Mime and Pantomime Mime Mime the silent art
- Slides: 9
Mime and Pantomime
Mime • Mime – the silent art of using body movements to create an illusion of reality • Comes from the Greek word mimeses meaning “to imitate an activity” • Teaches theatre performer to communicate physically as well as vocally
Pantomime • The use of mime techniques, acting without words to tell a story • Comes from the Latin word pantomimus meaning “all gestures used in support of a theme” • Example: I love you
• A mime uses NO sets or props • The only means of communication is through his own body • Therefore an expressive body and face is a mime’s best asset
• A mime must project (show) whatever he/she is feeling or thinking using only the body • Things a mime does to make an image clearer to the audience: 1. Magnify actions (makes them larger than life) 2. Complete one gesture before beginning another (separates actions) 3. Wind up for each action
• Sound – mimes may make the sound of an object, but NEVER of people • Touch – mimes do not touch the other actors on stage, everything is an illusion • Gesturing – a mime must never repeat a gesture unless he/she does it in a different way
• A mime works towards gaining control of each separate part of the body • A good mime can tell a story using just his eyes alone
This is Jackie Gleason, a famous mime. What story do his eyes tell?
What do these pictures seem to have in common?
