Biography of Paul Zaloom

As published on the Net by Sony.com

Paul Zaloom stars in "Beakman's World" as Beakman, the humorous, always inquisitive and never boring scientist who has dedicated himself to answering viewers'questions about science, nature and the world around them.

In 1971, Zaloom joined the Bread and Puppet Theater, a company he continues to work with every summer. Evolving into a performance artist, puppeteer and political satirest in the late 1970's, Zaloom has written, designed, directed, performed and sold tickets to nine full length solo shows. His highly idiosyncratic work utilizes techniques such as overhead projection, government document exposes, found-object puppet animation, and swinging from a chandelier. His unique performances are noted for rapid-fire vignettes which use foam rubber, toys, tools, packaging material, kitsch and other debris to satirize modern life.

Since 1978, Zaloom has extensively toured venues as diverse as New York's Lincoln Center, La Mama, King Tut's Wa-Wa Hut, Charleston's Spoleto Festival, the American Reperatory Theater in Cambridge, the du Maurier World Stage in TOronto, the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis, Washington, D.C.'s Project for the Arts, and the corner of Ventura Boulevard and Woodman Avenue.

Numerous international festival have featured his work during his nine tours to Europe, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Mayfest in Scotland, Les Semaines de la Marionette in Paris, the Union Internationale de la Marionette (UNIMA) Congress in Dresden, Germany and Le Whocares de Anywheres in De Moines, Iowa. He has also performed in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and Jersey.

Zaloom has received three Citiations of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry from UNIMA-USA, the prestigious Hand-in-a-Sock Award from Dummies International, and an L.A. Weekly Critics Award. His comic film "Eating in America" appeared as a part of Bette Midler's HBO Special "Mondo Beyondo" in 19988. His tragic film, "Not Eating in India", has yet to be scheduled.

In 1989, his solo performances "House of Horror" and "My Civilization" received a Village Voice Obie Award and a New York Dance and Performance Award (a "Bessie"), respectively. Zaloom's design of "My Civilization" was awarded an American Theater Wing Design Award. His design of "Eggs Over Easy" was awarded an American Chicken Wing Award.

Zaloom has also received several National Endowment of the Arts Performance Art fellowships and Inter-Arts grants. In 1991, he was the recipient of a coveted Guggenheim Fellowship to fund further development of his work. In 1993, he was lent a $1.95 by his landlady.