Mime is acting without words. The word comes from the Greek words meaning all mimic. Mime usually refers to a short play in which no words are spoken. The actors tell their story with gestures. An actor who performs without using words is also called a mime.
All actors use a certain amount of mime. Many plays have silent passages in which only the movements of the actor’s arms, legs, or face express ideas. Modern ballet also has passages that are not strictly dancing, in which the dancer uses expressive movements of parts of the body other than the legs. An opera uses some mime, along with singing, instrumental music, and dancing. Circus clowns perform almost exclusively in an exaggerated form of mime.
No one knows when mime began. It was a popular form of entertainment during the early Roman Empire. The actors wore masks with three compartments. Each compartment had a different face. Mime was especially popular in the 1700’s and 1800’s. The French mime Marcel Marceau gained international fame in the 1900’s.
See also Dance (Asian theatrical dance).
