AgendaGrab your drama llamas and a pencil and take your seats.

1. LOW2. Notes3. Practice

Mimingthe use of bodily movements without speech to communicate emotions and

actions or to tell a story

Marcel Marceau French mime “art of silence” During WWII, he lived with

the French Resistance, gave his 1st performance to 3000 troops after the Paris liberation in August 1944

Emmy Award winner Friends with Michael

Jackson

Basic Pantomime MovementsOur daily communication is mostly

nonverbal

We use facial expressions, gestures, and body language constantly

Actors want to rely on voices though while onstage; in pantomime, they need to rely on gestures and expressions

How Does One Pantomime?

OBSERVATION

Main Objectives:

1. To be believable

2. To be understandable to your audience

Personalities vs. Actions

STRONG-WILLED SHY stands tall uses broad gestures moves with authority and

self-assurance makes quick, defined

movements directs actions away from the

body

stands timidly, drawn is as if for protection

uses small, weak gestures moves slowly, with limited

motion direction actions down and

towards the body

Pantomimes Must…

Stay Simple

Tell a Story

Use Exaggeration and Consistency

1. Stay Simple

Must be simple if the audience is to understand

A well-executed pantomime is better than

a complicated plot

2. Tell A Story

Initial Situation (beginning)

Complications and problems arising

from that situation (middle)

A solution to those problems (end)

Good pantomime stories have a

clear beginning, middle, and end

3. Use Exaggeration and Consistency

Exaggeration

• To magnify

• Larger than life

Consistency

• Stick to the same thing each time

• Return to the same situation

PRINCIPLES OF PANTOMIME

Shape1. must be seen, definite2. must be consistent3. How to hold them – width,

length

Weight1. everything has weight, must

show that2. has tension in body, establish

size with hands3. box- empty4. box – full of books

Resistance1. Firmness of item2. Creates tension3. Squeezing basketball, pillow4. Push a chair, table, car

Texture1. everything has texture –

rough/smooth, bumpy, sandy2. must really feel it as you touch

it3. If you feel it, then your

reaction will be there4. cactus/velvet cushion

Placement1. one of the most important in

acting2. must stay consistent3. table, door- changes4. use body – waist high, eye

level, etc.

GOALS OF PANTOMIME

Goals of Pantomime

1. Make what you are doing clear to the audience.

2. Enable the audience to identify each object you use.

3. Strive for exactness and detail.

Class ExerciseLine up as two teams facing each

other for a rope pull. There will be a team A and B. I will call out when each teams

pulls.

Individual PracticeObjective: Individually, perform an action as

a thirty-second story. Don’t just perform the action itself, but create a story. You must set up each activity. Sticks will choose order. You will come up to the desk to receive your activity.

Hint: Don’t just swing a golf club for “playing golf”, but take the golf clubs out of the cart, set them on the ground, sort through them until you find the one you want, take it out, set up your tee, swing, watch, mark your score, and then clean up.