Performance
For Children:
The Scientific Mime, or, What's Up
With Gravity?
An educational show for 2nd-5th graders, and a gas (of lesser mass) for families!
Science is full of abstract words and invisible forces that are hard for young people to grasp. But once you’ve seen the Mime Who Talks struggling against gravity, pushes, pulls, and other forces, they become real. Audience interaction, and belly laughs, included.
Steve Clarke
What’s Up With Gravity? connects directly to Essential Standards in Physical Science (Forces and Motion) for 2nd-5th grades. It makes abstract forces--like gravity, inertia, pushes, pulls, & sound waves—visible through mime. The audience participates by reading aloud signs that state the scientific concepts and by doing gestures for key vocabulary. So they see the mime illustrate the concept, say the concept, and attach movement to key vocab. ("See, say, do;" or visual, oral, auditory, kinesthetic.) It’s educational, participatory, silly, and a lot of fun!
Audience showing the sound and motion for "SOUND:" "AAAAH!"
“I want to remember these movements so when I teach the Forces & Motion unit, I can use them!” — 5th grade Science teacher at JW Grier Academy, Charlotte, NC
Performance For Adults:
Mime Explains
String Theory!
An uplifting show (with balloons!) about life and the spirit called love that connects us all.
Mime Explains String Theory! is a whimsical, silly, and serious journey through life--it’s a talking mime show. It’s a serious comedy with quirky humor, uplifting surprises, puppetry, metaphysics, and metaphor. It looks at the arc and cycle of life in a way that is especially meaningful for older audiences.
Steve Clarke
It reminds audiences that we are all connected, and leaves them with that rising feeling.
Audiences from 13 to 113 enjoy it. It resonates especially with elders, their families, and caregivers. Meant for small audiences, it is suitable for theaters, senior centers, and retirement communities.
"…my favorite part was the baby discovering its toes…no…my favorite part was dancing with the partner…no ...my favorite part was the star child, especially growing up into a big star!…no…my favorite part was the mime trying to talk into the microphone (great timing!)…no…my favorite part was…all of it!"
A series of workshops on a theme of the show—epiphanies, or “Aha!” moments--can follow the performance. The first workshop is a story circle, a simple and powerful means for people to connect, through their own stories, with others. The second workshop involves writing the stories. The third workshop is a storytelling open mic for the larger community.
“I laughed till I cried!”
“It was brilliant!”
“I loved the story.”
“It was deep. I could see the web that connects us all.”
“It was a touching, amazing and moving performance.”
“The things we cannot see become visible.”
“Beautifully done–downright poetic.”
Steve Clarke