Steffani Jemison with Garrett Gray: On Similitude

Theater

What can be conveyed through physical gestures and expressions but not in language? How can the exaggerated frown of a painted face or the dramatic twist of a torso be understood, if not through words? Steffani Jemison reflects on these questions in a performance that engages with the rich and various history of mime and the role of mimicry in addressing audiences and intimates. 

In a companion performance to her video Sensus Plenior, on view in the 2019 Whitney Biennial, Jemison draws on the work of Étienne Decroux, who popularized mime in the mid-twentieth century and pitted physical movement against language. Jemison connects this history to mime ministry, which combines physical theater with gospel recordings and has become a fixture in churches with African-American congregations over the past two decades. Ultimately, Jemison asks: How we can use our bodies to amplify and extend the reach of speech?

This event has reached capacity. A limited number of standby tickets may be available at the admissions desk on a first-come, first-served basis. The standby line will open one hour prior to the program’s start time.