Monday, October 01, 2007
Artists Reinvent and Celebrate Mime
Backstage: "The word 'mime' tends to conjure but one image: a silent man in whiteface, wearing a striped shirt, doing the invisible-wall gag on a public sidewalk. But two movement-theatre artists plan to reinvent the word and reinvigorate passion for the athletic art form with the Festival of Fools, a three-day tribute to the life and work of the late Marcel Marceau."
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2 comments:
i would love to see this festival! physical theatre can be some of the most entertaining and humorous theatre out there if done correctly. i agree with Donlon and Shields in that "mime" is not something anyone can do. we have all seen that "mime" who does all the classic moves that don't tell a story, but the whole art of mime is exactly like theatre . . . TO TELL A STORY, (in an interesting and unique way). i hope that they are successful in bringing back the true art form, and hopefully teach actors that more often then not actions (physical) can speak louder then words.
The most fascinating thing about this story is how completely seriously miming is treated. The entire artcile describes the art of the mime, something inherently comedic, with a totally straight face. I love that miming becomes no different from any other form of comedy, ironic and sarcastic in an effort to teach us something or reflect society. You wouldn't think of miming as social commentary, but I guess comedy doesn't have to be a Modest Proposal or L'ecole Des Femmes to be profound. I found myself wanting to laugh when the article listed a two-part piece depicting the fall of the Third Reich in the mime's repertoire. Even reading about it in context I found the humor in something so serious; its the juxtaposition, the satire, the act of revealing something completely true on an absurd level that makes it both humorous and telling.
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