Difference between Clowns and Mimes- response to comment

The Difference Between a Mime & a Clown -- powered by eHow.com

Colin- here is the video related to your comment. (I couldn't figure out how to post this in my comment back.)

Annotation of Harlequin Britian: 18th Century Pantomime

O'Brien, John. "Harlequin Britian: Eighteenth Century Pantomime and the Cultural Location of Entertainment(s)". Theater Journal 50.4 (1998) 489-510. Print.
The author gives us a basic history of when Pantomime theater began, starting with the fall of 1723 when Pantomime became a dominant theatrical form. However, Italian commedia troupes were performing in England by around 1540. In theater, two forms of Pantomime, serious and comedic, were mainly performed. In the early 19th century, serious roles of Pantomime began to fade away, and emphasis shifted to the commedia focusing on the clown-like figure in the performance and pushing Harlequin (serious) theater out of the way.

Silence of the Mimes?

While reviewing my list of previous generalizations, i came upon another question to research. I believe it is obvious that since pantomime is communication without words, that mimes do not speak while performing. However, after flipping through the book Apostles of Silence by the author Mira Felner, i discovered that this misconception may not necessarily be completely true. Felner writes, " In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it was labeled as a mute art, but much controversy exists over the necessity of silence. An examination of mimes both past and present reveals that mime was and is not always silent. In fact, the Greeks, Romans, and the Commedia all used language in their performances (18)". She goes on to write, "Even for those to who mime is a silent art form, it may not necessarily be an art of silence. Music and sound effects have often been an integral part of the mime performance (18)". So, contrary to popular belief, not all miming is a silent performance. Rather, they incorporate some occasional words, music, and sound effects to deepen their performance and to get the audience to connect with the performance on a different level. By adding other sounds in with their act, we gain a further understanding of what they are trying to communicate and portray to the public.

What Defines a Mime?

Today i compiled a list of things that i believe are prior generalizations of mimes. First, they typically wear a combination of black and white full-face makeup and they are generally European in origin. Secondly, mimes do not speak at all and are generally portrayed as very sad. Finally, they have been shown in media from a variety of cartoons to film. However, this list also made me realize all of the unanswered questions that remain about the world of mime. I decided to research a few of these questions.
The most basic question to ask is how one would define "mime". As defined in T. Earl Pardoe's book,Pantomimes for Stage and Study, to pantomime is "the telling of a story or incident without the use of words. It is a body action to reveal thought (38)". Even though it may look simple, pantomiming can communicate an idea or an emotion so that one can feel connected to the performer and the action. In the book Pantomime: the Silent Theater, written by Douglas and Kari Hunt, they explain how the word pantomime applies to a mime. "The words mime and pantomime are now used almost interchangeably to refer to the use of the body to communicate without words. Pantomime refers to the performance while mime refers to the actual performer. To pantomime is not merely a part of acting or dancing, it is an art form in its own right, and has been presented as such from the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans to present day (8)".

Welcome to my page :)

Hello fellow-cyberspace users! Welcome to my page. This is my first time blogging, so bear with me as I am still learning. I will work to keep this updated as long as i do not blow up my computer and take down the internet in the process (trust me with my luck it could definitely happen).
I know that mimes are not a primary topic of interest. However, I see them as commonly misunderstood and would like to learn more. I plan to explore this art form and the popularity of mimes now compared to centuries before when they were revered as celebrated street performers. I also intend to take a look at how popular culture has portrayed mimes and what stereotypes, if any, exist about the world of mimes. Like most people I can imagine, I never really thought about the art of pantomiming. But in all reality it takes a lot of patience to remain silent while performing in front of a crowd and maintaining your focus.
With more research and diving deeper into the world of the mime, i will be able to learn and provide actual facts to develop this project even further. Thanks for reading.