PAUL & NANCY
Paul Binnerts is an international theater director, author, playwright, acting teacher since 1968, and renowned expert on the Epic Theater of Bertolt Brecht. He lives and works in New York and Amsterdam, with his partner, director and acting teacher Nancy Gabor.
His award winning plays/productions include: Black Box (Biennale Bonn–New Plays from Europe 2000), The Same Sea/Allein das Meer (Theatertreffen Berlin 2006)—both plays are based on novels by Amos Oz; and Mephisto (Theater Festival Amsterdam 2006), based on the novel by Klaus Mann.
Paul developed Real Time Acting as a new technique for the contemporary theater and has directed Real Time Theater productions in The Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France, US and Japan, some of which have been performed at festivals in Europe and Japan. His book Acting in Real Time is translated from the Dutch, and is also available in German.
Paul has been the Artistic Director for 3 theater groups: Schlicksupp Teatertrupp, Frankfurt a.M. (1979–1985); Southern Comfort, Amsterdam (1986–2014); The Elephant Brigade, New York (2007); and is the writer of over twenty plays.
His teaching credits include Princeton University and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts' International Theatre Workshop (ITW) in the United States, theater schools in The Netherlands and Germany, as well as many international acting and directing workshops.
Nancy Gabor
Nancy Gabor is an international theater director, teacher, and acting coach, and a longtime collaborator with Joseph Chaikin of the legendary Open Theater. She has directed over 75 productions and taught at such institutions as Princeton University, Warren Robertson Studio, New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and the Amsterdam Theater School. She lives and works in New York with her partner, the director and writer Paul Binnerts.
Nancy began working with Joseph Chaikin as an actress and continued as his co-teacher and director for over 15 years. They collaborated on many projects including: The Bald Soprano by Eugène Ionesco (with John Turturo), The War In Heaven, Struck Dumb (co-written with Sam Shepard and Jean-Claude van Itallie), and Texts for Nothing by Samuel Beckett, which performed Off-Broadway and toured internationally.
Nancy's technique, The Actor's Core, focuses on sending breath to all parts of the body, allowing actors to let go of tension and release their physical and emotional blocks. By creating their own circle of trust where judgment is suspended and possibility is endless, actors take risks, freeing the body and the voice to stand fully present in the space and say "I am enough."
Nancy's work is useful for anybody hoping to cultivate mindfulness about their body and their own presence.