This Sunday at 9 p.m., Tufts' most innovative on-campus performance group is set to showcase an entire semester's worth of hard work and dedication in their Spring Show, but without any words, props or costumes. HYPE!, Tufts' mime troupe, is a diverse band of students that have mastered a generally misunderstood art and brought it here to our campus, adding, of course, a healthy dose of Jumbo flair.
The mimes' show to end this semester is well worth the wait. "Our Spring Show is the best of the best. We really go for quality over quantity; all of our effort is put into one big show," mime and senior Eric Misbach said. Incorporating an array of music, popular or lesser known, this group of 10 students creates absolutely mind-blowing skits that have an unbelievable emotional reach.
The 10 skits to be performed this Sunday come from a long, hard, but ultimately amusing process. "There are generally 30-40 skits proposed and we pick 10 of them," Misbach said. Fellow senior and mime Molly O'Neill added, "We pick one day and sit, argue and eat pizza for hours and hours. It's a very long day."
Due to the diverse talents, interests and sense of humor of the members, this process yields a large variety of skits that make up the final show. "We have dramatic ones, horrific ones, funny ones, and we always have at least one that makes the audience cry. They are that powerful," Misbach said.
Watching the troupe perform is an incredibly engaging experience. The effects that their skits, combined with the music, yield are more touching and emotional than most other more "traditional" performances.
"Since there are no props, no lines and no costumes, the audience has to be more involved; they join you on stage," O'Neill said.
"Our skits can be interpreted in different ways, they aren't extremely specific, so the audience becomes more emotionally invested. People project their own specific scenarios," said freshman James Folta, one of the new additions to the troupe.
The "light bulb" moments are also gratifying. Half the fun is figuring out what the skit is about and once you do, you find yourself laughing out loud or close to tears. "I would like it better if we could be called a performance or storytelling troupe rather than mimes. Our style of performance is very different from what people think of 'mimes.' It's not just gimmicks; we tell full stories," Misbach said.
Using well-known music in the background of the skits produces interesting reactions. "People come in and 'know the song,' and while the music is very important, it is more about the different interpretations," freshman Serena Chang said.
"At first there is just the one show, but afterwards I talk to people that saw it and there are suddenly 200 different shows," junior Renato Montenegro said.
This is what sets HYPE! apart from other on-campus performance groups. Every dance, play or concert means different things to different people, but with mimed skits, one person might interpret the nuances completely differently than the person next to them, thereby finding a completely different plot or base of the skit.
Creating such an intricate, moving performance certainly isn't easy, but the experience that the members draw from their participation in HYPE! is profound. "Coming in as a 'newbie' I found out quickly that everything is a collaboration. Everyone contributes something different to every skit. Even if you aren't a main part, you are just as involved," Folta said.
Being able to create and deliver such powerful and engaging skits requires a lot of talent, and with talent often come strong personalities.
"Outside of performance we are the loudest group on campus," Folta said. Relying only on their bodies in their performances, Tufts' mimes are full of energy.
O'Neill laughed as she added, "We are just a group of people that love playing around. I come home with so many bruises."
Overall it is very apparent that the mimes really just love working together. "There is no president, secretary or minister of propaganda, it's really very democratic," Folta said.
With every new semester there are new mimes to change and contribute to the overall vibe of the group, producing new experiences for the members and vastly different performances for the audience.
"The group is so dynamic, every semester changes. Each person gives a different character to the group and it also changes our collective sense of humor," mime and sophomore Jeff Beers said.
Tickets to see HYPE! are free. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary and want to see quality on stage, come to Cohen auditorium at 9 p.m. and witness something not only original, but truly moving.
