Young actor’s 1981 photos capture a maverick: John Cassavetes

For even the most die-hard fans of John Cassavetes, the stage projects that the maverick American filmmaker produced during the ‘80s in Los Angeles remain something of an unknown quantity — the equivalent of a lost album or missing reel in a movie.

The most noteworthy of his stage efforts was a 1981 project called “Three Plays of Love and Hate” — two dramas by Ted Allan, including “Love Streams,” and one by Cassavetes, performed in repertory. A new exhibition featuring previously unseen photographs from the production sheds new light on this least-remembered phase of the late director’s career.

The black-and-white images consist mostly of intimate rehearsal shots of Cassavetes interacting with his cast — Gena Rowlands, his wife and frequent leading lady; Peter Falk, another regular; and Jon Voight. The photographs were taken by Steve Reisch, who as a young man worked on the project as a supporting actor and crew member.

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“It was like a commune,” Reisch said about the working atmosphere. He recalled that he initially hung out in front of the small theater on North Citrus Avenue and boldly approached his cinematic idol for a job. “He looked at me and said, ‘Be here tomorrow at 7 o’clock.’”

Reisch ended up taking about 3,000 photos, “of which 1000 were out of focus,” he said. The selection on display conveys the frazzled, sometimes manic nature of the Cassavetes universe, where messy human connections and, above all, love take precedence over logic and story.

In one photo, Rowlands, who will receive an honorary Academy Award this year, receives an affectionate kiss from her husband. Another shows Voight lounging with his two children, including a pre-teen Angelina Jolie

“Love Streams” eventually became a movie, with Cassavetes himself taking over the role played on stage by Voight.

Reisch said he tried to capture the essence of Cassavetes’ complicated personality. “He was a natural-born teacher and he was extremely generous,” he said. “He was also on another planet.”

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‘The Cassavetes Project’

Where: Canon Hollywood, 6060 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. Ends Nov. 21.

Admission: Free

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