FOUNDER
PAUL J. CURTIS
Founder of the American Mime Theatre
The Visionary Behind American Mime
Paul J. Curtis (1927–2012) was a pioneering director, actor, and teacher who revolutionized movement-based theater by creating American Mime, a new, distinct, and fully developed theatrical medium. A graduate of Columbia University, Curtis combined his extensive background in acting, dance, and movement arts to craft an art form that went beyond traditional pantomime.
The Curtis Method: Truth in Movement
Curtis believed that mime was not about silence but about truth—a way to strip performance down to its essential human experience. He founded The American Mime Theatre in 1952, training and directing performers for over six decades. His rigorous Curtis Method emphasizes precision, motivation, and deep emotional connection, shaping actors, directors, and movement artists who carried his vision into theater, film, and television.
Curtis’s influence extends far beyond AMT, with his students performing and teaching worldwide. His legacy will remain at the heart of every performance and class at AMT today, inspiring new generations to explore the art of storytelling through movement.
BIOIGRAPHY
PAUL J. CURTIS was born in Boston, MA on August 29, 1927. He studied at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research in NYC, as well as Columbia University. Following his graduation, he moved to Europe, where he learned from German theatre director Erwin Piscator from 1947-1949.
In 1952, Curtis founded the American Mime Theatre in New York City.
Other affiliations:
Senior Lecturer, Cornell University, Ithaca (1956-1971); Chairman of the Mime Department, American Academy of Dramatic Arts, NYC (1972-1974); Mime Instructor, Benington College, Vermont (1969-1989); International Mimes & Pantomimists; Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival; Ohio University; Austin College; Goodman School of Drama; Pace University; Hunter College; Metropolitan Opera Ballet School; New School for Social Research; Gene Frankel Theater Workshop; Guggenheim Museum; Johns Hopkins University; American Conservatory Theater; Circle in the Square Theater School; Sarah Lawrence College; D'Youville College; Lincoln School; Fairleigh Dickinson University; Stockton State College; Rutgers University; The Leonardols (Paris)
Member of AEA, AFTRA, National Movement Theatre Association
SELECTED PLAYS:
The Pinball Machine, 1953
Fate, 1953
The Tell Tale Heart, 1953
Escapade, 1953
The Demon Lover, 1953
Of Identity, 1953
Once Upon An Island, 1954
Monolotry, 1954
The Triple Goddess, 1954
The Western, 1954
Improvisation, 1955
Presentation, 1955
Eden, 1956
Abstraction, 1956
Commedia, 1956
Dreams I, 1958
The Scarecrow, 1962
Dreams II, 1962
The Godstuff, 1962
The Lovers, 1963
Birds, 1965
Female, 1967
Light, 1968
Hurly-Burly, 1969
Evolution, 1973
Sludge, 1974
Six, 1975
Work in Progress, 1976
Abstraction, 1977
The Unitaur, 1982
Peepshow, 1988
Pageant, 1989
Music Box, 1991
