepwalk (also known as Year of the Dog ), Driver–Ottoskop, 1986.

Frankie Stone, Making Mr. Right, Orion, 1987.

Arzt, The Critical Years (also known as Les annees critiques ), Dexter, 1987.

Joyce Fickett, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (also known as Jimmy Reardon ), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1988.

Herself, Mondo New York (documentary), Island, 1988.

Herself, Heavy Petting (documentary), Academy Video, 1988.

Shaleen McKussic, Tequila Sunrise, Warner Bros., 1988.

Connie Hagen, Checking Out, Warner Bros., 1989.

Doris, Love at Large, Orion, 1990.

Moira Wolfson, Clear and Present Danger, Paramount, 1994.

Calli, Cabin Boy, Buena Vista, 1994.

(Uncredited) The madam, Tank Girl, United Artists, 1995.

Terry Taverner, Before and After, Buena Vista, 1996.

Sarah Fulton and Anna Rawlin, Levitation, Tenth Muse, 1997.

Elaine, Still Breathing, October Films, 1998.

Irene Abernathy, Small Soldiers, DreamWorks/Red Feather Photoplays, 1998.

Loan secretary, Ed Wood's I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (also known as I Awoke Early the Day I Died and I Woke Up Early the Day I Died ), Cinequanon Pictures International, 1999.

Katherine, Friends & Lovers, Lions Gate Films, 1999.

Ms. Steinbacher, Love & Sex, Lions Gate Films, 2000.

Housebound, First Look Pictures Releasing, 2000.

Moira Leppenraub, The Caveman's Valentine, MCA/Universal, 2001.

Kelly, Glitter, Twentieth Century–Fox, 2001.

Barbara Rosen, Ghostlight, Mannic Productions, 2001.

Lydia Lynch, Panic Room, Columbia, 2002.

Sally, Night at the Golden Eagle, Shangri–La Entertainment, 2002.

Karen Pollard, The United States of Leland, Paramount Classics, 2003.

Voice of Squeaky, Live Freaky Die Freaky, Hellcat Pictures, 2003.

Sarah Jane Tibbett, Open House, Bugeater Films, 2004.

Television Appearances; Series:

Cohost, Alive from Off–Center, PBS, 1988.

Catherine Hughes, Anything But Love, ABC, 1989–1992.

Rita Dahlberg, Wanda at Large, Fox, 2003.

Appeared as Paula, Damian Cromwell's Postcards from America.

Television Appearances; Specials:

"Ann Magnuson's Vandemonium" (also known as "Ann Magnuson's Vandemonium Plus" and "Vandemonium Plus"), Cinemax Comedy Experiment, Cinemax, 1987.

Darlene, "Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's" (also known as "A Table at Ciro's"), Great Performances, PBS, 1987.

Presenter, The 3rd Annual International Rock Awards, ABC, 1991.

Host, Route 66: The Road West, Arts and Entertainment, 1992.

Host, The Nicholas Brothers: We Sing and We Dance, Arts and Entertainment, 1992.

Host, "Rave," John Lee Hooker and Friends (also known as Cross Channel ), Arts and Entertainment, 1992.

In a New Light '94, ABC, 1994.

Judge, The 1995 Miss Universe Pageant, CBS, 1995.

Narrator, Shock Video 3: Turn–On TV, HBO, 1996.

Narrator, Shock Video 6: Turn–On TV '98, HBO, 1998.

Voices of Lalasha, Mom, and Zazzy, The Groovenians (animated), Cartoon Network, 2002.

Interviewee, Night Bites: Women and Their Vampires, Women's Entertainment Channel, 2003.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

"Made for TV," Alive from Off–Center, PBS, 1984.

"Love Comics," New Television, WNYC (New York City), 1985.

"Fallopia," Night Flight, USA Network, 1985.

Women Aloud (also known as Funny Ladies ), Comedy Central, 1992.

Amanda Cox, "Command Performance," The John Larroquette Show, NBC, 1996.

Gina Pennetti Schmidt, "Caroline and the Kept Man," Caroline and the City, NBC, 1997.

Kyra Sullivan, "Check Out Drew's Old Flame," The Drew Carey Show, ABC, 1997.

Voice of Miss O'Keats, All Grown Up!, Nickelodeon, 2003.

Also appeared as Eunice Puell, "Crisis in the Love Zone," The Adventures of Pete and Pete, Nickelodeon.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Darlene, Power, Passion and Murder, 1987.

The Barefoot Executive, 1995.

Lily Munster, The Munsters Scary Little Christmas, Fox, 1996.

Drowning matron, Hugo Pool (also known as Pool Girl ), The Movie Channel, 1997.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Dee O'Hara, From the Earth to the Moon, HBO, 1998.

Television Director; Episodic:

"Made for TV," Alive from Off–Center, PBS, 1984.

Stage Appearances:

Lavinia, Titus Andronicus, Pyramid Club, New York City, 1985.

Sister Alice Tully Hall, "Alice Tully Hall and the Family: Transmissions," Serious Fun!, Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, 1987.

You Could Be Home Now, New York Shakespeare Festival, Martinson Hall, Public Theatre, New York City, 1992.

Colette, Four Dogs and a Bone, Manhattan Theatre Club, Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York City, 1994.

Ann Magnuson–2001: Yesterday's Tomorrow Today, Joe's Pub, Public Theatre, New York City, 2001.

Rave Mom: One Woman's Mid–Life Crisis in the Last Year of the 20th Century (solo show), New York City, 2001.

Appeared in After Dark, Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis, MN; Occupational Hazards, Brattle Theatre, Boston, MA; Somewhere Outside of Orlando, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, PA, then Lhasa Club, Los Angeles; Tammy's Nightmare, L.A.C.E., Los Angeles, CA; The Vagina Monologues, Westside Theatre Downstairs, New York City; and in shows at Coast Playhouse. Devised Upwardly Mobile, a tribute to Muzak that was held in an elevator of the Whitney Museum, New York City, 1982; performed in Art in Action show, Soguestu Hall, Tokyo, Japan, 1985; and Art on the Beach, Creative Time, Inc., Battery Park Landfill, New York City. Other appearances include A Christmas Special, The Kitchen (club), New York City; the cabaret productions No Entiendes and Pagan Place, both Palladium (dance club), New York City; appeared in nightclubs with Joey Arias in Salvador Dali and His Wife Gala, Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick, Charles Manson and Squeaky Fromme, Etc.; and in Duets with Eric Bogosian. Appeared at the Festival Della Donna, Bologna, Italy, 1982.

Stage Work:

Producer and director of performance pieces A Tribute to Lawrence Welk, Putt–Putt Reggae, and The Stay– Free Mini–Prom, all at Club 57, New York City; Festival de San de Niro, Danceteria, New York City; and productions at the Pyramid Club and Folk City, both New York City, and at the Lhasa Club, Los Angeles.

RECORDINGS

Albums:

(With Pulsallama) The Devil Lives in My Husband's Body, Y Records, 1982.

The Luv Show, Geffen, 1995.

Also recorded (with Vulcan Death Grip) "Experimental Theatre" on Tellus: The Audio Cassette Magazine "18; and "Made for Radio" segments, The Uproar Tapes, Volume I, Antilles Records.

Albums with Bongwater:

Breaking No New Ground, Shimmy Disc, 1987.

Double Bummer, Shimmy Disc, 1988.

Too Much Sleep, Shimmy Disc, 1989.

The Power of Pussy, Shimmy Disc, 1991.

The Big Sell–Out, Shimmy Disc, 1992.

Box of Bongwater (compilation), Shimmy Disc, 1998.

Also recorded Bongwater Plus. Singles include "You Don't Love Me Yet," Shimmy Disc, 1989.

Videos:

Whether You Like It or Not: The Story of Hedwig, New Line Home Video, 2001.

WRITINGS

Television:

"Ann Magnuson's Vandemonium" (special; also known as "Ann Magnuson's Vandemonium Plus" and "Vandemonium Plus"), Cinemax Comedy Experiment, Cinemax, 1987.

Stage:

You Could Be Home Now, New York Shakespeare Festival, Martinson Hall, Public Theatre, New York City, 1992.

Also author of Tammy's Nightmare, L.A.C.E., Los Angeles, published in Drama Review.

Other:

Contributor of fiction and travel articles to Conde Nast Traveler, High Times, Interview, L.A. Weekly, the Paper, Soho Weekly News, and Vogue.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Entertainment Weekly, November 3, 1995, p. 63.

Interview, August, 1988, p. 34; January, 1993, p. 66; September, 1995, p. 38.

New York Observer, November 8, 1999, p. 31.