Mime in American Theatre

Mime has never played an important role in the mainstream of American theatre, and virtually all the successful mime presentations on Broadway or in other major theatrical centers have emanated from Europe. Notable examples have been Max Reinhardt's German spectacle, Sumurun (1912); the visits, beginning in the 1950s, of Marcel Marceau; and the 1,326‐performance run of a Swiss mime troupe Mummenschanz, between 1977 and 1980. Mime in these instances should not be confused with English‐style pantomime, which flourished in America only during the lifetime of G. L. Fox. America's only notable mime to make an impact on the theatre is Bill Irwin whose delightful unspoken theatre pieces, such as The Regard of Flight (1982), Largely New York (1989), and Fool Moon (1993), push the parameters of mime a bit but have endeared many to the old art form.