Theatrical Mime Classes in Los Angeles, CA

Mime Theatre Studio, Los Angeles:
Mime Theatre Studio (MTS) offers theatrical mime workshops, classes, and private coaching in Los Angeles in Southern California. Established in 2001, MTS teaches the art of Theatrical Mime to all types of performers and non-performers who wish to better understand how the body can be used to express character, thought, and emotion on stage or on screen. The study of Theatrical Mime goes much deeper than the stereotypes of mime such as performing illusions and imitating people. It is a highly-developed art form that uses physical techniques and dramatic concepts to help students learn the importance and value of non-verbal expression in their work. It develops their physical abilities and artistic understanding so that they are able to make effective choices and perform them with skill.

Actors, dancers, comedians, improvisers, storytellers, animators, motion capture / performance capture actors, magicians, and anyone who wants to develop the physical aspect of their performance for film, television, stage, and live performance.  Mime Theatre Studio workshop and private coaching students have included celebrity comedians, prime-time series-regular actors, Cirque du Soleil artists, major studio animators, pop star show choreographers, Magic Castle magicians, and many more.

What Skills are Offered?
* Expressing character with the body
* Physical expression of emotion
* Movement stylization techniques
* Improved balance and coordination
* Better stage presence
* Understanding of the parts of the body
* Isolated movement and movement rhythms
* Comic, dramatic, and lyric creation in mime

- Level I Workshop: 2-day intensive workshop introducing the fundamentals of Theatrical Mime. Technique exercises, improvisation, exploration, lecture / demonstration. No experience necessary. 12 hours total instruction.

- Level II Class: Weekly class for those who complete the Level I Workshop. Introduces gradually more complex techniques and teaches students how to apply techniques to their own creations. 2.5 hours per week.

- Private Mime Lessons: Customized to student's goals.

The Mime Theatre Studio curriculum is based on the physical techniques and dramatic philosophies of the 20th-century French masters of mime Marcel Marceau (the most famous mime performer of modern times) and Etienne Decroux (creator of Corporeal Mime).  Skills are also drawn from the work of Polish mime master Stefan Niedzialkowski, the characters of the Commedia dell'Arte, and other sources.

Lorin Eric Salm is a former student of the great mime master Marcel Marceau, and a graduate of Marceau's Paris International School of Mimodrama.  He is a movement coach for major Hollywood film and television productions, a guest instructor for Cirque du Soleil, a character movement instructor for major animation studios (Disney, DreamWorks, Sony Imageworks, Rhythm & Hues), and a working actor in film, TV, stage, and animation reference acting.

Lorin's clients have included star comedians Damon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, actress Radha Mitchell (Surrogates, Silent Hill), actors John Hensley (Nip/Tuck), Todd Stashwick (Heroes, The Riches), and Ravi Kapoor (Crossing Jordan), and soap star Sarah Brown (General Hospital), among others. As an actor, Lorin has performed live in Paris, Israel, New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, and has appeared in feature films, on television, and in domestic and foreign commercials.