Students at Knapp and Pine Elementary Schools in Michigan City were given the “silent treatment” recently… and they loved it!
Professional Mime Reed Steele visited both schools in March, presenting an engaging assembly that taught children about the art of mime – and several famous Hoosiers.
Steele started out by teaching the children what a mime does, showing them he could make an audience really “believe” he held an elephant on one finger. Next, he introduced them to a number of famous Hoosiers, including Red Skelton, who was born in Vincennes. Like Steele, Skelton was a mime, a clown, an actor, a comedian, and an artist. Later, he became a national radio and television celebrity. Steele performed a mime often performed by Red Skelton, to the delight of the children.
Reed spoke of Indiana being famous for basketball and asked for a volunteer from the audience. Ja’Reon Gee was chosen and played some “mime” basketball. Steele also told a story about composer/singer/actor/bandleader Hoagy Carmichael, born in Bloomington. (Carmichael is best known for composing the music for "Stardust", "Georgia on My Mind", "The Nearness of You", and "Heart and Soul", four of the most-recorded American songs of all time.) Several student volunteers were transformed into either a musician or jazz instrument.
During the presentation, Steele named all of the astronauts who were born in Indiana, and took students on the first astronaut’s journey to the moon. Using a chair, he made the children believe he was floating in air in the space capsule. He seemed to become weightless, landing and stepping onto the moon as Neil Armstrong’s words played in the background.
Reed Steele ended his program with a song that affirmed for children that each of them are unique, and that they could all become famous one day, too.
“I learned that a mime has an active imagination,” said a delighted Kourtney Pratt, who is a Knapp second grader.
Fourth grader Jenna Bilek added, “I learned that mimes are picture books that move!”
"My students used to think a mime was somebody dressed in black and white who was stuck in a box,” said Connie Myres, Knapp third grade teacher. “Now they know that a mime does much more."
Steele’s appearance was coordinated by Pine Fine Arts Coach Julie Schmidt, and was made possible at both Pine and Knapp by a donation from the Dune’s Women’s Club. The Club has had a longstanding relationship with Pine, supporting a number of fine arts and cultural activities for students.
Back in class, students talked about Indiana celebrities -- race car drivers, musicians, authors, astronauts, athletes, writers, and actors. Kaitlyn Pollock, a Knapp fifth grader, may have summed it up best: “Indiana is famous, even though some people might think it’s boring.”