There is a wonderful French magician and mime named Jerome Murat who is one of the most unique performers and, I would argue, storytellers that I have ever seen. He combines magical illusion with silent motion to create a truly amazing experience. He is what many would label as a mime.
Mime is an old word that can be traced back through French 'mime', Latin 'mimus', and originally, most scholars agree, to Greek 'mimos' which means "imitator, actor, buffoon." It wasn't until its usage in French that it became associated with silent acting. Nowadays Mime has its own category of theater, though many see only the silly street performing, box enclosed, rope pulling buskers who are trying to make a dime by performing on sidewalks in big cities. Mime has the ability to be so much more meaningful and to go much deeper than mere imitation. It has the ability to communicate story when done well.
What it means to storytelling: We are all 'actors' and 'imitators' at some point in our storytelling careers. We sometimes even change roles quicker than we change clothes. But most of our stories rely on spoken word, on language to communicate our message or story. But could we communicate a story without using language including sign language? Could we communicate a story, even a simple one, using only gestures? My answer is yes. It would require extreme amounts of dedication and effort, but I believe it is possible for us to mime a story.
Please enjoy the following performance by Jerome Murat of France and consider it as my evidence for believing a story can be mimed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If6gUDsEbkA&feature=player_embedded
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What a performer! A perfect mix of mystery and revelation. For every meaning unfolded, a flip side question crops up, "Howzee doin' that?"
ReplyDeleteI agree, lovely and clever. But there is a point at which we must distinguish between anecdote and story. This was something that the great French mime & clown teacher, Jacques LeCoq always warned against: anecdotalism. Though in its original sense, anecdote means something like the Jewish concept of midrash, in the above sense it is little more than a gag, as in "joke." Anecdotal behavior is often found in mime, where we see situational humor without much extended discourse.
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