A runaway at thirteen, a reform-school graduate at sixteen, a performer in the legendary New York Play-House of the Ridiculous at seventeen, and an escapee from Andy Warhol’s Factory scene at nineteen, Penny Arcade emerged in the 1980s as a primal force on the New York art scene and an originator of what came to be called performance art.

Martha Clarke is a dancer, choreographer, director—transcending dance and theater to make deeply evocative moving spectacles of beauty steeped in history. Our podcast interview stands as both a wonderful introduction to Martha Clarke as well as an in-depth exploration into her remarkable life and oeuvre. Marriage, love, children, family, friendships, and collaborative working relationships—she spoke openly about all of these subjects, in addition to elucidating her creative process and the meanings behind her works.