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Mime Artist

Tells stories through physical movement and gesture — without speaking a single word.

Did you know?

Mime legend Marcel Marceau speaks the only word in Mel Brooks' 1976 film Silent Movie: a loud 'Non!'

How subjects help

Drama: Tell a whole story with no words, making an audience see an invisible wall or rope.
Physical Education: Build balance and muscle control to freeze in place or move in slow motion.
Psychology: Show clear emotions with your face and posture that any audience can read instantly.
Dance: Move with precise rhythm and control so every gesture looks sharp and deliberate.

A famous name

Marcel Marceau: French mime who created his character Bip the Clown in 1947 and performed worldwide for over 60 years.

Try it yourself: Direct a frozen stage picture

Pick one exciting moment from a story everyone knows, like the wolf knocking at the door.
As director, put your actors into a silent, frozen picture. Use different levels (high, middle, low), clear faces and body shapes. Keep poses low and steady: no lifting people or standing on furniture.
Work on distance and eye contact: who is close, who is far, who is looking at whom? Turn bodies halfway towards the audience so faces can be seen.
Hold the freeze for five seconds while someone guesses the moment. Then make the moment just before and just after, so three pictures tell the story.

Directors and choreographers arrange exactly where performers stand, how high or low they are and where they look, so the audience can read the story from a single stage picture.

Adapted from Arts Impact: Arts Foundations theatre lesson: Creating Tableau.

Also try: Tell one story three ways.

Known for it in

France, Czech Republic, Japan, USA, UK