Pantomime
Uploaded by realrudboy on Aug 22, 1999
This paper is about pantomime, about it's origin, it's people, how it has evolved, and how wonderful it is.
Pantomime is a dramatic performance in which a story is told or a theme developed through expressive bodily or facial movement. The origin of pantomime can be traced back to classical farce and the Italian Commedia Dell'arte. Not all pantomime is silent. The completely silent performance of pantomime was invented in Rome. Pantomime is sometimes used to worship. Mime is a short way of saying pantomime and also means someone who performs pantomime. A mime, if performing on the streets, will have a hat that is passed around for spectators to put money in.
When doing pantomime, it should be noted that the imaginative performance skills are illusion and illustration. Also, you should "cultivate an understanding of the role that the body plays in suggesting an idea, an impression, a sensation, or a character." Pantomime can be done solo, or in a group of any size. Before performing, a mime must do warm-up and relaxation exercises. Miming takes mental and physical strength. Perfect coordination of all parts of the body is essential for expressive movement and graceful poise in pantomime. A good mime must be very flexible. You must be fluid at changing posture to create a character. Facial expression changes everything while performing pantomime. You must be very relaxed when doing pantomime.
People speak different languages, but most gestures mean the same thing. Animals, insects especially, have probably done pantomime before humans were even alive. For example, bees do pantomime when telling others where nectar is, and peacocks use pantomime to impress a mate.
Prehistoric man was next, after animals, to do pantomime. Prehistoric men would do pantomime to try to influence nature to let them get a kill while hunting. Before language, prehistoric men told about a hunt with pantomime. Prehistoric men would use pantomime to tell the history of the tribe.
A clown named Grock became a very successful mime. He started as an acrobatic clown at a very young age. Grock became famous because he succeeded in the circus and in the music hall.
After years of successfully performing in circuses, he tried his clown routine in a theater in Berlin. Grock began to move away from broad comedy in the Grimaldi tradition, and towards Debureu's type of performance. In his first performance in a theater, the audience did not respond. Grock realized...