Speechless | Pantomime in the Digital Age

The famous French mime Marcel Marceau once described his art as “L'art du silence”, but last Friday, the TIPI stage at Kanzleramt was anything but silent. Yes, Hanoch Rosenn did in fact remain mute over the course of the Berlin premiere. But the interaction of pantomimical acting, musical elements and video clips had very little to do with the images most people have of classic mime shows. It's this medial reinterpretation that has characterized the Israeli artist Rosenn's shows since the 1980's: digital stage settings, 3D animations and experimental use of lights and sounds..

The current show “Speechless” reinvents an art that has long been gathering dust at the periphery of the performative arts with the help of a digital screen and an unusually fast-paced rhythm: In one scene, Rosenn scrambles around Times Square, in others, he walks around a heavily trafficked highway or a giant airport terminal. The audience is included in several sketch-like parts of the show, and Rosenn never has to search very long for eager volunteers. Hysterical laughter is guaranteed during these bits. At the same time, the show is able to pick up on more serious topics without drifting into histrionicity. Rosenn says about his show that it “should primarily give joy to the audience. To have them dwelling on thoughts is only my secondary aim.”

“Speechless” proves that Rosenn, who has written and produced countless musicals, films and plays, was able to create a universal language through mime, one that is accessible for everyone, no matter what age, nationality or confession.

(jbi)