The Art of Pantomime

"This book should interest film actors, directors, and scenario writers … besides several chapters on the possibilities of silent drama it contains what is probably our largest and most accurate collection of drawings illustrating emotional attitudes as portrayed by facial expressions and bodily postures." — New York Herald Tribune.Among the oldest theater arts, pantomime figured prominently in Greek and Elizabethan drama, appeared in French and Italian commedia dell'arte theatricals, and surfaced more recently in burlesque, vaudeville, and musical comedy reviews. The author of this book, a veteran French acting instructor, asserts that "The best way to perfect dramatic work is to play pantomimes." In this volume, he presents a well-illustrated analysis of pantomime's extensive variety of emotional expressions, attainable through attitude and gesture.Suggestions range from advice on exercises for maintaining a supple form and achieving specific bodily movements to the use of theatrical accessories and the writing and staging of a pantomime performance. A key to a classic art, this volume affords students, amateurs, and professional actors abundant material for cultivating and refining their craft.