Casandra Stark
Encyclopedia
Casandra Stark Mele is a New York City
underground Icon, considered one of the "principal players in the Cinema of Transgression
" (Sabin 1999).
She made all her films in the 1980’s and early 1990s under the name Casandra Stark. Since then she has added her real family name Mele to her professional name due to a deep connection she felt for her family roots. "Mele" is Italian
for apple.
Casandra grew up in Wallingford, Connecticut
with the first name Rosanne and still answers to “Ro”. She is a dramatic vocalist and live performer as well as a painter and film maker.
Her films often featured the music of one of her bands such as Menace Dement
and/or the Trees a duo with guitarist and political scientist Frank Morales
with whom Casandra has a child named Frankie.
Her film The Anarchists was aired on Manhattan cable Television in 1992 and features the music of Missing Foundation. It was
partly filmed in Naples, Italy (A city she refers to as Napoli) as well as New York.
Her film Parades of Crazy ranges from very surrealistic images of people marching slowly through a park wearing masks to a beach scene in black and white of Casandra her self and her friend Laura May wearing white gowns and splashing in the waves and floating in the tide.
Most of her films do not feature Casandra herself, however she starred in the title role of her Death of an Arabian Woman.
She authored six chapbook
s one of which, Your World Not Mine, chronicles events in her life growing up an epileptic.
She has dedicated her talents to working with mentally challenged of the Lower East Side
promoting creative outlets such as Coocooloco: An Anthology Of Creative Writings From The "So-Called Mentally Ill"; The Lower East Side And Beyond, a collection of poetry from community access, a creative work shop.
She recently became a high school teacher in New York. Hardly any of her students know that Miss Mele is a prolific artist who has starred in films by Richard Kern
such as Submit to me Now and has been admired by the likes of Sonic Youth
and her friend Wooden Thomas.
She is also an exceptional photographer who has captured the urban magic and beauty of the Lower East Side
of New York City and Napoli (Naples), almost always in Black and White.
She claims that she once had a goldfish
that lived for about 20 years.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
underground Icon, considered one of the "principal players in the Cinema of Transgression
Cinema of Transgression
The Cinema of Transgression is a term coined by Nick Zedd in 1985 to describe a New York City, United States based underground film movement, consisting of a loose-knit group of like-minded artists using shock value and humor in their work...
" (Sabin 1999).
She made all her films in the 1980’s and early 1990s under the name Casandra Stark. Since then she has added her real family name Mele to her professional name due to a deep connection she felt for her family roots. "Mele" is Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
for apple.
Casandra grew up in Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
with the first name Rosanne and still answers to “Ro”. She is a dramatic vocalist and live performer as well as a painter and film maker.
Her films often featured the music of one of her bands such as Menace Dement
Menace Dement
Menace Dement was a band from New York City which existed during the late 80's and early 90's. Members included Patrick Blank on drums, Denny Morrison on guitar, Casandra Stark singing , & Neil Burke on bass. They frequently played at CBGB's & the Pyramid Club...
and/or the Trees a duo with guitarist and political scientist Frank Morales
Frank Morales
Frank Morales is an Episcopal priest and activist in New York City.Morales was born in 1949 and grew up in the Jacob Riis Houses on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. His father was Puerto Rican and his mother Peruvian. He first became involved in politics after the assassinations of John F...
with whom Casandra has a child named Frankie.
Her film The Anarchists was aired on Manhattan cable Television in 1992 and features the music of Missing Foundation. It was
partly filmed in Naples, Italy (A city she refers to as Napoli) as well as New York.
Her film Parades of Crazy ranges from very surrealistic images of people marching slowly through a park wearing masks to a beach scene in black and white of Casandra her self and her friend Laura May wearing white gowns and splashing in the waves and floating in the tide.
Most of her films do not feature Casandra herself, however she starred in the title role of her Death of an Arabian Woman.
She authored six chapbook
Chapbook
A chapbook is a pocket-sized booklet. The term chap-book was formalized by bibliophiles of the 19th century, as a variety of ephemera , popular or folk literature. It includes many kinds of printed material such as pamphlets, political and religious tracts, nursery rhymes, poetry, folk tales,...
s one of which, Your World Not Mine, chronicles events in her life growing up an epileptic.
She has dedicated her talents to working with mentally challenged of the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
promoting creative outlets such as Coocooloco: An Anthology Of Creative Writings From The "So-Called Mentally Ill"; The Lower East Side And Beyond, a collection of poetry from community access, a creative work shop.
She recently became a high school teacher in New York. Hardly any of her students know that Miss Mele is a prolific artist who has starred in films by Richard Kern
Richard Kern
Richard Kern is a New York underground filmmaker, writer and photographer. He first came to underground prominence as part of the underground cultural explosion in the East Village of New York City in the 1980s, with erotic and experimental films featuring underground personalities of the time...
such as Submit to me Now and has been admired by the likes of Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
and her friend Wooden Thomas.
She is also an exceptional photographer who has captured the urban magic and beauty of the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
of New York City and Napoli (Naples), almost always in Black and White.
She claims that she once had a goldfish
Goldfish
The goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish....
that lived for about 20 years.
Further reading
- Patterson, Clayton (2005). Captured: A Film & Video History of the Lower East Side ISBN 1-58322-674-5
- Jack SargeantJack SargeantJack Sargeant is a writer specialising in cult film, underground film, and independent film, as well as subcultures, true crime, and other aspects of the unusual. In addition he is a film programmer and an academic...
(1999). Deathtripping: The Cinema of Transgression ISBN 1-84068-054-7 - Casandra Stark Mele - official web site
External links
- Official Myspace page for "Llik Your Idols", a documentary about the Cinema of Transgression featuring Casandra Stark