Mummenschanz – Musicians of Silence

The theater group Mummenschanz is all about transformation; the actors transform normal objects and materials into costums and masks. Furthermore, they attempt to transform the stage into a magical place where anything can happen in front of their audience. The three founders of Mummenschanz have different backgrounds, but they have always had one common goal: developing a non-verbal theatre language, transcending the traditional boundaries of nationality and culture.

Social Interest

A mixture of comedy dance and puppetry, Mummenschanz has revolutionized the art of pantomime. Starting in 1972, Andres Bossard, Bernie Schurch and Floriana Frassetto quickly gain a reputation with their distinct act. Mummenschanz is performing on Broadway in the Bijou Theatre for a stunning 3 years. When Bossard dies in 1983, Schurch and Frassetto continue Mummenschanz, stating that Bossard is still present in their creativity. Now, 40 years after their initial start, theater group Mummenschanz is still performing.

Scenes

The definition of Mummenschanz
Bernie Schurch and Floriana Frassetto, co-founders of Mummenschanz give a definition of the artistic work of theater troupe Mummenschanz
Mummenschanz: soft masks
Mummenschanz is famous for the acts with it’s soft masks, developed by co-founder Bernie Schurch. This clip contains a fragment of this act.
The history of Mummenschanz
This clip shows the history of the theatre troupe Mummenschanz. They tour in Europe and perform in the US where Mummenschanz plays on Broadway for 3 years.
Death of co-founder Andres Bossard
After the death of Andres Bossard in 1992, the other two co-founders of Mummenschanz continued performing with the theatre troupe. Here, Bernie Schurch and Floriana Frassetto talk about this period.
Looking for Mummenschanz materials
Here, we see Mummenschanz co-founders Schurch and Frassetto at work. They are looking for new materials in order to create and develop acts for their next show. They also stress the importance of the materials for their work.
Mummenschanz: the joy of playing
According to co-founder Bernie Schurch, Mummenschanz is all about the joy of playing and about inspiring the audience to play too.
New York: a source of inspiration
The city New York has been a big influence on the theatre troupe Mummenschanz. In this clip, two co-founders talk about their artistic relationship with the city.
Street theatre in New York city
This clip contains images of street theatre performed by theatre troupe Mummenschanz in New York city.