Bill Bowers is one of the final vestiges of a silently dying art form. Modern physical actors don't seem interested in pursuing miming, instead they are drawn to the whimsical wonderlands of Cirque Du Soleil stages or other arenas that focus on group performance rather than solitary storytelling. Bowers, however, studied under the late, great Marcel Marceau, who's often known by his famous stage persona, Bip the Clown. Marceau told Bowers that if he didn't carry on the torch, the art form would die. Bowers pledged to do just that.
In his new show, Beyond Words, Bowers tinkers with the theatrical style by adding bits of dialog when needed, but this Saturday lips will be zipped. A part of Out Of The Loop Theatre Festival's catalog of events, Bowers hosts his very popular Mime and Creative Movement Workshop on Saturday, March 10 at 11 a.m..
Will you learn the old standards, like how to pick a rose and offer it to a pretty lady -- don't forget to then thump your heart! -- or how to put yourself into the solitary confines of a box? Naw, not likely. That schtick-y stuff is like comparing a limerick to a beautiful poem. And Bowers ability to poetically reenact an abstract idea -- like a man falling in love with the moon -- is the cornerstone of his passion.
Assist in keeping the theatrical element of miming alive and learn how to express yourself without jabbering this Saturday. Tickets cost $10 and will likely sell out. Call 972-450-6232 to reserve a spot in the workshop. To see his one-man show Beyond Words, which runs on Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., go here. Learn more about Bill Bowers, them man, the mime; read this Q & A with our own Elaine Liner.
