My blog
inspiration book, Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book recommends that we “use [our] imagination”. Mummenchanz is an imaginative Swiss theater
troupe that really thinks outside of the
box. I saw them once in the 1980’s and I was amazed with their ability to use
ordinary objects in very extraordinary ways. It was a visual explosion of acrobatics, mime, imagery, puppets, lights, props and more. I have
waited three decades to see them again and I could not wait to experience their recent Pittsburgh show, You and Me.
Reflection
Mummenchanz has the ability to entertain and make you
laugh as they push the limits of creativity. A towel attached to
a mask was crinkled into varied facial expressions. A floor to ceiling fabric balloon was pulled inward to smile, to frown
and to come alive. Rectangular blocks formed two “beings” that interacted and
belonged together. It’s like using a common
sock to make a puppet but Mummenchanz makes things come to life in such inventive ways.
The show
had vignettes of action that told mini
stories. I particularly enjoyed how they used long fabric and black-lights to mimic the ocean
and added props for exotic creatures. Mime techniques of rapid movements and pauses conveyed playfulness
and even impatience in some of these creatures. Violins with painted eyes were used as masks
and produced audience laughter as the violins
interacted as a couple.
The show is really “creativity on steroids” but
it is not a “big production”. The performance
was a bit too intimate for the space of the Byham theater in the absence of music or sound effects but in any venue, Mummenchanz
still remains a unique imaginative experience!
Go toTrustarts.org for other events sponsored by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8)
