Mime Workshop

7/23/2019 Mime Workshop

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/mime-workshop 1/17

Mime Workshop (Outline)Tim Settimi

Acknowledgment: Claude Kipnis' The Mime Book, Jay Torme

(my teacher, Mimi Tyrell, !aul "ullan, and all the dancers,

mimes, teachers, and students who ha#e shared insights

through the last twenty years$

Definitions

Mime is an art$ Mime is a cra%t$ Mime is mo#ement as

comple& as moonwalking, or as simple as nodding one's head

to say yes$ %ten '#e heard mime de%ined as non)#er*al

communication$ (a negati#e term pre%er to de%ine it simply:

Mime is #isual communication$

As an art it is an artist's e&pression o% the world that surrounds

us$ As a cra%t, it is a skill that has to *e practiced$ Mimetechni+ue, while %airly simple, i% done sloppily can *e

con%using and lose its audience completely$ Mime is a

thoroughly engaging art$ ou can't watch it without *ecoming

acti#ely in#ol#ed, whether you want to or not$ The mime takes

the #iewer's imagination and makes it concrete$

Tools of the Trade

Your body. That's it- As in any other cra%t one must *e

completely %amiliar with the tools: what tool is appropriate %or each task, how they work, and what are their limits$ .o, in

mime we *reak down the *ody into segments, e&amine the

mechanics o% muscle and *one, the di%%erent mo#ements each

/oint is capa*le o%, and the limits to that particular mo#ement$



n mime and dance the spine is treated as the center o% the

*ody$ t is the central a&is around which e#erything else is

attached$ 0pon this %oundation set %i#e segments$

• head

• neck

• chest

• stomach

• hips

These %i#e segments o% the central *ody can *e mo#ed in three

ways$ (The %ollowing are my la*els %or these mo#es1 others

may call them something else$

Inclination otation Transtation

nclination is a *end o% the spine$

2otation is a pi#ot around the spine$

Transtation is a lateral shi%t o% a *ody segment$ (This is

actually two or more inclinations in opposite directions, *ut%or the sake o% simplicity it is treated thus$

Transtation, howe#er, calls attention to a concept called bodycenters. The *ody centers are those three segments that

transtate: the three masses o% *one impaled on the spine$ They



are the head (skull, the chest (ri* cage, and the hips (pel#is,

lea#ing the neck and stomach as %le&ors$ These *ody centers

are the most communicati#e o% segments and are the roots o%

what call the articulators, those parts o% the *ody that are

e#en more communicati#e, namely the %ace, the hands and the

legs$ 3motion, manipulation and locomotion$ More a*out

*ody centers later$$$

4or now must stress the importance o% e&ercises *ased on

inclination, rotation and transtation$ 2epetiti#e and mundane

as this kind o% physical *odywork is, there is no su*stitutewhen it comes to %inding the muscle groups and making their

implementation second nature$ ou ha#e to teach capa*ilities

and limits$

The a! Materials" Mo#ement

Mime techni+ue is all a*out the mo#ement and manipulationo% space$ A per%ormer %ocuses the #iewers imagination armed

with nothing more that a gesture$ .ince we know what the

tools are, it seems natural to e&amine di%%erent ways they

might *e used$ (ou don't swing a hammer the same way

putting up a picture as you do *uilding a house$ 5ere are

some more ar*itrary la*els use to get a handle on a concept

like the qualities of movement.

$%I&' a +uick, short, undirected mo#ement, a shudder, aspasm

D also +uick and short *ut direct1 a /a*

*+,&- a *igger, hea#ier direct mo#e*SS a punch with resistance1 isometric

W%T/ rythmic, usually in#ol#ing undulations, lyrical



and, oh yeah, we must not %orget$$$ IMMOI%ITY not

mo#ing is /ust as important as mo#ing

4inally there is a +uality that is the realm o% mime almost

e&clusi#ely$ t is re%erred to as the: TO& or &%I& a mo#e

%rom static to %ull motion in an instant and #ice)#ersa$

To uild a World (learnin0 hand tools)

As stated earlier, mime techni+ue can *e #ery comple& or as

*asic as simple hand or %acial gestures$ n this regard these

most *asic o% *uilding *locks are #isual cliches$6isual cliches are generally trans)cultural, such as nodding or

shaking the head to suggest the positi#e or negati#e$ A smile

or %rown ha#e the same meaning e#erywhere$ These #ery

o*#ious kinds o% cliches are generally inter)personal

communication$ A wa#e, a shrug, a wink, etc$

There is, howe#er, another le#el o% cliche that comes into playas one *egins to manipulate o*/ects: that uni#ersally

understood gesture that is a sort o% shorthand *ordering on

sign language$

This shorthand gesture can usually *e %ound *y e&ploring the

use and preparation o% the o*/ect, reaction to it, or *eing it$

make a round shape in my hand: it's a *all

*ite into it: it's %ruit or #egeta*le polish it: it's an apple

pull a wiggling %inger %rom my mouth: it's a wormy apple

show upper teeth: it's crisp

show no teeth: it's mushy



Any o*/ect or situation has its own *its o% shorthand$

a drink$ $ $a %lat cylinder shape is a glass

two %ingers against the outside: it's a mug

three %ingers 7 thum* up: it's a *eer, add %oam and it's certain

one %inger to thum* on an open palm: it's a teacup

crush it: it's a paper cupa *ottle that is opened with a corkscrew: wine

a *ottle with a twist)o%% cap: cheap wine

a can o% soda can ha#e a spray like *eer *ut add a straw

a glass o% milk can *e poured %rom the carton

The Wall (the 0rander illusion)

The techni+ue in#ol#ed in creating this illusion is most o%ten

called isolation$ That is deli*erately separating a lim* or set o%

muscles %rom the rest o% the *ody$ Actually touch a wall1 thearm e&tends and stops at the wall$ The %ingers spread, palm

%lattens, and the hand *ecomes immo*ile$ The slightest

mo#ement e%%ects the wrist, el*ow, and shoulder as they %le&

to isolate the hand$

n creating the illusion: put out the arm and stop at a set

distance$ .pread the %ingers and %latten the palm through anisometric mo#ement$ Again as mo#ement happens, the wrist,

arm and shoulder compensate to isolate the hand$ The muscleso% the arm mo#e in direct opposition to the mo#ement o% the

*ody in space$ A lean right pushes the hands le%t relati#e to a

static point$ n the case o% the illusion, howe#er, the

compensation is go#erned *y the memory o% the actual action$

!ull the hand away %rom the illusion, and the %ingers and palmrela& to a more neutral state, lea#ing the illusion suspended in



space$

t must *e stressed that the dynamics *etween the isometric

tension in the hand and its rela&ation makes the wall more

tangea*le e#en as physical contact is *roken$

A word a*out the persistence o% memory:

once an illusionary o*/ect is created it e&ists in the #iewer's

minduntil it is dealt with and8 or remo#ed *y a deli*erate act$

The #iewer suspends their dis*elie% in order to e&perience the

in#isi*le world o% the mime$

t is important that the per%ormer not *e ar*itrary in what hechoses to deal with$

3#erything must make sense o% the #iewer will *e lost in the

con%usion$

Mime in a general sense is directing the #iewer's %ocus$ t can

*e as sharply %ocused as %lyspeck on the nose, or as *road as

outer space$ The per%ormer can create in the #iewer's mind asense o% space more e&pansi#e e#en than the actual space

present in the theater$ The mime, through an illusionary walkcan de%ine a space #astly larger than his stage$ This concept



can *est *e illustrated *y e&amining what happens while

watching animation$

A cartoon character walks, and though he doesn't lea#e thescreen and the tele#ison set doesn't mo#e, mo#ement is still

con#eyed$ This is accomplished simply *y mo#ing the legs o%

the character and sliding the scenery past in the opposite

direction o% the mo#ement$ The li#e per%ormer does likewise

working the legs and mo#ing the scenery, *y means o% a9look9 across the stage$ Although there are #arious techni+ues,

%ocus is most o%ten directed simply *y eye contact$ The #iewer will always 9look9 at whate#er the per%ormer 9sees$9 This

works not only %or spacial, *ut also %or interpersonal

relationships$

A solo per%ormer portrays two people meeting$ The mime

acknowledges a person *y %ocusing a smile into the ad/acent

space$ 5e e&tends a hand in a handshake with the placement

high and raised eye contact he has +uickly descri*ed a warm

relationship o% a little guy with a *ig *uddy$ The #iewer's eye

and imagination sies the playing space to include imaginary *ig *uddy$

Another case o% how the #iewer connects the dots to see a

picture o% a whole that is more than what's physically on the

stage, and all o% it *uilt upon little more than gesture$

ack to Illusion" Mass

The techni+ue to creating illusions that appear to na#e mass issimply to use an appropriate amount o% reaction in the *ody$



That is, the more mass the more o% the *ody is a%%ected$ The

smaller the o*/ect, the less contact is needed:

By cocking a pinky the tea cup *ecomes delicate china

Two pinkies a needle1 a shot glass

A contact lens rests on the tip o% a %inger

Con#ersely, pick up an empty *ottle with the hand!ick up a %ull one with the hand and arm

A *ucket with the hand, the arm and the shoulder

A hea#y *ucket, the hand, arm, shoulder, and chest1 then the

stomach and hips

;otice that the *ody segments are placed in order o% pro&imity

to the o*/ect$ The *ody reacts like a chain$ <inks don't mo#e

until the preceding link applies tension$

%ocomotion

%% to a leaning start$The illusionary lean has *ecome a cliche i% not a parody o%

mime$ t is, howe#er, also the clearest e&ample o% the leg

mechanics in#ol#ed in locomotion$

% you are sitting while reading this, your legs are pro*a*ly *ent$ .tand up and your legs are straight$ =hen the knees

lock, your weight is carried *y the *ones more e%%iciently than

the muscles$ t's automatic and it's what's e&pected$ That

assumption is an important part o% the illusion$ =e assume that

straight legs carry the weight and *ent legs are rela&ed$



*ser#e the lean$ ne leg straight and slightly o%% to the side1

the other leg *ent$ The weight seems to rest *etween straight

toe, through the *ody, and hang o%% the shoulder, propped up *y the arm, and so on into support$

Because the #iewer assumes the leg mechanics, the illusion o%

the support is rein%orced$ n reality the lean is accomplished *y

re#ersing the mechanics$ By standing on the *ent knee the

weight carried through the muscle, the #iewer is unaware o%the shi%t in the center o% gra#ity$ The per%ormer can now shi%t

more weight toward the 9support,9 *y the %urther misdirection

o% li%ting the shoulder, appearing to hang the arm on the

support$

=alking in#ol#es the same *ent leg, straight leg system only it

is put in motion: o*ser#e walking$ 3ach step lands the *ody on

a straight leg$ The *ody %alls %orward to *e caught *y the ne&t

step, as the weight shi%ts to the %ront %oot the *ack leg *endsand is drawn %orward to replace the last step$ Again it isautomatic, and taken %or granted$

The illusionary walk in#ol#es keeping the weight on the *ent

leg and either pulling or pushing the straight leg:

stand on one leg *end the knee



%le& the ankle

now, *end and %le& at the same time$

n *allet terms: a reli#e' and a plie'$

The weight o% the entire *ody is %ocused on the toe$ The %le&

o% the ankle raises the *ody$ The *end o% the knee lowers the

*ody$ By isolating the trunk the mo#ements cancel each otherout$

Because o% the two dimensional aspects o% per%ormance (again

not unlike a cartoon1 there are two separate techni+ues %orwalking, their use depending on the audience's point o% #iew$

*rofile !alk (to *e seen %rom the side

.tart with *oth legs straight *ut separated, one %orward, one

*ack$

The weight is on the *ack leg$ The %ront leg is locked straight,

%ront %oot %lat on the %loor$ As the *ack leg %le&es and *ends,

the %ront leg is dragged *ackwards under the *ody$ The %lat%oot slides along the %loor$

The *ack leg carries all the weight$ As the knee *ends and the

ankle %le&es, the work is trans%erred %rom *one to muscle$

Timing is critical, the pull o% the %ront leg must start and %inishat the same moment as the *ack leg *ends and must stop when



it is parallel to the *ack %oot$ This re+uires a concerted e%%ort

to keep all o% the *ody *alanced on the *ack toe$

The arms naturally swing in opposition to the weight on the

legs$ t is an e%%ort to teach the *ody to compensate #isually

%or a weight that has *een placed elsewhere$ >oing this

naturally does not come easily$

The ideal is to per%orm all o% the mo#es and keep the o#erall

*ody at neutral$ ;o *o**ing o% the *ody %rom ill)timed mends,

no change o% relati#e position on the %loor$

The e%%ect to the #iewer is that the %loor seems to *e mo#ingunder the mime$

$ull $ront Walk (straight at audience4or clarity the

illustration is in pro%ile$

This walk starts *y placing a *ent and %le&ed leg in %ront and

applying weight to it$ =hile doing so, the leg straightens$ The *ack leg li%ts and is pushed slightly to the *ack, where it *ends

at the knee and comes %orward to replace the other leg$

The e%%ect to the #iewer is that the %loor %alls away *ehind the

mime$



The Kicker

To compound the illusion, make it more *elie#a*le, more

elements can *e added$ The head directs the #iewer's %ocus, so

panning the head to %ollow an o*/ect shows the #iewer the

scenery the mime is walking past$solating a hand on a passing o*/ect, *e it a %ence post or a

horiontal rail makes that scenery more concrete$

This system can *e applied to other types o% locomotion$

By picking up the pace and tightening the arms o% the %ull

%ront walk it *ecomes a run$

Bouncing o%% the toes compounds the illusion$

.lowing it down, and pressing through the mo#e gi#es it

resistance$ The e%%ect could *e less gra#ity or under water$

&limbin0 a ladder is an e&ample o% an illusion that depends

as much on timing as the arms and the legs, perhaps more so$

.tart *y placing the hands on the ladder, side rails or rungs$

nce the hands are set they must mo#e in unison$

ne %oot is raised and isolated at a step$

The other %oot now %le&es at the ankle raising the *ody at the

same time the hands and the raised %oot are dropped the

distance o% the step$ 4inally the knee o% the support leg is *ent

slightly to keep the hips at neutral$ All the %ocus is on 9up19 thelowering *y the knee is camou%laged in the rise o% the ne&t

step$

The 9kicker9 is to put an 9up9 impulse in the chest that lets the



head react naturally: a sort o% %alse inertia$ ther kickers

include looking down a%ter se#eral steps, and mi&ing up the

types o% hand holds$ The impulse can *e mo#ed throught the

*ody depending on the work in#ol#ed, as with the *ucket$

A stairway is not much more than a ladder presented on a

diagonal$ A single hand is e&tended and isolated chest high$=hen it is lowered it is pulled *ack towards the *ody$ The leg

work is nearly the same$

Descendin0 a ladder also relies on timing, *ut since all o% the

impulse is 9down9 working with gra#ity, the leg work hasn't

+uite the strain$

"ra* some ladder (waist high

5ang a leg out the *ack$ (*ent2ise +uickly on the support toe, then *end the knee$

.traighten the *ack leg and drop it to the %loor at the sametime the hands are raised to the chest$

The stair is again the same *ut on the diagonal and to the

%ront$

Manipulation o% space and locomotion are #ery *asic skills

that once %amiliar and *ecome second nature, allow the

per%ormer to concentrate on de#elopment o% character and

plot$



&haracters %or mime are the loud uncles o% the actors' %amily$

There is a pit%all some *eginners get caught in that think

deser#es a warning$ .ince the mime works in silence the

no#ice has a tendency to ampli%y the gesture and, while that

might still *e e%%ecti#e in manipulation and locomotion, in

characteriation it is only o#eracting$ n *uilding charactersusually less is more.

That said, endorse a techni+ue *ased on the *odies' centers

(sound %amiliar?$

3#eryone has an indi#idual walk$ A person's sel% image shows

through his mo#ement$ =ith o*ser#ation and this system it is

not too di%%icult to decipher the code$

5uman *eings deal on three le#els: Intellectual1 motional1

and *hysical. These correspond to the largest collections o% *ones in the *ody:

The skull: intellect, *rain *o&, head

The ri* cage: chest, heartThe pel#is: hips, naughty *its, ass

.o, in creating a character %irst de%ine how the character seeshimsel%$ Then apply the related center or com*ination o%

centers to his mo#ement$ Allow the centers to lead the

characters through space$

-ead the residence o% the intellect$ ndi#idual types include:

the seeker, the in+uisiti#e, the know)it)all, the suspicious, or

the #isually impaired$

3&amples: .herlock 5olmes, the guest speaker, Barney 4i%e

(not particularly smart, although he thought he was



3ach center can *e used in a positi#e way, as a*o#e, or

negati#ely to create one who is dull, drunk, some other non)

intellectual, or suspicious$

&hest the temple o% the heart$ ndi#idual types include: the

lo#er, pride or arrogance or rightousness, total /oy$

Most strong emotions ha#e some e%%ect on the chest$ n the positi#e side, the lo#er is led *y the heart$ Most o% his action

originates %rom the chest$

n the negati#e side a crook, wicked witch or other anti)lo#er

type could *e *uilt: starting *y pulling the shoulders tighttogether to close o%% the heart$

-ips the roots, the *ottom o% the spine$ ndi#idual types

include: the physical, animal, se&ual, cow*oys, sailors,

hookers, 9the %on,9 ultra masculine or %eminine$

n the other hand, to close o%% the hip center, produces a

character o% no physical authority$ (shy, small, %rail

The three *ody centers can *e su*di#ided and deser#e a little

more attention$ The %ace su*di#ides into:

4orehead: cere*ral, no*ility, elegance, intellect

3yes: the windows o% the soul, emotion

Mouth: the only mo#ing part, taste, speech, physical

<ikewise the chest su*di#ides into:

!ecks: emotion

Belly: physical



The hips ad/ust according to their degree o% tilt$

Ballet dancers are said to present an intellectually engaging

display in a most physical cra%t$ Ballet, more than any other

%orm o% dance, at times de%ies its own physicality$

ne reason is that proper *allet posture re+uires all *ody

centers to tilt up, especially the hips$

This posture gi#es the entire endea#or a note o% no*ility$=ith this *allet posture as a start and tilting the hips *ack

through a neutral stance and *eyond, the per%ormer can

display a cere*ral attitude in the physical plane$

The most #alua*le accomplishment %or the no#ice mime is

*ecoming at ease with the #arious techni+ues so as to *e a*le

to concentrate on the situation he or she is trying to portray$ %

the per%ormer puts himsel% into a gi#en situation, concentrateson *eing there, %ine points *ecome o*#ious$ As the

imagination is *rought to *ear on pro*lems, the solutions present themsel#es$ t is merely a matter o% gi#ing onesel% o#er

to the stream o% consciousness and letting the un*ridled mind

do the writing %or you$

2ela&ation cannot *e emphasied enough$ 4ear, it is said, is

9the mind killer$9 Tension con%uses the *ody$ ;er#ousness is

an un%ocused energy$ Muscles mo#e under electrical

commands %rom the *rain$ 0nwanted electricity in the %orm o%ner#ous tension spills into the system and can cause a kind o%

gridlock$



Trust your instincts1 trust your imagination$ The su*conscious

mind thinks %aster and in much %iner detail$

contact and *ooking in%ormation

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