CHAPTER V

The Mask with Pantomime, Music, and Dance

The wearing of masks made it difficult for the Greek actors to speak their lines. Naturally they came to rely upon gestures quite as much as upon words to carry their meaning to the audience. This interpretation by gesture led to the development of the art of pantomime.

The great pantomimists had wit and humor. They knew how to take a story and improve it in the telling. Their hands expressed more than their words, and their gestures were a language that all understood. Masks made it possible for each actor to assume different rôles, and his mimicking was in keeping with the character of the mask he wore.

It was no unusual thing in the Greek towns and cities to see a jolly company of these mimes and musicians in grotesque costumes, their faces masked or smeared with soot, riding in chariots through the streets so that they might advertise their plays. These plays were little dramas and comedies in which pantomime and music played an important part.

Pantomime was popular with the Romans and for this reason despised by the early Christians. It survived, nevertheless, through a few obscure actors and mountebanks. Gradually these mimics and their fellows banded themselves together. They appeared at festivals whenever they were summoned, only to disappear afterward into the deep obscurity of a stroller’s life.

The mimics, or jongleurs (as they were called in France in the early Middle Ages), kept alive the tradition of dramatic entertainment. Among the famous mimics was Taillefer, who rode into the battle of Hastings tossing his sword into the air and catching it again, while he sang songs of Roland and Charlemagne. In France and in England the pantomimist was welcome in castle, in convent, and on village green.

From the Vth Century on, the Church gave much thought to forms of dramatic public worship, and sought thereby to interest and instruct the people. Living pictures, accompanied by songs, were used to illustrate the gospel narrative. On great festival days, such as Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter, the priests performed in pantomime the incidents appropriate to the occasion. Out of these very simple rites grew the mysteries, miracles, and the elaborate morality plays in which pantomime played a very important part.

In addition to such sacred plays, there were no end of secular plays. These were given all over Europe by townsfolk and peasants, in the streets, at the fairs, and in the great halls of the castles. Among the most popular of the English folk plays were the St. George plays. These were acted at Christmas time by bands of masked townsmen and peasants who called themselves mummers. Several versions of these old St. George plays, which can still be adapted and used in a Christmas mask, have come down to us. Among the characters are St. George, the Doctor, Little Jack, Father Christmas, the old dragon, and the Morris men.

In Italy during the XVIth and XVIIth centuries there was a popular form of character comedy that was known as the _Commedia dell’ arte_. This was performed by bands of professional actors who strolled about the country giving their improvised plays to any chance audience. As time went on and their popularity grew, the more clever of these bands established themselves in theaters in the towns and cities, where they gave a great variety of performances. The principal characters of their plays were Harlequin, Scaramouch, Columbine, Pantalone, and Punchinello. These characters all wore masks and were adepts in the art of pantomime. These Italian musicians and actors of the _Commedia dell’ arte_ traveled to Spain, France, and finally to England, where their boisterous humor was warmly welcomed by high and low. Here is an account of one part of the festivities that were given in Kenilworth, in the year 1576:

“Noow within allso ... waz thear showed before her Highness by an Italian, such feats of agilitie, in goinges, turninges, tumblinges, castinges, hops, jumps, leaps, skips, springs, gambauds, soomersaults, caprittiez and flights; forward, backward, sydewize, a downward, upward, and with sundry windings, gyrings and circumflexions; allso lightly and with such easiness, as by me in feaw words it is not expressible by pen or speech ... I bleast me by my faith to behold him, and began to doout whither a waz a man or a spirite.... Az for thiz fellow I cannot tell what to make of him, save that I may geese his back be metalld like a lamprey, that haz no bones but a line like a lute-string.”

Pantomime was popular in England during the Reformation and morality plays were given in dumb show.

French actors were greatly influenced by these clever traveling Italian artists. They set up similar plays at their great fairs and finally established a theater in Paris, in which music and pantomime were developed to the highest perfection.

Until recent years nearly all that we have known of the great tradition of pantomime came to us through the circus clowns. Among these were a few artists such as Grimaldi, who never allowed their art to become low and trivial.

Now, all this is quite changed, since the coming of the movie. The moving picture depends entirely upon pantomime for interpreting character and expressing emotion. The greatest of the movie actors are great pantomimists. When we study the movements and gestures and the facial expressions of such actors as Emil Jannings and Charlie Chaplin, we begin to understand what pantomime really is. Chaliapin is another great actor who understands the art of pantomime and uses it in opera.

Let us see how pantomime, music, and dance were used in the Christmas mask described at the end of chapter II “Occasions for Wearing the Mask.” Masks for this play had been made for the following characters: a dignified king, a mournful queen, a gentle lady-in-waiting, an austere learned bishop, a faithful son, a clever jester, a rollicking band of mummers. Each pupil had made his own mask after very thorough study of the character that he had chosen. Knowing his character well enabled each student to interpret that character when he put on his mask, and for the time of the play, each student sought to become that character, king, queen, bishop, or mummer. The problem for each actor was that of bringing his movements and gestures into harmony with his mask. The king’s movements should be no less dignified and stately than his mask suggested. The unhappy queen must express the sadness of her mask by her drooping head and shoulders and by her impassive hands. Her mask was so modeled that when lifted, it suggested a smile. This expression was required when she lifted her head in joy at her son’s return.

The lady-in-waiting used pantomime to interpret her gentleness and modesty and the music which accompanied her XIIIth Century song. This song, sung off stage by one of the chorus, was singularly appropriate to the pensive quality of her mask.

LADY-IN-WAITING’S SONG

Though the winter be a-cold Safe the lamb lies in the fold Roses red are sleeping ’Neath the brown earth deep and warm. Spring at last with winter’s storm Steals now so gently creeping.

Soon the rose will bloom and blow, Soon the birds sing loud and low. Love hath breathed not coldly. Deep in dungeon underground, Love the knight hath fastly bound. To these he strideth boldly.

Thou bereft and all alone By our Lady Mary’s Son, Weep ye not so sadly! Of his true love, found again Never knight was half so fain. Look! now He cometh gladly.

The jester used pantomime in his dance. His inspiration for his poses came from the illustrations in old manuscripts and reproductions of old manuscripts. He sketches these, and then, assisted by a teacher who understood folk dancing, he worked out every step and pose to the music of this, his song:

JESTER’S SONG

Here am I, the Count’s good fool. (Ch.) Aye, aye, ah. Laughter is my only rule. (Ch.) Aye, aye, ah. Tears alone do wake my rage. (Ch.) Aye, aye, ah. With a smile I gain my wage. For jollity am I a page.

_Chorus_: O, for joy! O, for joy! Ah, to thee we dance To thee we dance, To thee we dance. With many a wink and glance At Merriment’s fool.

List my bauble’s tinkling noise, (Ch.) Aye, aye, ah. Kingly crowns my golden toys. (Ch.) Aye, aye, ah. Dee, with gallant, blythesome pose, (Ch.) Aye, aye, ah. Leap I high upon my toes To offer my ladie a rose.

_Chorus_:

What can the mask, the age-old form of entertainment, give us to-day? It is so far from mere representation that it allows us to escape from realism and to enter freely into the world of fine and subtle character interpretation. It is a form of entertainment that lends itself to humor, to dignity, and to beauty, and enlists the finest creative effort.

[Illustration: [Clown]]

SHADOWS

[Illustration: [Samurai]]