CaliforniaKeith Berger

& Sharon Diskin

“Through silence we capturethe essence of a moment, andin that moment we are transported.”

About the Artwork:Life Cycle follows the relationship of two characters,

one female and one male, from infancy through child-

hood, adolescence, courtship, marriage, parenthood,

middle-age, old age, death and finally, rebirth. On a

bare stage and without costumes or props, The

Chameleons use pantomime and mime techniques to

project a spectrum of human emotions and enact the

rituals of friendship, love and separation. Performed to

the music of Johann Pachelbel’s “Canon in D Major,”

Life Cycle is a work in which we see ourselves and our

experiences reflected in ways that are playful, dramatic,

poignant and unforgettable.

Creative Process of the Artist or Culture:Life Cycle was one of the first mime pieces on which

The Chameleons collaborated. It began with a desire

to do a story within a classic structure about

universal relationships. They first started improvising

ways to create changes of age solely with physical

adjustments. As each vignette took form, they would

outline and record the segments of action. Pachelbel’s

“Canon” was then chosen as

a score because it was circular.

When it was completed, the

mime drama was a cycle, begin-

ning and ending in a state of

innocent birth.

Title of Work: Life Cycle

Creators:The ChameleonsKeith Berger b. 1952 Sharon Diskin b. 1963

Background Information:When Keith Berger and Sharon Diskin were children,

they did not dream about being mimes when they grew

up! Both were drawn to the theatre, studied acting, and

appeared in dramatic productions. When Keith was 15,

he saw a mime concert by world-famous artist Marcel

Marceau. Marceau’s ability to create characters without

words had tremendous impact on him and opened up a

new world of expression and artistry. He sought formal

training at The American Mime Theatre in New York

City and became one of the very first street mimes. Keith

has performed his one-man show at Lincoln Center, the

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and for

a Royal Command Performance before Princess Grace of

Monaco. Sharon began her mime work with the Oberlin

Mime Players under the direction of Keith Berger. She,

too, had seen Marceau as a teenager and was struck by the

fact that he worked on a bare stage without costumes.

However, it was not until her participation in Keith’s

mime workshop that she discovered the true power and

depth of feeling possible in the art form. The Chameleons

began working as a team in 1985 and have since toured to

the delight of audiences throughout North America and

Europe. Their performance style is characterized by strong

emotions and natural characters involved in real-life dramas.

They are masters of the traditional mime illusions and

acclaimed for their original mime repertoire. Artistic

collaborators as well as husband and wife, The Chameleons’

performances demonstrate that silence, indeed, is golden.

MUSICMUSICTHEATRE

TRANSFORMATIONTHE POWER OF NATURE

FREEDOM &OPPRESSION

ENDURING VALUES

THE HUMANFAMILY

ARTISTIC PROCESSES

1. CREATING (Cr)

2. PERFORMING, PRESENTING, PRODUCING (Pr)

3. RESPONDING (Re)

4. CONNECTING (Cn)

rtsource ®

The Music Center’s Study Guide to the Performing Arts

A TRADITIONAL

CLASSICAL

CONTEMPORARY

EXPERIMENTAL

MULTI-MEDIA

Photo coutesy of The Chameleons

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Sample Experiences:LEVEL I• Eye Improvisations: practice focus and concentration

skills by asking the class to imagine they are watching

the following things using only their eyes to convey

each idea: a tennis match, an airplane flying high, a bus

that is late and then finally arrives, a spider crawling

near their toes, etc.

• Mirrors: in pairs, practice moving in a mirror image

of your partner. Alternate turns leading and following.

• Walk This Way: guide the class to walk to a variety

of words - backward, forward, on toes, on heels,

through slush, on hot sand, on a sticky floor, as if they

are injured, afraid, happy, etc.

• Imaginary Objects: Create an imaginary object, such

as a ball and explore its shape, feel its weight, show its

size and pantomime tossing it in the air and catching

it. Change the texture and temperature of the ball, as

well. Using these techniques, pass the “ball” from per-

son to person.

LEVEL II• Tug of War: divide the class into six-person teams

and play this game with an imaginary rope.

• Pantomime Activities: have students shine their

shoes, go fishing, write a letter, bake a cake, set the

table, deal cards, get dressed, go roller skating, rake

leaves, sew a button on a shirt, etc.

• Instant Replays: create scenes in slow motion using

concentration and muscle control.

• Clay Motion: Have students move as if they were

made of clay. When words are called out, they will

shape themselves into forms that depict each word.

Possible words include sticky, sports, cat, etc.

LEVEL III• The Silent Language: use mime to say “I’m sorry,”

“I forgot,” “Is something burning?,” “My foot’s asleep,”

“I’m scared,” “Surprise!,” etc.

• Playwriting and Pantomime: create a mime scenario

about a day in the life of a specific character and write

a synopsis of the action to use as a pantomime script.

* Indicates sample lessons

Discussion Questions: After the video has been viewed:

• Did you need words to understand the meanings

of the vignettes (sketches) which comprise Life Cycle?

• What scenes do you remember most vividly? Why?

• What scene was the funniest? Happiest? Saddest?

• How did The Chameleons make physical

adjustments in their movements, postures, walks,

gestures and facial expressions to project the various

ages of their characters?

• What objects were pantomimed within the story?

• In which scenarios was a rose used? What did it

reveal about the characters’ relationship?

• How did the music make you feel as you watched

the mime?

• What happens at the end of the story?

• Did you ‘see’ yourself in any of the characters and

identify with their experiences?

• Why is the artwork entitled Life Cycle?

Multidisciplinary Options:• Create pantomimes which explore ethical issues.

Values such as honesty, fairness and moral responsi-

bility can be examined in conflict situations

involving peer pressure, cheating, gang violence,

drugs, etc. Improvise each scene to the turning point

in the action and then freeze it in a tableau (frozen

picture). Note the characters’ body language and

positions at the climax of the conflict. Resume the

pantomime, resolving it in an ethical manner.

Freeze the scene’s conclusion in a final tableau.

Audio-Visual Materials:• Artsource® video excerpt: Life Cycle, courtesy of

The Chameleons.

• Photos: courtesy of The Chameleons.

Additional References:• Kipnis, Claude. The Mime Book. Harper & Row,

Publishers, New York, NY: 1990.

• The American Mime Theatre, 61 Fourth Avenue,

New York, NY 10003.

• Berger and Diskin’s Show and Tell Mime (30

minute video). www.chameleonsmime.com.

LEVEL I Sample Lesson

INTRODUCTION:

Mime requires concentration, control of movement and physical and emotional reaction to events. A fundamental mime skill to develop is the ability to create imaginary objects and work with them so thattheir essence can be successfully conveyed to an audience. This skill is called pantomime.

OBJECTIVES: (Student Outcomes)

Students will be able to:

• Create a variety of imaginary balls and explore their sizes, weights and textures in a ball tossing exercise.(Creating)

• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer toAssessment at the end of this lesson. (Responding & Connecting)

MATERIALS:

• A volleyball.

PROGRESSION:

• Have the class form a circle and then toss a volleyball around until everyone has had a turn catching andthrowing it.

• Put the volleyball away and then ask the class to visualize an imaginary volleyball suspended in the airbefore them.

•Use the following directions to give each student practice in miming an imaginary ball.• Put your hands on the ball before you.• Explore the shape of the ball. How large is it?• Feel the weight of the ball. Make it light.• Make the ball heavy -- so heavy you can barely lift it above your head.• Put that ball down. Pick up another ball you can hold in one hand.• Toss the ball into the air.• Follow the ascent and descent of the ball with your eyes and head.• Emphasize the catch so that we can ‘see’ the weight of the ball by the way it affects your hand.• Toss the ball to another person.• Roll the ball to another person.• Bounce the ball to another person.• Change the texture of the ball. Toss balls that are alternately wet, sticky, hot, fragile, etc.• Gather all of the balls and put them away until the next session.

TRANSFORMATION

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BALL TOSSINGTHEATRE

Keith Berger & Sharon DiskinPhoto courtesy of the Chameleons

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EXTENSIONS:

• Experiment with different kinds of balls: billiard balls, balloons, beachballs, marbles, footballs, super-bouncy balls, giant balls, etc.

• Practice miming other simple objects such as a glass, a mug, a plate, silverware, paper and a pen, a book,a pair of scissors, a toothbrush and toothpaste, etc. Work first with the real object, then with the imaginary one.

VOCABULARY: mime, concentration, control of movement, physical reaction to events (as these termsrelate to mime), pantomime

ASSESSMENT: (Responding & Connecting)

DESCRIBE: Describe the way it felt to throw a real ball, then describe the way it felt to throw an imaginary ball.

DISCUSS: Discuss the specific things you needed to think about when you mimed the ball throwing.(weight, size, distance, focus, etc.)

ANALYZE: Analyze the things you would need to do to show the differences between the miming of a baseball, beachball, small super-bouncy balls, and a ping-pong ball. What would you need to do withyour body?

CONNECT: Think of other activities that you could portray in mime and scenarios where they could occur.

Emphasis on: Common Core - CA State Standards for Language - Reading; Writing; Listening;Speaking

LEVEL II Sample Lesson

INTRODUCTION:

Many television sports broadcasts use “instant replays” so that the viewer can observe action and plays inslow motion showing every detail of the physical movement. In mime, no special equipment is neededto create instant replays. Mimes make their own replays by controlling their bodies so that there are nostops in the action and no sudden or sharp movements. This slow motion movement is a constant slowrhythm that never changes or varies.

OBJECTIVES: (Student Outcomes)

Students will be able to:

• Move, run and perform simple activities in slow motion. (Creating & Performing)

• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiencesbased on this lesson. Refer to Assessment at the end of this lesson.(Responding & Connecting)

MATERIALS: None

PROGRESSION:

• Talk about the use of instant replays on television. Is everyone familiar with the technique? Does move-ment put into slow motion look awkward or graceful? Does watching something in slow motion allowthe viewer to discover things they would not normally see?

•Ask the class to find a place on the floor with plenty of room to move. Then, using their whole bodies,have them find ways of moving in slow motion. Don’t worry about doing anything specific, just concentrate on making slow movements that are uniform and constant.

• Now practice a simple movement in slow motion. Try sitting down, standing up, and then stretching.

• Try walking in slow motion. Progress from walking first in a regular tempo, then in a very fast tempo,and finally in a slow motion tempo.

• Next, practice running in slow motion. Pay careful attention to the way you move from one leg to theother. Shift your weight gradually to keep the effect of sustained slow motion.

TRANSFORMATION

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INSTANT REPLAYSTHEATRE

Sharon Diskin and Keith BergerPhoto courtesy of the Chameleons

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• Select a simple activity to perform in slow motion. Simple props may be used or pantomimed. SUGGESTIONS:

• Sweep the floor. • Take a photo.• Comb your hair. • Play the flute. • Wash your face. • Pick a bouquet.• Hammer nails. • Make your bed.• Get dressed. • Blow up a balloon. • Fry an egg. • Brush your teeth. • Fly a kite. • Blow some bubbles. • Catch a ‘fly’ ball. • ‘Shoot’ a basket.

• One by one, have each student perform their action in ‘real’ time and then replay it in slow motion.

EXTENSIONS:

• Express an emotion in slow motion, communicating it through body language. Suggested emotions:anger, happiness, sadness, shyness, surprise, etc.

• Create slow motion scenes with another person, timing your slow motion movement to keep pace withyour partner’s.

VOCABULARY: instant replay, slow motion, pantomime

ASSESSMENT: (Responding & Connecting)

DESCRIBE: Describe what you did to move in slow motion.

DISCUSS: Discuss the specific differences between moving in normal speed (tempo) and in slow motion.

ANALYZE: Discuss the differences in what you observe when the action is in slow motion, rather thanat normal speed (tempo).

CONNECT: Discuss the possibilities of moving in accelerated time (ultra fast tempo) and how this wouldalter the impressions, mood and meaning of an activity or scene.

Emphasis on: Common Core - CA State Standards for Language - Reading; Writing; Listening;Speaking

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LEVEL III Sample Lesson

INTRODUCTION:

Combine the arts of playwriting and pantomime to create scenarios which follow the daily activities ofspecific characters entitled, “A Day in the Life.” Direct students to write a detailed progression of theactions and emotions to give them a structure with which to rehearse, revise and evaluate their work.

OBJECTIVES: (Student Outcomes)

Students will be able to:

• Create a mime scenario about a day in the life of a selected character and write a synopsis of the actionto use as a pantomime script for an original mime piece. (Creating & Performing)

• Describe, discuss, analyze and connect information and experiences based on this lesson. Refer toAssessment at the end of this lesson. (Responding & Connecting)

MATERIALS: Paper, pencils, pens.

PROGRESSION:

• Watch the videotape of The Chameleons’ Life Cycle. Talk about how each stage or age of the charactersseems to flow from one to the next. Observe how the individual scenes combine to form a whole story.

• Make a list of the emotions projected in Life Cycle. How do the artists use facial expression and gestureto convey the many moods and feelings? Do the characters seem natural and real?

• Tell your students that they are going to create a mime scenario not of a character’s entire life, but of oneday of his/her life. Have them choose an occupation on which to base a character from the list below orfrom an idea of their own. Remind them that in the art of mime, words are never mouthed nor indicated.

Character suggestions:• computer programmer • athlete • doctor• fireman • librarian • carpenter• automobile mechanic • nurse • plumber• teacher • secretary • artist• jeweler • tailor • musician• farmer • photographer • florist• hairdresser • model • waiter• actor • maid • cook• lawyer • magician • mailman• gardener

THE HUMAN FAMILYPLAYWRITING AND PANTOMIME

THEATRE

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• Next have them develop a pantomime revealing the activities of their chosen characters from themoment they wake up in the morning until they go to bed that night. How do choices they make abouttheir characters’ personalities determine the way they do things, everything from the way they wake up,to what they wear, eat, etc.?

• Then have them write out the scenarios they have improvised with descriptions of the situations andfeelings their characters experience. From a playwriting perspective, a pantomime plot must be simpleand easy to follow. Start by outlining the actions in the beginning, middle, climax and conclusion. Next,flesh out the outline by choosing an emotional progression to convey the effects you wish. Rememberthat the elements of humor and surprise can add texture to a story.

• Lastly, write a synopsis of the pantomime to use as a script with which to rehearse.

• Share the scenes with the class.

EXTENSIONS:

• Pair characters from the various scenes and have them interact in pantomime improvisations.

• Perform pantomimes based on personality types, such as: grouch, dreamer, slob, perfectionist, wall-flower, ‘brain,’ etc.

• Create a day in your own life as a mime scenario.

VOCABULARY: playwriting, pantomime, mime, scenario, character, plot

ASSESSMENT: (Responding & Connecting)

DESCRIBE: Describe your favorite scene in Berger &Diskin’s Life Cycle with as much detail as possible.

DISCUSS: Discuss the character you selected to portraythrough mime and the specific activities you chose forthat character to perform.

ANALYZE: Analyze the strengths and weaknesses ofyour mime scene and how you used humor or surprise.Discuss ways to refine these parts so they will have evenmore impact.

CONNECT: Discuss how a pantomime is differentfrom a play and how both draw upon real life situations and characters.

Emphasis on: Common Core - CA State Standards for Language - Reading; Writing; Listening; Speaking

Sharon Diskin and Keith BergerPhoto: Robert Castle