While it isn't strictly pantomime without props, I find old silent movies help a lot when trying to show young actors how to free up their bodies and made them more expressive. There is an official Charlie Chaplin YouTube channel with a ton of clips from his films that I've used extensively. I have them watch a few clip (Charlie in the lion cage, the ending of City Lights and the window breaking scene from The Kid) and analyze the performance style. I then break them up into groups and have them script a 2-3 minute silent-movie style pantomime scene complete with background music and title/dialogue cards.
As far as other clips go I usually show a variety of the following:
Mumenschanz on the Muppet Show has several incredible routines, my favorite being the clay faces.
Mummenschanz on the Muppet Show (1976) 4 of 5
Jerome Murat does a statue pantomime that is just sublime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If6gUDs
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Robert Ellis
North Richmond VA
Original Message:
Sent: 09-29-2016 21:27
From: Nancy Bernhard
Subject: pantomime videos/pantomime on YouTube
Before I get to my request, congratulate California!! If you haven't heard, after 40 years of nail-bitten waiting, the governor at last signed into law SB 916, reinstating the Theatre and Dance Credentials!!! No more getting an English credential in order to teach theatre, and no more PE credential in order to teach dance
Ah, legitimacy (tongue only sightly in cheek)!
Now to my request:
After years of teaching pantomime to beginners with varying degrees of success, I had an epiphany. Why not show clips of effective pantomime to students early on, so that they have at least a visual grasp of the concepts? Great, I said to myself. Only, what pantomime clips to show? I have seen virtually every clip on YouTube that features Marcel Marceau, but I'd like to expand the repertoire to include more contemporary, perhaps younger mime artists.
Do you, dear colleagues, have any suggestions? Or suggestions of DVDs to buy?
Thanks so much!
Nancy Bernhard (a proud holder of one of the few theatre credentials in CA, until now)
Salinas High School
Salinas, CA