French mime Bizot to charm Jakartans

Ary Hermawan ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 06/06/2008 1:15 AM  |  Headlines

French mime artist Phillipe Bizot is set to delight theater-goers and holiday-makers in the capital in the weekend, performing at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (GKJ) playhouse on Friday and Menteng park on Saturday.

Bizot, widely regarded as one of the most talented mimes of his generation, will perform his piece "Les Petites *tapes du Bonheur" (The Small Sprinkles of Happiness) on the silent happiness of everyday life.

The performance is aimed at all ages and the audience will be allowed to question the mime if there is one "small happiness" left unexplored during the show.

"It is a light performance and there will be no great distance between the performer and the audience," said Astri Retno Onengan, an official of the French Cultural Center that arranged the two performances as part of Printemps Fran*ais 2008.

She said Saturday's performance would be held free of charge at the basketball court in Menteng park.

Bizot is a teacher, artist and director. He has set up mime institutes in a number of countries, including the United States, Bolivia, Lebanon and Pakistan.

He began his career at the age of eight in Bordeaux, and has been performing more than 30 years in the United States, Latin America, Africa and Asia.

He was awarded first prize at the Paris festival of pantomime in October 1974. In 2003, he won first prize at the World Theater Festival in Puerto Montt, Chile.

Bizot tries to communicate through imagination and nonverbal means, with many of his movements inspired by the Japanese traditional dance, kabuki.

He also uses his talent to help those marginalized by or economically deprived in society, with past performances including shows especially for the blind, deaf and mute.

Bizot has said he was taught how to speak by the mute and deaf and to listen by the blind. What he learned will be on display in the form of gestures, movements and expressions. Do watch carefully.

Les Petites Etapes du Bonheur Le Mime Bizot

* Friday, June 6, 2008, at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, Jl. Gedung Kesenian No.1, Central Jakarta.

At 4 p.m. especially for disabled students and at 8 p.m. for the general public. Tickets are Rp 40,000-Rp 50,000.

* Saturday, June 7, 2008, at Menteng park in Central Jakarta, open for the public free of charge.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.