Marcel Marceau who revived the art of pantomine died at the age of 84.
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Goodbye Marcel, Goodbye Bip
The greatest mime artist of all time, the mime who kept the art of pantomine alive, Marcel Marceau has died. Marceau's death was announced early Sunday, September 23, 2007.Marcel Marceau was a French mime, survivor of the Holocaust, and a dramatic artist who had the uncanny and unusual ability to touch the heart of an audience without words. His stage persona, Bip, demonstrated the sadness of being locked in a world which he did not always understand. Bip was a droopy white-faced clown, always sporting a battered stove-pipe hat. Bip also awakened one's spirits with the wide eyes of a child as he discovered the invisible world around him.
One of Marceau's most poignant comments perhaps gives us the greatest insight into his artistry. Marcel Marceau commented, "Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us without words?" Perhaps they do. Marceau used those wordless moments to convey his moments of exploration, discovery, exhilaration, and disappointment.
One of Marceau's other famous comments should give readers and writers pause, "Words can be deceitful, but pantomime necessarily is simple, clear, and direct." Marceau's clarity through silence has been missed in the later years of his life, and will continue to be missed, now that he has passed.
We can only hope that ambitious young artists will be inspired by Marcel Marceau's work, and continue the artistry that not only entertains, but forces viewers to use their imagination along with the performer. One cannot view mime passively. Much of mainstream entertainment in our culture is passive. It would serve us well for the art of mime to remain alive.
Marcel Marceau was born Marcel Mangel, March 22, 1923. He entertained the world for over fifty years. May his memory live on forever.
*Please leave tributes and comments below in honor of Marcel Marceau.
Sources:
ynetnews.com
kxmb.com
encyclopedia.com
encarta.msn.com
Comments
dwicahyo Septian
(Guest)
(Guest)
05/23/2008
RIP
Interesting how such an artist, like Marcel, can leave this earth without more regard, yet we have major ordeals over celebrities with much less talent. Ugh!
He was a such wonderful guy. May he rest in peaceful bliss!
This was a man of few words though he spoke to generations in a way they will never forget.
While the artistic impression of a mime has probably gone out the window in recent years (thanks to the ones who love to mock people at state fairs ;) )--it's unfortunate Marcel Marceau's death didn't get more coverage last week. If you want to see mime work with extremely high artistic skills (you'd swear he was actually doing the tasks he mimicked), you'll see where the best was before it devolved. Hopefully some DVD's are available somewhere of his live shows. I haven't seen MM on TV since I was a little kid in the early 80's...but I'm sure there's some media available to buy that shows him when he was at his peak.
A unique man! RIP. Thanks for this read!
Excellent reporting.I remember watching him on television when I was a kid. He will be missed.
He will surely be missed. Sad story. His memory will live on. very well written.
I remember him when I was a kid! What a great man. Thank you for letting us know. I'm amazed I didn't hear this on the news.
aww such a shame. thanks for sharing
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