NEWS > BUSINESS > MIMES SILENTLY SUFFERING THROUGH RECESSION

MIMES SILENTLY SUFFERING THROUGH RECESSION

July 14 2009

Paris. France – Though the history of pantomime theatre dates back to ancient Greece the art form never really reached mainstream acceptance until the 20th century. It was then that mimes began to be portrayed in film which allowed a wider audience than had ever been available before. Names such as Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Marcel Marceau thrust the form into the public’s consciousness and helped to sustain the popularity through to the modern day with acts such as ‘The Blue Man Group’. Now though the art is facing its most dire threat as the recession continues to erode people’s patience.

For most mimes survival has meant donations. Street mimes and living statues have always relied on the good will in order to make a living but as the recession continues to dry up people’s loose change and travel options, many in the industry are starting to suffer, leaving some with no option but to look for other work. That
downturn has hit no city harder than the one most associated with the craft of
pantomime which is seeing a massive decline in visitors and consequently, fewer and
fewer mimes on the street. With the once common sight of men and women in white face disappearing from French streets, some fear an end of the art forever.   

“We are very concerned that the mime may disappear from the streets of France permanently. Yes we are seeing a major decline in tourist traffic but another contributing factor is that people are just not as patient as they once were. People no come for a week instead of two say and they don’t want to spend their time watching a mime when they could be doing other things. That has been devastating to the industry,” said a spokesperson for the French tourist office. “Even we in France have grown weary of the mime in everyday life. These are very bad times for those in the industry and unfortunately things do not appear to be getting better anytime soon. Making the issue even worse is the fact that they are very proud and that makes it difficult to get them into a discussion regarding potential solutions.”

Officials estimate that the mime presence has been reduced by as much 60%, leaving many corners totally unattended.

“There was a time when every street corner in Paris had a mime or a human statue during peak tourist time. That was a long time ago of course and it has become an increasingly rare sight recently but this news explains that at least a little. Many mimes likely relied heavily on sheer numbers to get just a handful of people to pay their way but with the drop off those quantities are starting to erode,” said Scrape TV Business analyst Ken Green. “Interest in activities and entertainment
has definitely declined in recent months and this seems to be a symptom of that. It’s already very difficult to get anyone interested in mime in the first place and with this, well people will realize that they can live without it and it may never come back.”

Mime hit its peak in the 1920’s and 30’s with the success of silent screen stars such as Keaton and Chaplin. Others including Laurel and Hardy, Lon Chaney, and Harpo Marx helped to thrust the form into the mainstream which reached its pinnacle and current incarnation with Marceau.

“What they really need to do to try and salvage this situation is open up a dialogue with the artists to try and ascertain their needs and help them through these rough times. That of course is extremely difficult because mime artists are generally very tight lipped about their art. That could doom the craft though and must be overcome,” continued Green. “The best way to solve this problem is through open and honest dialogue with both sides engaging the conversation in an honest and constructive manner. They are putting themselves in a box that they may never be able to free themselves from.”

Scrape TV News attempted to contact a number of mimes regarding the situation but received no response by press time.   

William Ashford, Business Correspondent

NEWS > BUSINESS > MIMES SILENTLY SUFFERING THROUGH RECESSION