WHAT

IS PANTOMIME?

Objective: From practicing mime, students gain communication skills, self control,
build listening skills, practice focus, learn economy of movement, and create and
understand plot lines and situations.


Mimes do not speak with their mouths, but express life
through movement and through using their bodies to suggest
their environment. Pantomime is a dramatic technique of
communicating through gesture without speech. The
word mime comes from the Greek word mimos, and simply
means, to imitate. Our English word "mimic" comes from
it. Pantomime is the same, really, with panto in the front.
Panto, or pan means all, When you are performing a
pantomime, you are all- imitating.

It is important to understand that there are two attributes to
performing pantomime: the story and the gestures used to
tell the story. Storytelling - or what is being communicated -
is the primary purpose of a pantomime. Without telling a
story or conveying a point, the mime act would only be
movements. When a mime artist performs, his movements
must be clear to the audience. This is extremely important.
Pantomime movements that are unclear, or "sloppy," result
in misunderstanding. The audience will become puzzled by
what is happening and will be unable to follow. But precise
movements will result in clear communication, and the
audience will follow with ease.

The more relevant a pantomime is to on audience members
life, the more it will draw his/her personal interest, but the
less relevant it is with his/her life, the less he/she will care.
To create a successful comedy pantomime mirror the humor
of our lives such as the embarrassing situations to which we
all can relate. If you want to create a pantomime that is
moving - identify with the feelings, experiences, and
sufferings of life. Touch the heart.

Charlie Chaplin was a mime artist, even though we refer to
him as a "silent movie actor". He acted out powerful stories
of life in silence, conveying all of his scenes with his
movements. Todays Mr. Bean" is much the some.

There are two main types of pantomime: narrative and
plot/story-based.

Narrative pantomime uses a storyteller or narrator as one
acts out the action of the narrative.

Plot/story-based pantomime is a story that unfolds or
progresses on its own, with the audience seeing the story
rather than hearing it.

UNLIKE CHARADES, Pantomime is designed as a theatrical
story. All pantomimes need to have a beginning, middle, and
end. All pantomimes should have some sort of conflict (man
vs man, man vs nature, man vs self, man vs society, man vs
destiny/fate)

In your Journal, turn to the next blank space.
Title: Theater Style, Pantomime

I mp ortant i deas to remember:

I. Pantomime is a dramatic technique of communicating

through gesture without speech.

II. The word mime comes from the Greek word mimos, and
simply means, to imitate.
A. Our English word "mimic" comes from it.

III. Two attributes to performing pantomime: the story and

the gestures used to tell the story.
A. Precise movements will result in clear communication

IV. Two main types of pantomime:
A. Narrative and plot/story-based.
1. Narrative pantomime uses a storyteller or narrator as
one acts out the action of the narrative.
2. Plot/story-based pantomime is a story that unfolds or
progresses on its own, with the audience seeing the story
rather than hearing it.

V. All pantomimes should be structured like a good story

Beginning, Middle, End
Conflict
Some sort of conclusion - NOT just walking offstage

V. Types of conflicts

(wo)man vs (wo)man. EXAMPLE:
(wo)man vs nature. EXAMPLE:
(wo)man vs self. EXAMPLE:
(wo)man vs society. EXAMPLE:
(wo)man vs destiny/fate. EXAMPLE: