I would like to incorporate mime as an enhancement to non-verbal communication while in clown.

Does anyone have suggestions as to books and/or videos that would be a good resource?

Thanks!

I've been meaning to get this DVD for some time:

http://www.dube.com/video/splash.php?cd=mime

And I hear a lot of good comments about this book:

http://www.bordersstores.com/search/title_detail.jsp?id=55929768&srchTerms=mime&mediaType=1&srchType=Keyword

Thanks for the recommendations! I appreciate you help.

I have the "Be a Mime" book, but I really haven't delved into it like I should. It looks pretty good though.

The other thing to do is look up mime on youtube and just soak it in.

The "YouTube" suggestion is another excellent idea.
Thanks for your input.

I purchased the training CD from Tony Montanaro (he's now deceased but his wife is still running the theatre instruction) called 'Mime Spoken Here'. It's a 2 DVD set and is an excellent training instructional series. See Mime Spoken Here to order (http://www.mimetheatre.com/store/video.html). It was around $50 and worth every penny.

I have a few you should definitely look into! They are pretty old so may be available at your library. Also, the libraries in Washington State will order any book for you that they don't have, if they do that near you it should be relatively easy to get your hands on them.

The Art of Pantomime (http://www.amazon.com/Art-Pantomime-Charles-Aubert/dp/0486428575/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199467350&sr=8-1) by Charles Aubert

I studied this book a great deal and applied it to regular old legit theatre and it is immensely helpful. Even more so for straight forward miming.

Respect for Acting (http://www.amazon.com/Respect-Acting-Uta-Hagen/dp/0025473905/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199467449&sr=8-1) by Uta Hagen

In my theatre classes Uta has always been called Uta the Buddha. She is probably the single best author I have studied in the craft of acting. Stanislavski has nothing on the Buddha! She has a section in this book about sense memory. I use the technique in acting but its actually a mime skill!

The Mime Book (http://www.amazon.com/Mime-Book-Claude-Kipnis/dp/0916260550/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199467520&sr=8-1) by Claude Kipnis

My copy is beat to dust and the pictures are hilariously outdated but the art form hasn't changed much!

Be a Mime (http://www.amazon.com/Be-Mime-Mark-Stolzenberg/dp/0806964170/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199467639&sr=8-1) by Mark Stolzenberg

I can't recall if I've read this one but I have definitely heard of it.

If you're going to get into this, you need to take it seriously. After all, a mime is a terrible thing to waste!

I'll be the second, or third, to reccomend the Be a Mime book by Stolzenberg. It is written with the beginner in mind and is very well explained and illustrated.

Actually, you can't go wrong with Stolzenberg. He's got books like Be a Clown, Clowning for Circus and Stage, and a neat one called How to be Really Funny.

I was in the used bookstore today and I found a Mark Stolzenberg mime book called "Exploring Mime". I am guessing it is the same book as "Be a Mime" with a new title. Not sure though! I bought it as it's super basic but still covers some tricks and sketch ideas. "The Mime Book" is hard for me to get into.

Also, since it was my Birthday yesterday I got some money and put $20 bucks into "The Moving Body" by Jacques LeCoq. Amazing book and from what I have read is must read clown material! It covers commedia masks, movement, mime, and clowning. If you bring up LeCoq in certain circles you will have people swooning at his brilliance. I had to see it for myself!

LeCoq died a few years ago but his school is still there in Paris (http://www.ecole-jacqueslecoq.com/ecole-pratique-uk.php?bg=02). Both books I have on physical comedy: Why is that So Funny? (http://www.amazon.com/Why-That-Funny-Practical-Exploration/dp/1854597825/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202314893&sr=8-1) by John Wright (a must read btw, especially for you Jeremy) and The Handbook of Physical Comedy by Davis Rider Robinson (http://www.amazon.com/Physical-Comedy-Handbook-Davis-Robinson/dp/0325001146/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202314992&sr=1-1) are heavily influenced by Jacques LeCoq. I know Wright was a student of his, and I think Robinson was too, but I am not sure about that. Aver Eisenberg also studied there. I had a copy from the library of "The Moving Body (http://www.amazon.com/Moving-Body-Teaching-Creative-Theatre/dp/0878301410/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202315059&sr=1-1)" and I really liked but I did not finish it before I moved to Korea.

I brought The Mime Book by Claude Kipnis (http://www.amazon.com/Mime-Book-Claude-Kipnis/dp/0916260550/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202315116&sr=1-3) with me to work on after I found it in a Half-price bookstore, right before I left.

Thanks for the suggestions Snugglesnort! I hadn't heard of either of those books and they sound right up my alley!

Also, since it was my Birthday yesterday



And we missed it! All together everyone...

Happy Birthday to you...

etc. etc. etc.

happy late birthday Chance

By Chance did we miss your birthday? Happy birthday!:)

Yep. I turned 31 Monday! The forum sang Hippo Birdy Two Ewe to me and I was happy. :D

Also, last night when I was looking for mime info I found this tutorial (http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/3049_mime-basics.htm)! I've only watched about 6 of the 1 minute episodes and there are a whole lot of them!

You're OLD!

Well, I'm not getting any younger that's for sure! :seltzer:

Clowns never grow old at lease not as fast as normal people i never seen one look their age or act it for that matter

I think this thread has covered most of the best resources. I have a few more that are excellent.
First is the book: All About Mime: Understanding and Performing the Expressive Silence by Maravene Sheppard Loeschke, not that it's explanations for mime illusions are that specfic. To me it's value is in it's discussion of how to develop a comic solo mime. It is very relevant to the solo silent clown and I haven't found any common clown books that discuss comedy to this degree. It goes into comic endings, organization, etc. You can pick it up used on the internet for just a few bucks. Also, it's appendixes provide lots of titles and subjects that you can springboard into routines.
Second, is a resource I discovered on YouTube. Search for "Tokyo mime," or "tokyo mime city" and you will find several tutorials an common mime illusions that are excellent. The kicker is that many or most of them are done silent. That's right! She teaches you mime via pantomime. Check it out. I hope this was helpful.

I really liked the Kipnis book. It's very concise and covers all the real nuts and bolts of the art. Good for chumps like me!

I'm not sure if I'd be tempted by the Stolzenberg book. I wasn't too impressed with his "how to be funny" book. It was a bit shallow unlike "Why is that so funny?" which was probably to deep for me. If you liked the Jon Wright book you'll probably like "Improv" by Keith Johnstone.

George

Stolzenberg, is very fixed, and doesn't go into why a whole lot. Why is That so Funny? I loved, but it is hard to actually work through without other people. However, it does have the best explanation of the art of clowning and its relation to the rest of the performing arts and the world that I have found.

I have been reading and practicing with the Kipnis book. It is really good.

I'm looking forward to the upcoming release of this book from one of my mime instructors:

T. Daniel's Encyclopedia of Mime

Did you hear about the disgusting mime who performed unspeakable acts?