Robert W. Theiss, also known as the Bearded Lady, died June 18 in Tokyo, where he and his lover of 21 years, Jeff Bruce, lived. He had been under medication for an inherited blood condition, but a opportunistic infection rapidly caused serious illness.
Robert was born on May 20, 1947 in Buffalo, New York. He attended the Devoux Preparatory School in Niagara Falls, and Franklin College in Indiana. After two years in communications in the Air Force in Korea during the Vietnam War, Robert was honorably discharged and headed to Chicago.
First working at Illinois Bell and then at Evanston Hospital, within two years Robert developed his stage character, ‘the Bearded Lady’ and was working at the Bistro, one of the largest gay discos and a trendsetter in the changes of the period. Robert headlined the performances at the Bistro for years.
No gay pride parade would be complete without coverage of the Bearded Lady in both the gay and straight press. After many years at the Bistro, the Bearded Lady moved to Coconuts and was equally popular with a mixed audience. Throughout the years, Robert also performed in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Detroit and Champaign as well as New York, Paris, Tokyo and Bangkok. In the late 1970s, Time Magazine prominently pictured the Bearded Lady in its article reporting punk in America. So great was the Lady’s public exposure that his absence was considered newsworthy and coverage of an event concluded with an observation that, ‘The Bearded Lady and the Mayor were not there.’
In 1982, Robert met Jeff Bruce of Michigan and they soon moved to Tokyo. Robert studied Japanese and taught English. After three years, a call came from Chicago reporting that a new Coconuts would open on the north side on Broadway and Robert returned to the city. A year later, Robert enrolled at the University of Illinois-Chicago in history of art and architecture and completed his bachelor’s in 1988. Shortly thereafter, Robert and Jeff returned to Tokyo. Robert became a well-known figure at art exhibitions in Tokyo. In 1990, he had a one-man show of his paintings at Earth Art Gallery in Tokyo.
From 1993 to 1998, Robert again lived in Chicago attending the University of Illinois-Chicago and then Northeastern Illinois University in graduate-level linguistics studies. He also taught at Truman College. At that time, Robert began to collect art, primarily Chinese ceramics and Indian bronzes. Over the years, the Bruce-Theiss collection would grow to more than 500 pieces primarily through annual trips Robert and Jeff would make to the Shanghai area.
In 1998, Robert returned to Tokyo and resumed his teaching career. Robert contributed to art columns in the English language press of Japan. After shedding his trademark waist-length hair and becoming silver-haired, Robert experienced a new public image: Japanese children everywhere took to calling him Santa-san. Their perceptions were apt as all who knew him will swear that, like the mythic figure, he was a jolly soul who brought happiness to all he touched.
Any memorial contributions should be made to the Leukemia Society of America.
E-mail condolences can be sent to jbruce@tkc.att.ne.jp.