Word Count: 1017
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 that
the type of performance required for the theater is different
than that required by the circus. Grock began to use a
clown as a pantomime character whose actions comment
on life. Grock went on to become one of the greatest
performers of the variety stage. Grock used music to
portray man’s struggle with fate, just like Beethoven, but in
a different way. Before Grock would play violin, he would
throw the bow up in the air and try to catch it, but miss.
Then he would retreat behind a screen to practice and the
audience could see the bow flying above the screen. He
returned to face the audience and missed again. He became
so flustered that he threw the bow in the air and caught it
without even knowing it! When Grock sat down on the
piano bench to play piano and found that it was too far
from the piano, he would struggle to push the piano closer
to the bench! Like all good comedy, this reflected man’s
struggle to tame nature. The circus was saved from too
much clown tradition in the 1940’s by a man named
Emmett Kelly. The costumes were getting too elaborate.
The usual clown costume descended from the vari-colored
costume of the Roman mimes. Originally, it was intended to
symbolize rags, like the clown was an impractical guy who
didn’t get along in the real world. A long evolutionary
process ended up with vari-colored, but elaborate
costumes. The costumes reached some sort of peak when
the Harlequin costumes of the English pantomime had as
many as fifty-thousand sequins on them. Emmett Kelly
brought back the original idea and wore a tramps costume
of actual rags. The usual clown make-up is a bright colored
pattern which serves as a trademark for each clown. Kelly
wore make-up to match his raged costume. He invented his
own intimate style of pantomime in, but almost independent
of, the circus. Kelly would beg peanuts from kids in the
audience and then break the shells with a huge hammer,
completely! shattering the peanut, and then search stupidly
for the meat among the debris. Clowns of the modern
circus are called “Joeys” after Joseph Grimaldi. In the
modern American circus, there are many able clowns
including Lou Jacobs, Paul Wenzel, Otto Griebling, Paul
Jung, and Freddie Freeman, but they are almost
overwhelmed by the sheer size of the circus. Modern circus
clowns depend on acrobats, costumes, and mechanical
stunts to perform, but a mime just has gestures. The
technique of the circus clown is limited by the conditions
under which he performs, therefore, there is a tendency for
any successful idea to be repeated so much that it becomes
a tradition. Most of the clowning is done in what is called a
clown promenade, or walkaround, in which the clowns
circle the arena while performing so that each spectator
might see a complete performance. Each clown performs
something different. It is difficult to think of gags to perform
while walking in a parade. One could carry a heart that
lights up like a neon sign when he sees a pretty girl, another
could drive a really small sportscar, or one may wear a
trick costume which enables him to change from an old
lady to a midget, and back again. One clown may run away
from a stuffed tiger that is attached to him by a thin wire.
As you can probably see, pantomime has changed over the
years and there have been ups and downs during the
change. There were also some performers who saved, or
played a big part in the history of pantomime. Bibliography
Campbell, Patricia J. Passing The Hat: Street Performers in
America, New York City, Delacorte Press, 1952 Evans,
Cheryl and Smith, Lucy Acting & Theater, Tulsa, EDC
Publishing Hunt, Douglas and Kari, Pantomime: The Silent
Theater, New York City, Atheneum, Kipnis, Claude, The
Mime Book, New York City, Harper and Row publishers,
1974 May, Robin, Looking at Theater, New York City,
Marshal Cavendish Corporation, 1989 “Mime and
Pantomime” Academic American Encyclopedia, 1982 ed.,
vol. M-13, p. 434 Mordden, Ethan, The Fireside
Companion to Theater, New York City, Simon and
Schuster Inc., 1988 Ratliff, Gerald Lee, The Theater
Student: Speech and Drama Club Activities, New York
City, Richards Rosen Press, Inc., 1982 Stolzenberg, Mark,
Exploring Mime, New York City, Sterling Publishing Co.,
Inc., 1979
Keywords:
word count this paper about pantomime about origin people evolved wonderful
pantomime dramatic performance which story told theme developed through expressive
bodily facial movement origin pantomime traced back classical farce italian commedia
dell arte silent completely silent performance invented rome sometimes used worship
mime short saying also means someone performs mime performing streets will have that
passed around spectators money when doing should noted that imaginative performance
skills illusion illustration also should cultivate understanding role that body plays
suggesting idea impression sensation character done solo group size before performing
mime must warm relaxation exercises miming takes mental physical strength perfect
coordination parts body essential expressive movement graceful poise good must very
flexible must fluid changing posture create character facial expression changes
everything while performing very relaxed when doing people speak different languages
most gestures mean same thing animals insects especially have probably done before
humans were even alive example bees when telling others where nectar peacocks impress
mate prehistoric next after animals prehistoric would influence nature them kill while
hunting before language prehistoric told about hunt with would tell history tribe clown
named grock became very successful started acrobatic clown young grock became
famous because succeeded circus music hall after years successfully circuses tried clown
routine theater berlin grock began move away from broad comedy grimaldi tradition
towards debureu type first theater audience respond realized type required theater
different than required circus began character whose actions comment life went become
greatest performers variety stage used music portray struggle with fate just like beethoven
different would play violin throw catch miss then retreat behind screen practice audience
could flying above screen returned face audience missed again became flustered threw
caught without even knowing down piano bench play piano found from piano struggle
push closer bench like good comedy this reflected struggle tame nature circus saved from
much tradition named emmett kelly costumes were getting elaborate usual costume
descended vari colored costume roman mimes originally intended symbolize rags like
impractical didn along real world long evolutionary process ended with vari colored
elaborate costumes costumes reached some sort peak harlequin english many fifty
thousand sequins them emmett kelly brought back original idea wore tramps costume
actual rags usual make bright colored pattern which serves trademark each kelly wore
make match raged invented intimate style almost independent peanuts kids then break
shells huge hammer completely shattering peanut then search stupidly meat among debris
clowns modern called joeys after joseph grimaldi modern american there many able
clowns including jacobs paul wenzel otto griebling paul jung freddie freeman they almost
overwhelmed sheer size modern clowns depend acrobats mechanical stunts perform just
gestures technique limited conditions under which performs therefore there tendency
successful idea repeated much becomes tradition most clowning done what called
promenade walkaround circle arena while each spectator might complete each performs
something difficult think gags perform walking parade could carry heart lights neon sign
sees pretty girl another could drive really small sportscar wear trick enables change lady
midget back again away stuffed tiger attached thin wire probably changed over years
there have been downs during change were also some performers saved played part
history bibliography campbell patricia passing street performers america york city
delacorte press evans cheryl smith lucy acting tulsa publishing hunt douglas kari silent
york city atheneum kipnis claude book york city harper publishers robin looking marshal
cavendish corporation academic american encyclopedia mordden ethan fireside
companion simon schuster ratliff gerald student speech drama club activities richards
rosen press stolzenberg mark exploring sterling publishing
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