Paul Outlaw
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Paul Outlaw | |
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| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Experimental theater, film and vocal performance; contributions to queer and African American performance; association with the Blacktino performance movement |
Paul Outlaw is an American multidisciplinary performing artist, writer and performer whose work encompasses experimental theater, film and vocal performance. He is noted for his contributions to queer and African American performance, particularly through his association with the Blacktino performance movement.[1]
Berlin residency (1983–1993)
Outlaw relocated to West Berlin in 1983, becoming an active figure in the city’s international and independent performance communities during the final years of the Cold War. During this tenure, Outlaw was a founding member of the Berlin Playactors, the city's first English-language theater company.[2] He performed with the group at prominent European venues including the Quartier Latin and the British Council in Berlin, as well as the Melkweg and Vondelpark in Amsterdam.[2] Beyond the theater, Outlaw was a fixture in the city's underground music scene, collaborating as a vocalist and lyricist with various groups including the post-punk group Die Haut on their 1987 EP Fandango.
In 1993, Outlaw gained international recognition for his lead role in the short film Schwarzfahrer (Black Rider).[3]
Experimental theater and performance
Returning to the United States, Outlaw developed a body of solo and collaborative performance works. His 2003 play, Berserker, was selected for inclusion in the anthology Blacktino Queer Performance (2016), published by Duke University Press.[1] Editors E. Patrick Johnson and Ramón H. Rivera-Servera identified the work as a significant example of the intersectional performance of race and sexuality. Scholars have described the work as a "meditation upon interracial desire and disappearing blackness."[1]
Other notable works include:
- The Late, Late Show (2013): A three-act "vampire play" with music depicting the life of a 300-year-old protagonist born in Antebellum North Carolina.[4]
- BBC (Big Black Cockroach) (2024): A satirical solo work exploring the imperilment of the Black body. The work premiered at REDCAT in Los Angeles and was described by Artillery Magazine as a "profound proclamation" of identity.[5]
Collaborations and critical reception
In 2016, Outlaw played the 19th-century Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge in the West Coast premiere of Lolita Chakrabarti's Red Velvet. Writing for the Los Angeles Times, critic David C. Nichols noted that Outlaw's performance brought a "regal, resonant authority" to the historical role.[6] He also appeared as a featured singer in the 2018 Boston Court Pasadena production of A Streetcar Named Desire, which LA Times critic Charles McNulty named one of the year's best productions; McNulty described Outlaw's performance in the role as that of a "radical hip-hop torch singer."[7]
Outlaw has frequently collaborated with contemporary musicians. In 2016, he provided guest vocals for the experimental hip-hop group clipping. on their Hugo Award-nominated album Splendor & Misery.[8] He also starred in the music video for the single "True Believer," directed by Carlos López Estrada.
Awards, residencies and community leadership
Outlaw is a founding and active member of the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Arts Alliance (in partnership with the One Institute), a coalition dedicated to the advancement of queer culture and history.[9]
In 2012, Outlaw was awarded a City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artist Fellowship. In 2021, he was a featured subject in the One Institute’s Pride Publics exhibition, a multi-site public art installation celebrating LGBTQ+ artists and activists.[10]
His professional development has been supported by numerous residencies and fellowships. Since 2020, he has been awarded three residencies at the Ucross Foundation and four writing residencies sponsored by Los Angeles Performance Practice and the Speranza Foundation. He is a multi-year recipient of the Lincoln City Fellowship.[11] In 2023, he received a $30,000 Performing Arts Recovery Grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture.[12]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Johnson, E. Patrick; Rivera-Servera, Ramón H. (2016). Blacktino Queer Performance. Duke University Press. pp. 486–497. ISBN 978-0822361497.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Müller, Katrin (1997-04-12). "Der Schwarzfahrer" (PDF). Der Tagesspiegel. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ Thomas, Kevin (1994-03-04). "'Oscar' a Mostly High-Quality Group". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ Keshaviah, Mayank (2013-11-07). "The Late, Late Show at the Bootleg Theatre". Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle.
- ↑ Collins, Bianca (2019-08-12). "REDCAT's New Original Works Festival 2019". Artillery Magazine. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ Nichols, David C. (2016-04-08). "Review: Black actor cast in a traditionally white role? 'Red Velvet' explores what happens next" (PDF). Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ McNulty, Charles (2018-02-28). "Modern spin revives classic" (PDF). Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "2017 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "LA LGBTQ+ Arts & Culture Coalition". One Institute. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "Pride Publics". One Institute. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "Lincoln City Fellowship". Speranza Foundation. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "Performing Arts Recovery Grant Recipients" (PDF). Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture. 2023. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
External links
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