Lecture on the History of Skywriting

Paul Lazar has co-directed and performed in Big Dance Theater works since 1991, when he co-founded the company with Molly Hickock and Annie-B Parson. Big Dance has staged commissions at BAM, the Walker Art Center, Dance Theater Workshop, Classic Stage Company and Japan Society. His solo performance Cage Shuffle premiered at American Realness in 2017 and continues to tour in the U.S. and Europe. As a director, Lazar recently received an Obie Award for Barbarians (2025) at La MaMa. Other directing credits include Christina Masciotti’s Social Security, Elephant Room at St. Ann’s Warehouse, Young Jean Lee’s We’re Gonna Die, Bodycast: An Artist Lecture by Suzanne Bocanegra starring Frances McDormand, and Major Bang. Lazar has acted in more than 40 feature films, including Snowpiercer, The Host, Mickey Blue Eyes, The Silence of the Lambs, Beloved, Lorenzo’s Oil, and Philadelphia. He has also performed extensively with The Wooster Group and at venues including Theatre for a New Audience, Classic Stage Company, Soho Rep and the Signature Theatre. Additional honors include two Bessies, the Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award and a Prelude Festival Frankie Award. He has taught at New York University, Harvard and Yale and conducted workshops throughout the U.S. and Europe.