Primitive Times Mime is considered one of the earliest forms of expressing oneself. Before spoken language was introduced, mime was used to communicate what the primitive people needed or wanted. Ancient Greeks and Romans Ancient Greeks and Romans. This is where it all began: the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens. Masked actors performed outdoors, often in front of audiences up to 10,000 or more at festivals,in honour of Dionysus, the god of theatre (the theatre is pictured left, however it is thought to have looked much different at the time). The most complex form of Mime, known as hypothesis, may have approached the level of true drama. This would be performed by companies of actors, who would focus on on true character development, rather than the plot, this is interesting as many people would suggest this is a new concept, however facts show that the Greeks were very focused when it came to their roles. Often one actor would play the part of several individuals in the production. Commedia dell' Arte "Mime continued to entertain through the Middle Ages, and reached its height in sixteenth century Italy, in the form of Commedia dell'Arte. Commedia dell' Arte originated in the market places of the Italian streets in the early 1500's. Street performers began donning masks with exaggerated comical features to draw attention to themselves and to complement their acrobatic skills. The characters they created became affectionately known as Zanni, and became a basis for future mime work, pictured left are the characters." In class we also looked and Commedia which I thoroughly enjoy, as I feel it is a challenges you, due to the maintained heightened physicality and characteristics that are required, however this makes it enjoyable as it is something quite unique in comparison to other acting or mime related work. Masks are also used in Commedia as they help heighten the characters, as well as take away one of the most important parts of you as a person; your face, allowing you to prosper further as this new being. Modern Mime In 1811, two and a half centuries after Commedia, an acrobatic family were playing in Paris. The son of the family, Jean Gaspard Batiste Deburau, had plans for a performance at the Funambules on the Boulevard du Temple. He worked at the Theatre, until his death, and during his life time he converted the "stupid" slapstick form of Mime, to the art form that it is known as today. Deburau ultimately mastered this art, using his own innovative ideas to create and develop a character and eventually was responsible for creating the lovesick 'Pierrot'. Pierrot was a clown, and Deburau really emphasised this 'alter ego' trend in Mime that is still very present decades later. "Mime received new impetus after the First World War from the great Jacques Copeau, who taught Charles Dullin at the Vieux-Columbier school. Etienne Decroux, who had been another pupil, took these beginnings a stage further, and together with his own pupil Jean-Louis Barrault, developed the first elements of modern mime. Barrault later went his own way, to create the first true mimodramas. Decroux and Barrault both appear in the highly acclaimed French film, 'Les enfants du paradis'. The film, shot in Paris in 1945 under the watchful eyes of the Gestapo, tells the fictional biography of Deburau, as he performed at the Funambules." |