Online Mime Classes and Workshops
Mime Theatre Studio offers short-term online mime workshops and ongoing weekly online mime classes on a year-round basis.
Curriculum Structure
Level I Introductory Workshop
8-session mime class
Level II Class
One session per week
New students must begin with the Level I Workshop, an introduction to the fundamental concepts and techniques taught at Mime Theatre Studio. Students who complete the workshop are eligible to enroll in the weekly Level II Class.
The potential exists for truly committed students to work up to advanced levels in the art if that is their goal.
NEXT ONLINE LEVEL I INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP
Sept. 28 – Nov. 16, 2024
Every Saturday
12:00 noon – 2:00 pm PDT [Pacific Daylight Time (Los Angeles) — UTC/GMT -7 hours]
1 class per week for 8 weeks * 16 hours total instruction
Tuition $325.00
These mime classes are available to students in any city or country. (Instruction in English.)
Level I Workshop
This first level of instruction introduces those new to Mime Theatre to the fundamentals of the art. Students gain a general understanding of what mime was in the past and what it is in today’s theatre, and begin to learn the physical and dramatic skills that provide a strong foundation for mime work. The class curriculum includes specialized movement skills, physicalization of emotion, and stylization techniques (including some basic illusion work).
Marcel Marceau Technique – Students are introduced to the technique of the great French master of mime, universally hailed as the greatest practitioner of the art in the past century. Students begin to learn the basic principles of Marceau’s technique, a technique founded on his own master’s teachings and developed over half a century of creating, performing, and teaching. Work includes discussion and discovery of fundamental concepts, technical movement exercises, and exploration of physical dramatic expression.
Corporeal Mime (Decroux Technique) – Students are introduced to the technique of “the father of modern mime,” Etienne Decroux. Reinventing mime as a contemporary art form, Decroux created a highly technical, codified technique that influenced the work of many, including his most famous pupil, Marcel Marceau. Students learn some basic skills from this technique, providing some of the physical grammar necessary to transform their movements from natural to theatrical.
Niedzialkowski Technique – Techniques developed by Polish mime master Stefan Niedzialkowski provide students with methods of breath control and stylization that are fundamental to the physical expression of thought in mime.
Character Creation – Students are guided through explorations of the ways in which characters express themselves physically. The inner character is coordinated with the body as students discover what characters say without even speaking.
Recorded Classes – All classes are recorded and are posted privately for students to review until the end of the workshop.
Supplemental Videos and Notes – In addition to videos of the classes, some additional short videos created by the instructor that students may view outside of class time are included to supplement the classwork. Weekly emails will include class notes and will periodically include links to online videos, books, and other information related to each week’s classwork.
Students who complete Level I are eligible to register for Level II.
Level II Class
This second level of instruction builds on the concepts and skills introduced in Level I, and introduces new material. Techniques are explored in greater detail, with more emphasis on mastering each skill. New material in both the Marceau and Decroux techniques is introduced, and work on character, dramatic construction, and improvisation begins.
Students with some experience in mime may audition to begin at this level, but some basic knowledge and skill in Marceau and Decroux work in particular is considered a pre-requisite. Students who have completed Level I are automatically eligible to register for this level.
Level II is an ongoing class comprised of students at different levels of experience. Students may continue in Level II for as long as they wish to advance their skills, working toward the level of professional performer.
Marcel Marceau Technique & Corporeal Mime – Students work to develop skills previously introduced, and learn new material that becomes gradually more complex, including new isolations, study of movement rhythms, and the introduction of movement etudes.
Niedzialkowski Technique – All work continues to develop the skill and application of this technique.
Dramatic Construction – Students learn fundamentals of constructing Mime Theatre scenes, learning how “actor-centered” theatre differs from conventional theatre. More advanced students begin work on original student creations, presented and critiqued in class.
Creation Exercises – Students prepare assigned exercises at home and present them in class.
Video Presentations – Occasional classes will include showings of mime performances on video for better understanding of the class work.
REGISTRATION
New students should register for Level I. Students who complete Level I are eligible to register for Level II. New students with some experience in mime may audition to begin at Level II, but some basic knowledge and skill in Marceau and Decroux work in particular is considered a pre-requisite.
Online Level I Eight-week workshop, one class per week
(Intended for students age 17 and over. Younger students by special permission only.)
16 hours total
$325.00 (U.S. Dollars)
Online Level II Ongoing Class
One 2½-hour class per week — New schedule and prices to be announced
* Workshop tuition, workshop deposits, and class tuition paid in advance is non-refundable and cannot be applied to a future workshop, class, or private instruction session.
CONTACT US NOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE
IN THE NEXT WORKSHOP OR CLASS
Online mime classes are offered through the Zoom online meeting platform.
CALL
+1 (310) 494-MIME
OR E-MAIL US
No prior experience in mime or acting is necessary. Students should be physically fit, and must not have injuries or physical limitations which may prevent them from participating in strenuous exercises or subject them to the risk of further injury. Students under 18 years of age must show parental consent.
The instructor assumes that participating students are aware of their personal physical condition. The instructor assumes no responsibility for any injury incurred as a result of a student’s participation in these mime classes. Students who are not sure if they are physically fit for this type of study should consult with a physician prior to registration.