Experimental Swiss mime troupe Mummenschanz brings its hard-to-describe characters to the University of the South as part of a 40th anniversary tour. The troupe took Broadway by storm in the 1970s, and has performed in Sydney, Beijing, Paris, Rome, Dublin, and many other major cities across the globe.
According to NPR, “Mummenschanz isn't your white-faced, Marcel Marceau mime. The bizarre masks, costumes and choreography cloak the human form to tell stories that convey messages about our lives.”
Bernie Schürch, Andres Bossard and Floriana Frassetto founded the group in 1972 after studying the art of masked performance in Paris.
Since then, they have developed a program combining pantomime techniques, music and dance, all without words.
A New York Times review of the current tour said, “While my inner grump tried to scoff at ‘Mummenschanz,’ my inner kid seldom stopped grinning. Sure, this Swiss mime troupe … has been producing similar shows for 40 years. But its longevity is well earned, and in an age of ceaseless special effects, its low-tech feel is unexpectedly energizing.”
The troupe will perform in Sewanee’s Guerry Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, as part of the University of the South's Performing Arts Series. Tickets are $25/adults, $20/seniors, $10/students.
The next Performing Arts Series event will be a concert by traditional blues musician Rory Block at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20.