VietNamNet Bridge - The room was full of immobile statues that suddenly came alive.

Mime group Friends, made up as bronze statues, perform a short play in Buon Ma Thuot Province.

“Are they robots?” an astonished member of the audience shouted. “I thought they were statues. Oh, that’s amazing and strange.”

Within minutes, the young male and female mimes launched into a vigorous narrative, using only their bodies to convey meaning.

The mimes on stage were part of a group begun by Nguyen Thi My Hanh three years ago. Although mime is an age-old art form, its appearance in Viet Nam was a first.

Green Apple

Born in the 1980s, Hanh, a graduate of the HCM City College of Fine Arts, says she decided to pursue the art of mime after seeing a performance of French mimes on television.

In 2005, Hanh’s HCM City-based Tao Xanh (Green Apple) Trading Service Co organised the first mime performances in Viet Nam.

Since she knew nothing about mime, she had to learn the moves and make-up techniques herself.

But as director of Green Apple, she found it difficult to find materials that were allergic-free and fadeproof.

With imported make-up being too expensive, Hanh decided to research the ingredients and create the make-up herself.

Body coverings can resemble plaster, gold or silver, depending on the subject of the mime.

“It takes one to six hours to make up a mime. To be a mime, people must love doing it and be self-confident,” she says, adding that mimes must wear close-fitting tights because of the use of the body for expression.

Apart from the high expense, Hanh says that overcoming conservative attitudes toward displaying the naked body in Asian cultures has not been easy.

“Teamwork and patience are required of mimes,” she says, adding that patience helps performers avoid unwanted interruptions from the audience.

Like many performers, mimes are often willing to suffer for their art. During a performance in Pleiku in the Central Highlands’ province of Gia Lai, Hanh says she put six cookers under the stage to keep the shivering artists warm.

Another mime group, called Nhung Nguoi Ban (Friends), is pursuing the art form but incorporating other aspects.

Friends’ leader Tran Bao Toan says, “We have to find something new to avoid imitation. The idea of a new art form, a combination of mime, playwriting and music, came to my mind.”

Toan, who is a senior studying to become a make-up artist at HCM City’s College of Drama and Film, says the performers act out a play by mime to the accompaniment of music.

Beginning with six members three months ago, the group has grown to 14 performers, most of whom are students at the College of Drama and Film. Some attend other universities, including the University of Law and University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

“When Toan told us of his idea, everyone thought he was crazy,” says group member Tran Thi Hai. “But after thinking carefully, we young people decided to give it a try.”

Though the students lack experience, money and time, they have an abundance of enthusiasm and talent.

The enterprising Toan has created his own make-up and written and directed plays as well.

Despite the many hours needed to rehearse, the members of Friends take time out to study. “We usually practice in the mornings and over the weekend,” Hai says.

Following months or even years of hard work, both mime groups have scored several successes.

After Hanh’s first performance at the second fair of Cho Phien Cuoi Tuan (Market on the Weekend) in September three years ago, mime became a recognised art form in Viet Nam.

“Compliments from the audience and thanks for our performances have been big gifts for us,” she says.

The biggest achievement for Friends, Toan says, is the sympathy and love from audience members.

For the future, Toan says the group wants to put on a complete play using mimes only with a musical background on a large stage.

To participate in the group and for more information about Friends, email Toan at boysock003@yahoo.com.

(Source: VNS)