"Oh, you're a mime? Do something! Do the box!" joked sophomore Hype! member Deane Madsen as he planted his hands against the walls of an invisible box. "Everyone wants to see the box," he groaned.
Hype! is a mime troupe that offers a captivating alternative to traditional pantomime. "We aren't street mimes," said senior Anastasia Kousakis, who discovered Hype! two years ago through her involvement in other theatre organizations.
"It's a unique movement-based group," Kousakis explained, summarizing the troupe's collective endeavor. A collection of original skits performed to music, the nine-member shows feature an eclectic mix of themes and situations that range from comic to serious. Written, directed, and performed entirely by the troupe, the shows reflect the collaborative effort that forms the foundation of Hype!.
"This is sort of a different animal," said senior Andy Roth. "The high that I get after a Hype! show... it's indescribable!"
Like Madsen, Roth auditioned for Hype! after seeing a performance, and has enjoyed his time ever since. In addition to being fun, he says his involvement with Hype! has also made him a better actor.
"You don't speak, so it's totally in the physicality," Roth said. "It's a different way of looking at your body and a different way of telling a story that you hope will have a similar cathartic or moving effect on an audience."
One of Roth's contributions to Hype!'s coming show, which will be in Cohen tonight, is a sketch called "Classical Man," in which Roth portrays a man who is "out of step with rest of the world." Illustrating how life often follows an internal soundtrack, the purely humorous skit uses movements from Mozart's Requiem to underscore the loud and exaggerated persona of Roth's character.
The inclusion of music is a large part of what sets Hype! apart from traditional pantomime acts. Whether the music or the idea comes first, the melding of the two creates a powerful piece. "Music really helps us in getting the story across," Kousakis said.
For the first time, the group has even commissioned an original electronic score for tonight's "Just Routine," a plot-driven piece based on the concept of repetitive experience.
Despite the inclusion of music, the pantomimes remain the most important aspects of the show. "Does this read?" Chiara DeLuca asked during rehearsal as she slid her hands along an invisible mohawk. The question provoked a lengthy group discussion on whether DeLuca's motion was ambiguous or if it strengthened the raucous character she plays in a skit provisionally entitled "Jesus Machine." The quasi-serious piece features a couple in search of a child and, aided by a futuristic baby-making machine, receive a series of children, each more outrageous than the last.
With few props and, of course, no dialogue, the premise of a Hype! production seems simple - it is not. "It's a very technical medium," Roth said of pantomime. Actors must learn the facial expressions and body movements essential to conveying their messages.
Since none of the members are trained mimes, and techniques are handed down over the years, a great deal of effort is spent learning from one another and building on members' individual strengths. During the hours of rigorous rehearsal that precede upcoming shows, the group works on the clarity of the skits' plots while continuing to perfect their pantomime.
"Because Hype! is so new, we sort of keep inventing it as we go," sound technician Jeremy Goldstein said.
Capping its third year on campus with tonight's spring show, Hype! has evolved from its humble beginnings of three members to become a skilled ensemble that draws a sizeable audience to its performances. Because the group's composition changes so much by semester and year, the dynamics of Hype! also shift, allowing for a unique experience for each performance.
During a final run-through of the performance, Madsen was generally indifferent as he reflected on his newfound role as a mime.
"I don't think it's something that brings shame or glory," he said with a shrug. "For the most part I think people think it's pretty cool. Not everyone's a mime." Pausing a beat, he added with a wry grin, "We've gotten used to just saying, 'I'm a mime, I'm in the f--king box."
