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Unit 2: Mime Defined…
(Directions: Everyone read the first part in Orange. Then divide in pairs the next two sections. Read, watch the video, answer the questions then share your findings with your partner)
Mime is a stylised form of movement, which creates an illusion of reality.
To be effective, mimed movement should be: - simple - precise - exaggerated - clear – slow
The Art of Mime - What is Mime?
Mime is known to be one of the earliest mediums of self-expression. Early man used to mime to express his religions, his symbols, his myths, his traditions and his cycles.
Mime and Pantomime by Definition
Mime is one of the oldest forms of theatre - the dramatic art of representing scenes from life through expressive bodily and facial movements.
The English word "mime" comes from the ancient Greek mimos, literally meaning to imitate or to mimic. Mime involves acting without words. It is usually silent, with a heavy reliance on the actor’s use of gesture and facial expression. "Pantomime" means "all-in-mimic." Thus mime is the verb to act without words and a pantomime is a full length story told without words.
The Art of Mime - History?
The evolution of mime can be traced through the Orient, Greece, Italy, England and by the 1800’s it was widespread through most of Europe.
(Partner 1 reads this section and answers questions. Be prepared to share your answers with your partner)
Mime in Ancient Times
Pantomime in Greece, often took the form of mimetic dances. The art of gesture was called orchesis, from which we get the word orchestra, the Greek term for a dancing place.
The Romans were especially fond of pantomime. The sketches were often played as after-pieces to the written plays, or even between acts.
Watch the following video and think about the following questions:
1. Why do we have so much information about ancient Greek theater?
2. How was theater a competition?
3. What are the three types of Greek theater?
4. Where was traditional Greek theater performed?
5. Why did the Greek's use masks?
5. What was the purpose of the Greek Chorus?
Partner 2 When we think of mime... we think silent, but not all forms of mime were actually silent.
The Italian School: Commedia dell’arte
Commedia Dell’Arte originated in Italy in the 16th Century and lasted longer than any other period drama, more than 200 years! Commedia dell’arte is a SPOKEN FORM of theatre that uses specific masks to represent specific characters. Commedia relies on farce (Farce is a low form of humor that includes ridiculous incidents and silly plots). The connection with mime is due to the highly physical nature of the movements. The emphasis is on the physical and less on the actual lines.
In Commedia dell'arte there are "stock" characters that the audience would know and recognize. In modern times, imagine a stock character such as "Garfield". If you were going to play Garfield you would play him as lazy, hates Mondays, loves Lasagna... etc. These are characteristics that everyone knows about Garfield. Thus, anyone could improvise and pretend to play Garfield. In the same way, a Commedia dell'arte actors would be familiar with the characteristics of their stock character. They would know how the character moves and how they interact with the other characters. Commedia dell'arte relied heavily on improvisation, but by knowing your character you would have a good idea what they would say in a given situation.
Watch the first 4 minutes of the following video to get an idea of some of the Commedia dell'arte characters:
Partner 1 18th and 19th Centuries in England
English Pantomime came to England from France, but had it's roots in Italian Commedia Dell'arte. Once again this is not a silent form of mime, but the emphasis is still on the physical, larger-than-life characters. English Pantomime is often based on children's fairy tales and often the lead characters were played by the opposite gender. Traditionally this form of Pantomime was performed at Christmas so it is often called Christmas Panto.
Watch this video for some of the history of English Pantomime. Think about the following questions?
1. How is English Panto similar to Commedia dell'arte?
2. How is English Panto similar to mime?
3. What is unusual about English Pantomime?
Watch this sample of an English Pantomime.
Partner 2 Mime into the 20th Century
The turn of the century saw the most astonishing burst of creativity that marked the beginning of modern day mime. Mime was popular in vaudeville, music halls, circus, and Ziegfeld Follies.
Watch about a minute to get an idea of what vaudeville was?
Watch about a minute to get an idea of what Ziegfeld's Follies was like?
Partner 1 Silent Film Comics
When silent movies were invented, it was only natural that comedians and mimes were the first movie stars as the movies were silent and they had to tell the story with their faces and bodies.
At first they simply improvised before a stationary camera, but soon learned that film was different from the stage, and developed the techniques that made them world famous in a few short years.
In the 20th Century famous actors such as Marcel Marceau, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin perfected this form of dramatic expression in the movies and on stage.
Have you ever watched a Charlie Chaplin movie?
Check this out... can you see why mime easily translated to early TV?
Partner 2 The Big French Four
If you ask someone what they think of when they hear the word mime, they will quickly throw their hands up and pretend to be on a wall or describe the person wearing black and white with the white face paint. This is technically French mime and is actually the most modern form of mime. So why is this what we think of when we think of mime?
The four most famous French mimes were:
Etienne Decroux (teacher)
Jean-Louis Barrault (performer)
Marcel Marceau (performer and teacher)
Jacques Lecoq (teacher)
They and their work form the bases of most performance mime today for one very important reason; they established schools. Instead of just being artists who performed and their craft died with them, this group established various schools of mime which continue to be taught even to this day.
Watch Marcel Marceau in the Tango. See if you can follow what is happening?
Check out this video at about 28 seconds to see who taught Michael Jackson how to moon walk?
Marcel Marceau used mime to save hundreds!
Modern Day or Contemporary Mime
In the second half of the 20th century, mime stayed popular in the concert hall, the streets, the circus, and television. Some artists made the jump from mime in vaudeville and cabarets, to spoken pieces in television.
Ever been to a Cirque Du Soleil Show? Can you see how it's similar to Vaudeville?
Is Mime still part of the everyday language of theater and television?
Look at Mr. Bean. How his character has been influenced by mime?
Watch the first 3 1/2 minutes of the following video.
***I do not expect any of you to be professional mimes when you grow up.
So what has mime taught you as an actor?
Unit 1: Tableau
Definition: A tableau is a living representation of a scene formed by one person or a group posing silently and motionlessly. It was originally called “tableau vivant.” “Vivant” means “living.” A tableau should always be ‘alive,’ not flat or dead looking
History: The Greek Theatre. The Greeks did not permit the audience to see murder or violence on stage. The violent scene was portrayed on a platform in the form of a tableau, which was then wheeled before the audience and quickly removed. In addition to providing a highly dramatic moment, the tableau stimulated the audience’s imagination as to what had taken place off stage.
Criteria for a Good Tableau
1. Frozen – must be able to hold position 10 seconds. Eyes still.
2. Facial Expressions – faces should be shown to audience and should be animated and exaggerated…even if you're an object.
3. Levels – use various heights, sitting, standing, bending and so on.
4. Proximity- group must fit in the same frame.
5. Suggested Movement – the picture should look like something just happened or something is about to happen. Trick = Lean!
What’s the Big Deal?
In acting tableau is very important. It is used in theatre to start or end a scene. Sometimes it is used to set the mood for an actor’s monologue. The most important aspect of a tableau is that everyone in the tableau must be frozen. This is not easy for many students and it takes practice and focus. If someone were to come into the room unexpectedly, he/she should be able to guess what the picture is about.
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