ALANA WINGATE
Staff Writer
The Department of Theatre and Dance will enter the realm of mime by presenting the kid-friendly production “Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mime.” It will be their third 2022-2023 Walter Gloor Mainstage of the Series performance.
“This is a show that is designed for families and even though our focus is our youth, we want parents to be entertained also so adults and youth can enjoy the show equally,” said Néstor Bravo Goldsmith, professor of theatre studies and production director.
Although performing live is nothing new to these Fredonia students, the alternative performance style will be a new challenge that they will undertake.
“I guess performing live as performers is nothing new to us, but this particular show where there are no lines, there is really no script,” said Christina-Andrea Ramsey, senior early childhood education and theatre performing arts major. “Everything is being told through the physical instrument. And also having children actually participate in the show as well is something that’s very out of [our] comfort zone.”
The unusual performance style will also involve audience participation, with actors inviting kids onto the stage. The student performers believe it will be an experience they will need in the long run.
“I think it’s a good opportunity to kind of explore that because I feel very often we can kind of be like, ‘this kid’s just being tough on the stage, get ’em off,’ but I think in some aspects that could be a formative experience for that kid,” said Aiden Addesa, sophomore theatre arts major and music minor.
When it comes to working with children, Ramsey believes there is always something to be thankful for.
“Working with children is a blessing in disguise because there’s things that they will say or create, and it will amaze you,” Ramsey said. “Every day when we’re working with children … it’s gonna be different.”
Due to the performance’s special qualities, it appeals to a wide spectrum of people, allowing those who might not be able to appreciate a regular theatrical production to do so here.
“We are using a universal language that everybody can understand, miming in this case,” Goldsmith said. “It transcends the language barrier so that members in the audience with, for example, a hearing disability, still can enjoy the show.”
Precision and technique, however, are said to be the secret to a good presentation by the director because the show depends on the actors’ physical statement during the performance.
“In this case, the show … is based on techniques: mime techniques, clown techniques and theater objects,” Goldsmith said. “It’s a novelty. Usually, we produce a theater that is spoken here at Fredonia, but this is physical theater from the beginning to the end.”
The actors had undergone extensive training that they believe wasn’t always easy due to the physical demands of this performance.
“A lot of our training has to do with our knees, our feet and being really grounded,” Ramsey said. “It is just a physical task, but I would have to say a lot of our lower body and head movement go into it.”
When it comes to working with a cast in a play that undergoes as much training as these actors do, the actors say trust is essential.
“That chemistry is definitely important just to be able to kind of know what your cast-mates are doing, and kind of their thought process again with a sort of reader and response,” Addesa said. “I think that’s the biggest and most important thing is that we’ve all just been having a laugh and enjoying it.”
Despite the difficulty of adjusting to a new style of dancing and learning to perform using only their bodies rather than their mouths, the director is happy with his actors’ development.
“The discipline of physical theory is difficult to do, and it requires training, precision and special orientation,” Goldsmith said. “The use of masks is also complicated because we remove the eyes from the acting. Therefore, the actor needs to express an emotional state through the rest of the body.”
As a result of their extensive preparation, learning and formation of a production company, the performers express their excitement about showcasing all of their efforts.
“I hate to be that guy, but I’m excited about everything about it. There’s just so much about this show to be excited about,” Addesa said. “How each night is gonna be a different audience and how that show will turn out and just being able to show the collaborative effort that we have made over the course of this past almost year.” Tickets for the event cost $20 a person. Performances are scheduled for March 2, 3, 4, and 5 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Bartlett Theatre. For more information, visit the Department of Theatre and Dance’s Instagram page @TADAFREDONIA.