Theater Unspeakable’s founder Marc Frost uncovers the true story about world famous mime artist Marcel Marceau. Born in Strasbourg, France, in 1923, Marcel Mangel was the child of Jewish immigrants who shared an affinity for the arts. Young Marcel saw the silent films of Charlie Chaplin and was inspired to create his own impressions of the famous Tramp character. His artistic ambitions were waylaid by the Nazi invasion, and he spent the war years joining in the French resistance. He put his mime skills to use by teaching children to pretend and also utilize silence to escape into neutral Switzerland. After many near-death experiences and dozens of young lives saved, the war ended and he resumed his study of mime with the master teacher Etienne Decroux.

Once he had discovered his style and his famous mime character, Bip, he spent the next five decades traveling the world as a mime performing in silence, as he said, in honor of all those who perished in the war years. Eventually, he became an international phenomenon performing in over 150 countries, trading a personal life for a life-long marriage to the limelight. He influenced everyone from street artists to Michael Jackson and left the world a more humane place.

This project is one of the first to tell the great artist’s life story in one setting — from young Jewish resistance fighter to world star of stage and screen. And in doing so, to try and uncover the man behind the infamous white-faced silence.