Modern Mime

      Modern Mime

         μίμος

Mime is the earliest self-expression tool. Before people could speak they would use mime to communicate with another’s. After language was developed, mine has become a form of art.

The origins of mime art are found in Greece and it was separated into several categories, it rarely alienated from dance and speaking theatre. However, Romans took over the existing art and start renovating into their love of spectacle, which included everything from pantomime to mock-naval battle. They disengage the dance and speech to give the birth of, what was call the pantomime. Roman pantomime involved improvisation, such as burlesque scenes, portrayed current events, and themes of love, adultery, and mocking of the gods.

After the fall of the Roman empire, the Christian churches closed all the theatres including the mime associations. Only the basic form of this art survived. It continued to amuse through the middle ages, and reached it’s height in sixteenth century in Italy, such as Commedia dell’Arte.

But let’s not go to deep in there and focus on modern mime. In 1811 Jean Gaspard Batiste Deburau, a member of famous Bohemian family was performing at the Funambule on the Boulevard du Temple. He performed in this theatre till his death. Deburau is considered as the main creator and master of mime. The famous “Pierrot” was created by Deburau. He converted the crude slapstick form of Mime, to the art form that is known today.

Soon after the Second World War, Marcel Marceau (1923-2007) appeared. He created in 1947 his own character  “Bip” with  his famous short jacket and a hat with a flower sticking out. There is a similarity between the Pierrot and Bip such as white make-up face, and dramatic appearance on the stage.

However, Marceau was the  true builder of modern mime as we recognize today. His performance was limitless. His character Bip was his alter ego.





References

The Origins and Development of the Art of Mime. 1996-2010.  http://www.mime.info/history-lust.html.

The history of Mime. Billy Krahl 1996. http://members.tripod.com/kiko_mime/history.html

Felner, Mira. Orenstein, Claudia. The World of Theatre. Tradition and innovation. Pearson and AB.

One of the latest performance of Marcel Marceau.