Lazlo Pearlman

Dr. Lazlo Ilya Pearlman serves as a Lecturer in the Theatre and Dance Department within the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University. His academic and artistic work uniquely bridges performance practice with philosophical inquiry, focusing on intersections of identity, gender, and cultural expression through the lens of his Queer, Jewish, and Trans experiences.

Dr. Pearlman holds a PhD in performance practice and philosophy from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and an MFA in physical theatre. His educational background forms the foundation for his interdisciplinary approach that challenges conventional boundaries between theory and practice.

Dr. Pearlman's research centers on transgender visual and performance cultures, examining how trans bodies disrupt and reshape theatrical conventions. His scholarship engages deeply with queer theory, gender studies, and performance philosophy to explore identity construction, embodiment, and perception. He investigates the critical tension between visibility and visuality in performance, questioning how trans bodies function simultaneously as sites of normative reinforcement and radical disruption. His work challenges traditional actor training methodologies, particularly regarding trans, gender nonconforming, and queer performers, advocating for approaches that move beyond explanatory narratives of trans identity.

His publications reveal a sophisticated trajectory from analyzing specific performance traditions through gender lenses to developing comprehensive theoretical frameworks for understanding 'transing visualities.' His forthcoming book represents the culmination of this intellectual journey, combining memoir, performance theory, and visual culture studies to articulate how trans bodies navigate and transform cultural expectations around gender presentation.

Dr. Pearlman has presented his research at international conferences including the International Federation of Theatre Researchers (IFTR) Queer Futures Working Group since 2013, with presentations spanning Belgrade, Sweden, Hyderabad, Warwick, and Barcelona. He has conducted workshops and lectures on performance and identity across North America, the EU, and the UK. His teaching at Santa Clara University encompasses Contemporary Theatre practice, actor training, devising, physical theatre, political cabaret, and performance art. His creative work includes the visual art project 'Tamishey Mitzvah,' performance pieces like 'He Was a Sailor, the Sea Was Inside Him' and 'Madame Pierre's Other Tongue,' and films such as 'Unhung Heroes' and 'Fake Orgasm.'