The newest student mainstage show, Golden, opens tomorrow, Saturday April 4 at 6pm and plays every Saturdayin April. We talked with Golden director Marc Majcher about his inspirations for this silent, expressive improv show.
1) Metropolis – I wanted to emphasize that silent work is great for more than comedy, and Metropolis is one of my favorite silent movies all around. The movement of the different kinds of groups together, the expression of its themes (work sucks, man), and the over-theatrical closeups are super cool. (Also up for contender in the #1 slot: Fritz Lang’s M, Nosferatu, Cabinet of Dr. Caligari)
2) W.C. Fields – Although he wasn’t primarily a silent actor, his bits of physical comedy rival any of the usual trio of Keaton, Lloyd, and Chaplin. He’s great at committing to a stupid, stupid bit for way too long – the pool scene is amazing.
3) Marcel Marceau – You hear his name, and you think of the stereotypical mime, but his facial expressions and detailed body isolations are spectacular. He also did some crazy work with one of my favorite directors, Alejandro Jodorowsky, who created this piece, the Mask Maker for him.
4) Jaques Tati – His use of movement and rhythm in movies like Playtime informed a lot of the stuff we worked on.
5) Rowan Atkinson’s Mister Bean – Yes, the same one we do the Maestro game about. Like Fields, but more modern, with his insertion of trouble and obstacles to make the most mundane scene amazing, frustrating, and beautiful.