Volume 1 Number 35
Hi Folks,
Kim's Drama Blog
Last
week I went to see Marcel Marceau perform at the Regal Theatre (Subiaco, Western Australia).
I am pleased to say that in the course of the evening I was moved to tears and to paroxysms of laughter and back again. He presented a selection from the classical repertoire (Pantomimes of Style) and after interval, a range of pieces featuring his famous alter-ego, Bip.
He opened with The Creation of the World which shows the world and its creatures emerging from the hands of a creator (and the layered irony and ambiguity of this sequence was not lost), and ended with the seduction by the serpent, the descent into sin and the expulsion from the garden...
That was followed by The Birdkeeper, a whimsical piece that involves a keeper of the birds finding himself within the cage.
The Public Garden was a highlight of this part of the show. This sequence showed the various people and relationships that can be observed in a public park on a fine day. The gallant gendarme, the old couple set in their ways, the ice-cream and balloon vendors, the children at play and the children misbehaving, the young lovers, the well-to-do gentleman, and others were all represented and embodied with varying degrees of poignancy and merriment.
The Hands, a shorter exploration where the artists hands are the primary focus in performance and the very delightful, but slightly foreboding Youth, Maturity, Old Age and Death... and I'm sure most of the audience for a brief moment felt that Marcel Marceau was giving us a glimpse of his personal journey... especially as he must we well into his 80's by now.
After interval he had shed the dazzling white costume for the more familiar black jacket, and floppy hat with the flower... Bip.
And we were moved through a series of episodes in Bip's simple but pitiful life... Bip as a Lion Tamer, Bip Travels by Sea, Bip as a Street Musician, Bip commits Suicide and his closing piece, Bip as a Mask Maker (which does not appear in the programme)...
These pieces delighted the audience and once again we were transported on a magical journey that both touched and moved us. During Bip travels by Sea, I was almost moved by the same invisible rocking waves
that so upset Bip's delicate stomach - I was really beginning to feel queasy myself. By the finale of Bip as a Mask Maker I doubt there was a dry eye in the house, I was wiping away tears of laughter, and I cannot remember a time when I have been so moved to mirth in a theatre, certainly not in recent contemporary performances. Even at his relatively advanced age, Marcel Marceau is able to live up to his moniker as "The World's Greatest Mime".
As a Drama teacher I was reminded of where our artform can go and where it can take an audience, I was challenged to wonder how I might begin to bring this same delight of the theatre to my students - my young companion, a former student, was left speechless by the artistry, skill and control of the great man, she was also well aware of witnessing, perhaps for the last time in her life, this master of movement perform. I was especially pleased that the theatre was awash with young children, and their delighted laughs throughout the performance were once again a tribute to the timeless and universal significance of the man's art. I was also challenged to determine how I can encourage my students to find the
same measure of love, commitment, skill and control in their approach to performance... I wonder how I could possibly be capable of that task. I am charged with a great responsibility, as are we all.... to
instil an appreciation of the arts, and a passion....
Reading the program notes I realised that this man before was a direct link back through Etienne Decroux to Jean-Baptiste Deberau (Pierrot)... I was in the company of the living history of theatre...
If you haven't yet realised I was captivated - I urge you all to seek out opportunities to allow yourself to be reminded of the great tradition of our form and to show respect to what must be considered the living incarnation of the muse... Mr Marcel Marceau, tres billiant!! Merci beaucoup!
It's not like me to wax poetical... but this truly was a rare moment in theatre.
And was more magical than simply "watching an old man not
speak!" as a student quipped.
I also went to see Black Swan Theatre's production of Nick Enright's
"A Man and Five Children". It too was a great experience
in theatre. It starts on a premise that a man wants to follow the
lives of a group of children... much like the "7 Up" series
that was made in the UK... it seems to begin with an exploration of
reality television and ends up looking at the reality of how we
influence the lives of people around us.
Another positive... you may recall last week I wrote about the class
of students who attacked me because I challenged their attitude to
study... well today a couple of them said that they'd thought about what
I'd said and they had resolved that next year they will do their best to
support everyone else in the class... Hey, I'm starting to feel like a
teacher!!
LESSONS/ACTIVITIES
Inspired by my experience of Marcel Marceau. I can't claim most
of the following as my own.,.. this is a collection of material that
I've found over the years... if any of it is yours Thanks!! My
intention here is not to plagiarise - I just don't know who this stuff
actually belongs to - if you want me to remove it... please ask.
Vocabulary
Words:
-
ISOLATE
- The ability to move or hold fixed any single part of the body
while not
Engaging any other part of the body.
-
ILLUSION
- Using the hands and body to create the impression of physical
objects that aren't really there. The interaction between the
hands/body of the performer and the imagination of the audience.
-
CHARACTER
- The people, animals and objects the performer portrays.
-
TRANSFORMATION
- The act of changing from one character to another.
-
MIME
- The portrayal of characters, situations, emotions and ideas
through body
movement for the purpose of communicating stories, feelings and
ideas.
-
MIME
ARTIST - An accomplished mime performer.
Overview of Art Form:
Classic Mime employs the art form of classic illusionary mime. The art
of mime is as old the human race. Throughout history there have been
performers who have communicated without words. Masked Mime is the
oldest form. Another form, Eccentric Mime, involves the use of every
day objects in unusual ways. Charlie Chaplin and other silent
comedians were masters of this eccentric style. It is still used today
by both clowns and mimes. Classic or Illusionary mime developed early
in the twentieth century. It is the newest form of this ancient art.
Pre-Performance Activity:
-
Discuss
the following definition of Mime with the class. Mime is telling
stories, portraying characters and situations and creating
illusionary objects through silent movements. Encourage students
to discuss where and when they might have seen mime before.
-
Ask
your students to think of careers that use nonverbal communication
(traffic police, umpires, referees, etc…). Discuss
conversational gestures that students use. See how many gestures
they use in place of words. Examples: head shake or nod (yes, no),
shoulder shrug ( I don't know ), clenched fist ( anger ) and wiped
brow (expressing relief ).
Post Performance Activities:
After experiencing the program as an audience, the students may find
it a further exercise of their imaginations to try expressing
themselves with mime.
The following is a list of activities that teachers have done in their
classrooms:
-
The
students sit in a circle so that everyone can see everyone else.
Take turns doing something you do every day that requires no
speaking. When it is your turn, stand and turn your back to the
group until you are ready to perform. When ready, turn and perform
your mime slowly and deliberately so that each action stands out
clearly. ( examples: making a bed, brushing your teeth and/or
hair, taking a shower, making something to eat ) When you are
finished turn away from the circle and sit so that everyone will
know that you are done. If you were clear enough the group should
know what your activity was. If they don't understand, try it
again and try to be clearer and simpler in your movements.
-
Try
walking against the wind, with the wind, in heavy mud, on ice, up
a staircase, down a staircase, up a ladder, through a dense forest
and/or through a crowd of people.
-
Use
your hands to: put on gloves, take off gloves, pet a cat, open a
present, show excitement while watching a game.
-
Try
making your face look like: you'rr eating a sour pickle, opening the
door and seeing your best friend, eating peanut butter, watching a
funny cartoon, touching something squishy and wiggly.
-
Give
the students an opportunity to try what they saw in the program.
IMPORTANT ELEMENTS THAT CREATE THE MIME
The mime performer must:
- Concentrate Focus one’s attention
to an uncommon degree.
- Warm-Up Stretch and rigorously
exercise the body before performance or classes.
- Act Relate to the environment and
to other characters in a way that is believable. We must see the
characters think.
- React Show true feelings in
response to the actions of another character. Show true feelings
in response top any given stimulus or event.
- Freeze The ability to
arrest the entire body into a moment in time and suspend it into
complete stillness.
- Create Characters The ability to
transform yourself believably into different persons and things.
When done correctly, this will inspire a sense of recognition and
identification from the audience.
- Practice As with all learned
techniques, practice is the best way to improve and maintain
skills.
- Have Fun If you’re having fun
learning or performing Mime, we, the audience, will have fun
watching it!
- Create Movement The ability to move
the body, hands, and face to express an idea or emotion.
BASIC DIRECTIONS FOR CLASSROOM OR STAGE
The purpose of these
directions is to create a truly theatrical experience and to
efficiently shape order from what would normally be perceived to be
random confusion or chaos. These directions are easy to learn and will
give beginners a real advantage.
- Students’ faces must always be seen by
the audience, unless precluded by special movement, costume, or
plot devices (exception: when a student turns to go to the back
area of the stage. This is called "upstage".)
- Never, ever, mouth words. This is
where the students must problem solve and create a way to express
an idea that communicates successfully without indicated words.
- Be as noiseless as possible. Avoid foot
stomping, loud falls, audible sighs, etc. These sounds detract
from the "magic spell" of the performed work.
- Students must never give stage directions
to each other during performance. The place for this is in
rehearsal
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES
The Marceau Foundation was established in 1996 for the purposes of "promoting, fostering and encouraging the art of mime and mime-drama in the United States and abroad and preserving and perpetuating the work of Marcel Marceau."
This site will attempt to maintain a listing of Marceau’s upcoming activity and general information. As it grows, we anticipate the site serving as an interactive center in the field of mime to assist in linking the global mime "family."
While no formal membership program yet exists, input, greetings, advice and general communication are welcome from those involved in or interested in the art of mime at any level.
An overview of the man, his life and his art.
The World of Mime Theatre is devoted to the promotion of Mime as
a specialized theatrical art. Its goals are education, information
exchange, entertainment, and providing the opportunity to connect
people involved and interested in Mime Theatre around the world.
Stephen La Frenie has been performing mime & physical theatre for twenty four years and teaching for the last twenty. His training includes acting, with Gary Pogrow in Vancouver, B.C. Physical theatre at Ecole Jacques Le Coq in Paris and The Mime School Unlimited. He has also studied mime with Tony Montanaro and clown with Dean
Gilmour. A great collection of resources (including some video
footage of Steve's work)
A lesson resource to consider mime - some useful guidelines in
devising lessons on mime.
Mime Journal has been called "an excellent publication" by the New York Times, "scholarly and vivid" by the LA Herald Examiner, "unique and imaginative" by the Library Journal and "Fat, glossy and essential reading" by American Theatre. Since 1974, Mime Journal has published 21 volumes.
PROFESSIONAL NEWS
Listed here are schools which run year-round or on an academic
year schedule, private instructors who offer classes or individual
instruction not affiliated with an educational institution, and
short-term workshops which occur at various times of the year.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
eBOOKS - Can be downloaded immediately - A
full listing of available eBooks.
Kim Flintoff
Copyright © September, 2004