Who is a mime and what is pantomime

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

On the streets of large cities, and not only large ones, you can often meet unusual and funny street performers with white faces, dressed in striped vests. These artists are mimes. They are somewhat similar to clowns, but the genre of performances is completely different, and is called pantomime. To understand who a mime is, it is worth delving a little into the history of this unusual art.

History of pantomime

This is a form of performing art that has its roots in ancient Greece and Rome. In this kind of genre, the artistic image is conveyed by artists without words, only with the help of body plasticity. The understanding of who memes are in that era and in our time is significantly different. The Greeks and Romans called street performers giving mass performances mimes. The theater included acrobats, magicians and other actors who portrayed scenes from the everyday life of the townspeople and accompanied them with singing, dancing, and satire.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the culture of the region was influenced by medieval Christians. However, memes did not disappear, but only transformed into moreacceptable genre. Their street art mixed with the traditions of German buffoons and peasant folklore. Later, aristocratic artists also adopted this art, remaking the medieval satirical farce into a sophisticated classic comedy.

In the 19th century, mime moved from the streets to the theater stage, and the question "Who is a mime?" received a new answer: a theater actor with a good education and training. In the countries of the Soviet camp, where plastic art was represented only by classical ballet, allowed by the Communist Party, pantomime quickly became popular. However, in the states of Europe and America, theatrical pantomime remained practically unclaimed: many choreographic theaters in these countries filled the niche of plastic art.

Pantomime Actors

Who is a mime? A pantomime actor who expresses emotions and feelings through body movements and characteristic plasticity of hands, exaggerated facial expressions. To better convey emotions, the artists cover their faces with a kind of makeup. With the help of these techniques, a single actor is able to play out a complex plot and touch the thin emotional strings of the audience. Often, memes give simple representations that even young children can understand. In this case, pantomime is very similar to clowning, but all actions are performed absolutely without words. The most famous memes: Charlie Chaplin, as well as the characters Pierrot and Harlequin.

Image of a mime

Who is a mime, the photo is the easiest to determine. The actor's face is hidden under a thick layer of make-up, the traditional outfit consists of a vest,red neckerchief, hat or beret. Often mimes wear a jacket, imitating Charlie Chaplin. However, there is another style. Its representatives do not adhere to the standard image, do not use makeup and dress in arbitrary costumes in order to avoid the stereotypical attitude of the audience. The only thing that remains unchanged is the unsurpassed art of pantomime and the silent, but extremely emotional performance.

How to become a mime

A professional mime is an actor who has received the appropriate education and devoted his life to the theater of pantomime. However, each person can discover a talent in himself and learn this amazing art in order to entertain relatives or acquaintances. First you need to apply makeup. Cover the face with a white tone, highlight the eyes and eyebrows with a black pencil, and point the lips with red lipstick. Such makeup is necessary in order to give the image certain character traits. In the performance, mimes depict scenes with invisible objects, for example, a wall - this is one of the most famous tricks.

So, who is the mime? Professional actor of the theater of pantomime. Don't confuse mimes with clowns as they are two different art forms.