Pal Bernstein

Pal Bernstein is a theater artist concerned with new approaches to movement, composition and performance. He is known for his highly technical and imaginative methods of building repeatable, yet open-ended performances. His original works have been performed extensively on both coasts of the United States and in Europe. He served on the dance faculty of the University of Amsterdam from 1992-1998 and has been teaching and performing at Lincoln Center from 1998-2004. He is currently the Head of Theater at Rutgers University. 

Pal has performed, written and directed his own works for twenty years. His current focus as a teacher and performer is on solo, duet and trio material that has been composed through clear successions of improvisational process. Some of Pal’s work has been created for international audiences and that’s one reason he’s here.

Presentation Overview

"I am interested in a certain flexibility that causes me to continually adjust my work in rehearsal and performance. I believe in theater that can be performed at the drop of the hat, without the budgets or the hype. That is what it looks like – intentionally raw and personal work that demystifies the nature of solo theater in-concert.

I am an experimental actor who feels that theater should see the actor-as-maker. That is why I create and it has led me to a “way of how” that guides me away from repeating the work that others have already done. Actors don’t make the same kinds of work as playwrights and directors, particularly with a little help from the world of dance. My work contains both literal and non-literal movement, text, dance, and a focus on abstracted meaning. This work does not come to people on a silver platter, they have to work for the connections. I want to trace the inner landscapes of characters in ways that feel new, while working with a vocabulary that is both set and open to improvisation. 

It is an odd time to be an American, particularly because my family from Hungary and Russia. It is important for performers from the U.S. to keep a high profile during these difficult times. There are many of us who are against our current government. We need to stay visible in ways that are not necessarily political, and to keep sharing work in Europe for a variety of reasons that are quite important to me. I bring work that reflects a part of American theater which is actually and amazingly inclusive of all cultures and perspectives".

Pal Bernstein