Shantigar Foundation
in Western Massachusetts
Arts
Meditation
Nature
Jean-Claude van Itallie, Founder
1936 - 2021
Jean-Claude van Itallie
Scholarship Fund
Dancing in the Grape Arbor by Michael Stuart
Rest in Peace at Shantigar,
dear Jean-Claude
On September 9, 2021 our beloved Jean Claude van Itallie passed away in New York City. The following week, we brought him home to Shantigar. On the hill that he designated long ago as The Cemetery in the Field, a large mushroom glowed in the morning sun, marking the right spot. Because of Covid considerations, we were a small group. We spoke a few words and sang “I’ll Fly Away” before laying our friend, brother, stepson, and uncle to rest.
We are moved by the messages and articles honoring Jean-Claude—
Radiant being… Digging into the deeper realms of our human existence… He wrote with authority and challenged authority… taking the pulse of modern society… He planted, meditated, loved with gusto… proudly gay… Inspiring teacher… Devil of a good friend… Great and generous soul… A light dimmed but never forgotten… The sense of the presence of Jean-Claude never leaves…
Oh Captain! by Mimi Savage
A memorial for Jean-Claude was held at Shantigar on Sunday, May 29, 2022. Family, friends, and neighbors gathered at the Cemetery in the Field to share memories, poems, dances, and songs.
Besides the legacy of his artistic work, Jean-Claude ensured that Shantigar would thrive beyond his lifetime. Over the past several years, he and his brother Michael worked with the Franklin Land Trust to protect the farm’s pristine forests, hills, and fields in perpetuity. The Trust has created miles of walking trails for public enjoyment. This is a grand achievement and underscores what Jean-Claude recently wrote, that “the beauty of Shantigar is an antidote to troubling times.”
Shantigar’s programs continue during this transition that calls for a “playful and contemplative spirit” as Jean-Claude once described his Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche who gave this farm the name of Shantigar, meaning Peaceful Home. We’re looking at all the ways to preserve and expand Shantigar as both sanctuary and seedbed.
Jean-Claude was, at heart, a song-and-dance man. So you can be sure—the show will go on. We welcome your ideas and we’ll stay in touch.
Love from the Shantigar Foundation Board:
Connie Childs, Rand Engel, Didi Goldenhar, Deborah Katz, and Rosemary Quinn
Messages and Articles Celebrating Jean-Claude
New York Times obituary
New York Times / Legacy Notice
American Theatre Magazine
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
Facebook—Jean-Claude van Itallie
A Glimpse of Jean-Claude
Here’s a video of Jean-Claude sharing a game from his book, Tea with Demons—Games of Transformation.
“Games of transformation are playful daily practices that flow like a constant brook over the stubborn stones of our old self-destructive patterns, thus slowly wearing them down and washing them away to reveal the stream bed of our basic good nature.”
In this game, Jean-Claude invites us to honor teachers, past and present, and shares photos of his own beloved teachers—“A photo is a focus point that makes it possible to integrate the teacher and to become the best part of that teachers.”
“Honoring a Teacher” (from the book Tea with Demons, Games of Transformation by Jean-Claude van Itallie).
Jean-Claude was a magnificent teacher whose wisdom and compassion touched so many. We recall his resonant voice full of questions and the large embrace of his laughter. Moving forward at Shantigar, we hope to build upon Jean-Claude’s indelible lessons and keep our gate open to positive transformations of every kind.