Minnesota Fringe Festival

"Mime is a much-maligned theatrical form. Dean Hatton and Kirsten Stephens (a former star student of Marcel Marceau) clearly know that, but they also know that magic can be created with invisible props and scenery. Leaving painted faces aside in favor of openly expressive ones (as well as elastic limbs), the duo has created five scenes with a keen sense of the overlap between comedy and tragedy. They may pull every mime trick out of the trunk in an opening chase scene, but they also use the form to take audiences to far deeper places."
- Rob Hubbard, PIoneer Press

Former students of Marcel Marceau share reflections of this great artist and visionary of the human spirit through their funniest and most thoughtful work, inspired by the man who gave poetry to silence.






Cast
Kirsten Stephens studied for three years with world renowned Marcel Marceau in Paris, France and graduated from his school in 1997 from his school in 1997, earning a letter of special recognition and recommendation from Marceau himself. Kirsten originally discovered the art of mime when another Marceau student came to her church in Oklahoma. What drew her attention then remains the foundation of her devotion to the art form now - minimalism, physicality, and participation in the entire creative process, from initial concept to performance. Following graduation from l'Ecole International de Mimodrame de Marcel Marceau, she toured France and Europe with the company Mime de Rien, a group she and four of her classmates formed. While in Paris she also taught mime classes for college students at the Cite Universitaire. Upon returning to the US, Kirsten moved to Minneapolis to continue training and performing with MargolisBrown Co. before setting out on her own.


Dean Hatton graduated high school on a Friday and was at the Goldston And Johnson School for Mimes in Gambier, Ohio on Monday. Marcel Marceau came to the school in the early 90's and over the following years Dean attended Marceau's workshops in Ohio and Michigan. He also toured a solo show across the US performing in many school assemblies. In 1998, he moved to Minneapolis to further his studies with Kari Margolis and made his MN Fringe debut in "A Shrewd Taming". He also attended the Dudley Riggs School of Improvisation, which boasts such illustrious alumni as Louis Anderson and Al Franken. But don't worry, Dean has no ambitions to enter politics.

In 2002, Kirsten and Dean decided to split the rent on rehearsal space and soon found themselves in a comedy (and drama) duo. They started building a repertoire of pieces, a selection of which you will see in Silent Poetry 2.

Kirsten Stephens and Dean Hatton

Silent Poetry 2

Fri., Jul. 31 @ 7:00 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 2 @ 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Aug. 5 @ 5:30 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 7 @ 5:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 8 @ 2:30 p.m.

Venue U of M Rarig Center Proscenium
Choreographed by Kirsten and Dean
genres Clowning/mime, Comedy
features Original script/choreography

Overall rating

User reviews

Strong Show
by Joshua Humphrey Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I found "The Chase," "My Fair Corpse" and the segment where the mime continuously escalates his violent miming the most enjoyable pieces. This was a very endearing surprise in the midst of my fringe going, and I would see work by Kirsten Stephens and Dean Hatton again. Very enjoyable, and gave me a deeper, more appreciative opinion of mime and physical work.

Slow Slow Slow
by Rebecca Paine Follow this reviewer
Rating 2 kitties
Loved the opening... the closing was witty... but everything in between was like frantic clawing for our attention, and even at that, I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

A welcomed mime offering
by Florence Brammer Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
It's not that easy to find a mime show in the Twin Cities, and I was happy to see Hatton in the Fringe line-up again this year. I was a little disappointed to find that some of the material from last year was repeated, but it was great to see Stephens join the show.

Something old, something new
by John Munger Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
It’s a mime show. There is a mixture of some inventive ideas and some very standard classic devices. To my eye the inventions included an orchestra conductor whose right hand takes on a life of its own, a duet for the female corpse and the male undertaker, and a dull sermon that segues into the dark side of Star Wars. More conventional material included such thing as making the “wall” with palms of hands, descending and rising from an imaginary staircase behind a waist high barrier, lip-synching to some amusing recorded lyrics, and running in place without getting anywhere. It wasn’t as physically sharp as I had hoped but the pacing moved right along.

silently screaming
by michael freiert Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
A handsome homage to an under appreciated art that is beautifully presented by very skilled practioners. From laughter rich enough to bring tears to brutal sorrow and self reflexive mockery, if you've never enjoyed or understood mime, you need to see this, and if you have, you'd be silly to miss it.

Highly Skilled, Lacking Staging
by Sid Solomon Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
Even if you've spit at mimes (or at least wanted to) in the past, Kirsten Stephens and Dean Hatton of Silent Poetry 2 will win you over with their skill, charm, and grace. Their set consists of 5 pieces, with Hatton's solo piece "Jackass The Mime" standing out as the funniest and most touching. However, the transitions between pieces were impossibly slow, and some vignettes(especially in the first half) were overly long and/or seemingly self-indulgent. This show was at its best in its simplest, sweetest, and most honest moments.

Half of a good thing.
by re gurgitate Follow this reviewer
Rating 3 kitties
The first and last scenes were witty, well crafted classic comedy. The middle of the show was a bit muddled and had me straining to stay awake. A fair show from two very skilled performers.

Brilliant
by Renee Howard Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
If you have never seen a mime show, this is the one to see. Not your typical white faced mimes, but brilliant storytellers in a class of their own. You'll laugh yourself silly, and then find yourself in awe of the magic of silence.

Astounding
by Eric Netterlund Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I was blown away by this show. I was surprised to be moved by a mime, but I was. I would recommend this to anyone, anywhere.

Absolutely delightful
by Marilyn Swanson Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I smiled the whole time. I was in awe of the bodies that have such coordination and control.

Incredible Talent
by Justin Alexander Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
Dean Hatton and Kirsten Stephens have both achieved an amazing mastery of their bodies... and they use it to entertain you!

... okay, that sounded dirty. But, in all seriousness, Silent Poetry 2 is a tour de force of talent and creativity. It was pure entertainment from one end of the hour to the other. I left the theater with a huge smile on my face.

Great show.
by leo borer Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
as Stan Lee says, 'nuff said.

These ratings don't lie!
by feesh ette Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
This show had a preview at Gremlin Theatre, and I was instantly hooked. This is NOT your stereotypical mime show, consisting only of invisible boxes and tug-of-war. These 2 are amazing artists who have more control over their bodies than several of the dancers I have seen in other Fringe shows. The stories these 2 tell (silently) are a great mix of funny, beautiful, and emotional. I did not make it to last year’s Silent Poetry, and man, am I sorry!

Mime is money
by Jim Howitt Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
I saw "Silent Poetry" last year. This year's version is a nice step up from that quality show. The vignettes are snappier, there's more depth of emotion and the addition of Kirsten Stephens allows for a lot of fun interaction between the mimes. "The Chase" skit is getting due props, but "My Faire Corpse" deserves mention as well. A great laugh-out-loud show from two very talented people.

Thoroughly Enjoyable!
by Shelby Company Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
We are so glad we decided to see this show. The miming was evocative, engaging and awe-inspiring.

The vignettes were not only captivating but also made profound statements about life and art.

WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMENDED!

Funny, Classy, Professional
by David Trudeau Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Experts who never stop entertaining and give their all. The chase scene is hard to top. Memorable.

absolutely amazing
by Juliette Michaels Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
this is art. if you can only see one fringe show, see this. literally enjoyable for all ages.

Masterful Mimes
by William Beeman Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Ok, get over your outmoded idea that you are not going to like a mime show. This one is just great. No whitefaced Pierrot figures, just very funny, very talented people acting in silence with imaginative, even touching stories and consummate skill. The audience laughed continually in the funny sections and was touched in the sentimental sections. I hope these performers become a fixture at the Festival. I will certainly return to see them. They are a tribute to their master, Marcel Marceau (and many other talented silent performers from Chaplin and Keaton to Mr. Bean).

this review is stuck in a box
by kelly frank Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
First show I saw of the fringe. I recomend it to everyone who wants to experience and art form that few get to eperience so well. These two studied with the master and it shows.

Well Done!
by je jo Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Very enjoyable. They do really show their chops in the first piece, and it's extremely entertaining! Highly recommend this one.

FUNNY AND PROFOUND
by Bo Lee Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Entertained at multiple level. Laughed a lot, also came out touched im my deeper parts. Body humor sucked me right into the performers' pschy, which I found somewhat twisted. If you are depressed you will make you feel better immediately, but then it makes you think about heavy questions about life. It is therapeutic in a different way... hmmm... was it called catharsis?

Yay!
by Kristi Lawless Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
My first five-kitty of the fringe. Great performances--awesome goodness.

Blessed silence and image
by Darshai Leon Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Talented Mimes that show the refined skills that are from a master. They are a talented duo that are artists in their field.

Beautiful physical storytelling
by Fringivitis Vulgaris Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
NO olive loaf required: these mimes are artists! From classic physical comedy (The Chase) to an amazing tumult of the soul (Sunday Morning) and the busking mime's desperate measures, this is a wonderful show.

magic!
by Sigal Shoham Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
Loved watching these two create spaces and things and meaning with just their bodies. I'm awed by how skilled they are in molding my imagination.

Mimes Are Cool
by Kassie Church Follow this reviewer
Rating 4 kitties
I didn't know what to expect going into it, but this was really fun. Lots of cool mime things happen, but not the same mime in the box type stuff. There were very moving and dramatic scenes, as well as fun and fast ones. A good time.

TWO Mimes ... for the Price of ONE!
by Robert Jersak Follow this reviewer
Rating 5 kitties
If you're already familiar with Dean Hatton and Kristen Stephens, then go and enjoy some of their classics. If you haven't attended a show, I recommend it for the sheer joys of life it offers. Dean's artistic sensibilities -- well, imagine if Monty Python, the Muppets and Harold Lloyd were tossed into a blender. And Kirsten has te uncanny knack to be gaudy and delicate. These are rare talents, and the madcap, lunatic (and sometimes serious) skits they perform in this show continue to be something special to behold. Don't ever let the word "mime" scare you off. Go.

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