The American Mime Theatre (6/13/19)

Jean Callovini Barbour, Mario Brufau, Eris Cabello, Zane Garcia, Julia Malinovskaya, Olya Mikhaylova, Ryan Molloy, Michael Whitten

American mime differs from other styles of mime. It is based on certain procedures that are studied in class and then adapted into performance pieces. It is similar to other versions in that there is no dialogue. Sounds, yes; dialogue, no. More about that later.

Music Box had three couples (one on a box) interacting as couples with movements that were similar, though not exact, for all three couples. It was set to music from a traditional music box. We saw the ritualistic offer of flowers, the ritualistic kiss, and the ritualistic rebuff. It was both humorous and fun.

Welcome – Meet the Company, led by Ms. Barbour, who is the director of the company, introduced us to the main players. Demonstration of Selected Training Methods was just that. There were twelve separate Class Procedures listed in the printed program, and this set in the performance that I saw explored Technique, Moving to Words, Characterization, and Interplay. If memory serves, one of the four included a squeak (from a shoe, I believe) and the reaction of company members to the sounds.

Hurly-Burly had three named characters: Compulsive, Boor, and Hypochondriac. Three men, posed together on an open box/cube as a set piece, interacted with each other, incorporating nose grabs, slaps, pushes, and shoves, among others. At one point (or several, actually) a hiccup was involved. They eventually lost their balance and all three were off the box. Realizing that they were sort of like fish out of water, they resumed their positions on the box, and the work concluded.

An excerpt from Dreams was set to an electronic score, and had the Dreamer, his Alter Ego, and five Figments. It was interesting to see a group piece that was not quite as limiting as the first piece with the three couples. And having an Alter Ego allowed for one character to approach the same scene in two different ways.

Six had six Strangers, used eight chairs as a set, and had props that included a paper bag (which was also a sound element) and a cloth held and manipulated by one of the characters. The six seemed to be totally insular until a few interactions began. Sound elements here were a hiccup, a cough, laughter, crying, and speaking (if it can be called that—it was sort of like a nonsense language). There were some humorous touches that included touching, blowing on someone’s hair, reactions to the laughter and the crying, and reactions to the nonsensical language. The eight chairs were needed for the six characters because some of the characters moved about, in order to avoid one another or to try to join one another.

This was totally different from any other program I’ve seen at the Library for the Performing Arts, and I am so lucky to have these varied programs so readily available. It’s fun to go exploring and to have new experiences. This one was particularly enjoyable.

ConcertMeister