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Set to perform at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center for one night only on Saturday, Sept. 27, legendary comedian, actress, singer and activist Sandra Bernhard shared her thoughts on performing and being herself.
Though she’s been entertaining audiences for decades on stage and on screen (some may remember her appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman” in the 1980s), Bernhard continues to bring her considerable talents to multiple projects.
Recent screen credits include the second season of “Severance” earlier this year on Apple TV+, as well as Disney+’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” Netflix’s “Survival of the Thickest” and as a guest judge on MTV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
She’ll also appear in a film with Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow later this year called “Marty Supreme,” based on the life of table-tennis champion Marty Reisman. And she continues to produce a weekly podcast called “Sandyland.”
Bernhard’s new touring show “Shapes & Forms” — which she’ll perform with a band at the Carpenter Center on Sept. 27 — features her signature mix of stories, music, provocative social commentary and satirical humor.
Asked what Long Beach audiences can expect from the show, Bernard said her stories interwoven with songs are “going to turn your world upside down.”
“I’ll be bringing glamour, mood swings, madness and mayhem,” she said. “I would not have it any other way.”
Asked what drives her to perform so profusely on both stage and screen, Bernhard said she embraces all aspects of entertainment.
“It’s what I love,” she said. “It’s like a beautiful dream constantly unfolding, being able to hop from one medium to the next. It’s a gift to be able to do both, so I would never turn my back on either.”
As a person who identifies as bisexual, Bernhard’s brand of political and cultural commentary includes reflecting on LGBTQ+ rights. Asked whether she thinks those are moving forward or backward right now, she has a resilient response.
“In terms of society, we continue to make great strides,” Bernhard said. “Unfortunately, the ‘religious right’ feels the need to pull us back. But guess what? We ain’t going, honey.”
She also said political news today is “so ephemeral” she can work current happenings into each performance in unique ways.
“I really just wait until the last moment before a show to pick out the craziest of topics,” she said. “By the next day, it’s lost its meaning and it’s on to the next outrage du jour.”
But rather than think of the current times as completely different from when she first started performing stand-up comedy in the 1970s, Bernhard says it’s new in some ways, but history still repeats itself.
“The medium [of technology] has sped everything up,” she said. “But in terms of history, it’s hard to reinvent the wheel.”
Regardless of which time period she’s in, Bernard says she’s fortunate to have been raised as someone who speaks her mind about political and social trends.
“It just so happens that I was allowed to be my outspoken little self from the get-go,” she said. “No one got in my way, and I think that’s the best way to raise a fearless woman.”
Asked if she has advice for women not raised that way, Berhard said, “We can only draw from our own experiences and upbringing,” but are not powerless to change.
“If you’ve been stymied,” Bernhard said, “You’re going to have to figure out a way to break free of your shackles through friendships and active evolution.”
When asked a final question — “Who is Sandra Bernhard?” — her description sounds like the best kind of cocktail.
“A smooth blend of groovy, fun, compassionate, nuanced, present, energized, inquisitive, always ready for an adventure,” she said of herself. “And fiercely loyal.”
Sandra Bernhard will perform “Shapes & Forms” on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. For tickets and information, call the box office at 562-985-7000 or visit CarpenterArts.org. Paid parking is available in a lot directly in front of the theater.