ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Since the late 1940s, French mime artist Marcel Marceau has performed on stages around the world, sketching satires from empty space, along with numerous TV and movie appearances.
His timeless characters include the Chaplinesque "Bip," the frazzled "Bird Keeper," the morphing "Mask Maker." "The Creation of the World," "The Trial," "Youth, Maturity, Old Age, Death" are among his metaphorical sketches.
Marceau, 77, was born in Strasbourg, France, during the era of silent film stars. Inspired by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, he was quickly drawn to the theater.
At his school, L'Ecole International de Mimodrame de Paris Marcel Marceau, he and his associates have trained students from more than 20 countries.
Question: Why did you decide to do mime?
Marceau: I don't know myself. . . . Of course, I had an influence. And that influence was Chaplin. Because when I was a child, my aunt took me to see Chaplin (movies) when I was 5 years old. And I immediately sensed that he would make me laugh and cry because he played with his soul. He never tried to be funny. The situation made him funny. . . . I identified completely with Chaplin. And as a kid, I imitated him. But when I did it, I tried to have the seriousness of Chaplin.
Question: Do audiences react differently, depending on where you perform?
Marceau: When I play in South America, Mexico, Japan, China, Europe, people will laugh or be moved in the same second. There is no difference. When I perform, I sometimes don't know where I am. When I play, I can be in Paris or in Japan.
Question: Are you helping revive an interest in mime?
Marceau: I have a feeling that I did for mime what (Andres) Segovia did for the guitar, what (Pablo) Casals did (for the cello). Teachers will bring children to my shows, and every time we play in America, we have special performances for children.
Question: Do children react differently than adults?
Marceau: I made the rule not to change my numbers for children. I play for children like for grown-ups. And I think that the children feel this. Before I start there is much noise. I say to myself, 'My, how am I going to play with such noise?' But when I enter — silence. And I give them numbers exactly like I give them to grown-up people, and the children don't move — they are fascinated. . . . In my art form, which goes to the essence of movement, the essence of life, the children are like grown-ups. They have a great sensibility.
Question: Has it become more difficult for you to perform?
Marceau: My body has kept young through my art form. If I had felt I was not as good as I was 20 years ago, I would have stopped and I would not tour. . . . The reviews and the public are as good as they were 30 years ago. . . . Today, when I play on stage, I think that my characters have no age. The metaphors have no age.