|
Replacing
the outmoded mime stereotype with a fresh, relevant style, turns
widespread apathy into enthusiasm for the art.
It is rare in our
generation to find an audience enthusiastically crowding outside a
theatre hall for a mime performance. It stands to reason. With the
inundation of street mimes who display no more depth than pretending to
be a robot or mimicking innocent passers-by, our generation has
developed a low opinion for the art. The public's perception of
pantomime over the last few decades has been, for the most part, nothing
more than the "white-face mime trapped in a box" - a nice
little diversion at a county fair, but nothing worthy of respect in the
performing arts. Mimes have become objects of ridicule for comedians,
political cartoons, and movie scripts. There is little interest for
pantomime in our generation, and it appears to be a dying art.
On the contrary, history records a profound love for the art form in
centuries past. As early as ancient Greece, audiences adored
performances and were moved simply by the medium of gestures. In the
nineteenth century, audiences revered the famous character of the
lovesick Pierrot, created by Jean Gaspard Deburau. In recent times,
Marcel Marceau and the great silent film actors such as Charlie Chaplin
and Buster Keaton wooed and won the hearts of the world without saying a
word.
There is one distinct reason for such a dramatic difference in
appreciation between those times and now: Mime in the past was performed
with relevance to real life, but today it is rare.
Relevance is the Key
Relevance is a natural
law in mime. It dictates the effect mime has on an audience. Simply
defined: The more relevant a pantomime is to the beholder's innermost
life, the more it will have special meaning to him, but the less
relevant it is, the less it will have meaning.
This is a principal that
was understood as early as the second century, when Lucian, a Greek
writer, stated:
"When
every one of the spectators identifies himself with the scene enacted,
when each sees in the pantomime as in a mirror the reflection of his own
conduct and feelings, then, and not till then, is his success complete.
But let him reach that point, and the enthusiasm of the spectators
becomes uncontrollable, every man pouring out his whole soul in
admiration of the portraiture that reveals him to himself..."
An artist who wants to
create a pantomime that is met with enthusiasm will mirror the truth of
our lives. Moreover, mirror the inner truth of our lives
-
identify with our feelings, emulate what is wonderful, empathize with
our suffering, and reflect the humor of our own selves.
Many mimes today perform little to do with real life, i.e.: getting
trapped inside a huge bubble-gum bubble, pretending to be a flower
blooming, being carried away by helium balloons, etc. Because nobody
does these things, the consequence is apathy for the art.
In addition to mimes
acting out stories with which the public cannot identify, mimes are
acting out with no stories at all. Most street mimes meander around
performing only "techniques," such as walking in place, standing
motionless as a mechanical man, leaning on an imaginary counter, etc. This is mime that conveys nothing, or as my artistic director puts it,
mime that has no "point". Do not misunderstand - pantomime
"techniques" are a wonderful aspect of performing mime, and I
believe in executing them with precision. However, mimicking the outward
motions of man do not speak to the heart. I am not implying that all
pantomimes must have a deep message. There is a legitimate place for pure
entertainment within mime. Nevertheless, without communicating a story
or an idea, the mime artist is counting on only his movements to
entertain. Even if he is technically proficient, "entertainment" is
the best that he will accomplish.
Consequently, relevance is
the key element that must exist in a pantomime if it is to have meaning.
A pantomime that identifies with a spectator, portraying the depth of
his life, will surpass mere interest... it will draw his
whole being into it!
The Power of Art
Relevance - or
mirroring the spectator's inner self - can evoke great sentiment. This is where the arts have a significant impact on our lives. For
example, imagine a man in an art gallery who is profoundly captivated by
a specific painting. It is a painting of a field with a country home in
the distance. The man is transfixed by it and is touched deeply. Why? Because it reminds him of his childhood home and evokes the memories
associated with that time in his life. It not only evokes the
memory, it evokes the feelings associated with the memory. That
painting becomes sentimentally significant, and means more to the man
than any "great work of art" in the gallery, because his life has
been enriched by the painting.
The same is true for the pantomime with which an audience member
identifies with himself. A pantomime can evoke a memory or feeling that
is very special, yet personal. This feeling may be too personal for the
audience member to share with others, yet the pantomime has brought it
to the surface. It strikes deep within him, manifesting a lump in his
throat and a tear in his eye. That heart is touched and the pantomime
artist has accomplished great art.
Pantomime With An Exclamation
Point
I have witnessed student
pantomime productions, performed in a fresh, true-to-life manner,
absolutely enrapturing their audiences and creating exuberant response. How awesome it is to experience pantomime that is felt deep within
because it has mirrored the sentimental qualities of life. This is
pantomime that is more than entertaining - it is impacting!
I have an ambitious objective: to revive mime as a
great art in the eyes of the public. I want to instill the idea that
mime is more than being trapped in a box. Mime can be a very significant
art worthy of patronage in a world-class theatre. It can be hilarious,
have passion, depth and - like any great art form - it can touch
lives.
It is my hope that mimes
will commemorate this powerful ancient art form and perform with
relevance for today's audiences. I hope mimes will, as the 18th
century ballet master, Jean Georges Noverre stated, "rehearse a
mimed scene until the performers have arrived at that moment of
expression innate in mankind, a precious moment which is revealed with
both strength and truth when it is the outcome of feeling... To be
successful in theatrical representations, the heart must be touched, and
soul moved and the imagination inflamed."
___________________________________________________ |
