Masked Wonder

The name Mummenschanz sounds like a mystical mantra or incantation, and it’s fitting: The Swiss mime troupe conjures transformations that are simply magical. Now in its 40th year, Mummenschanz is currently dazzling audiences at NYU’s Skirball Center. The four nimble shape-shifters take everyday objects – tape, toilet paper, plastic bags – and give them a new life. A large Slinky lobs a huge balloon into the audience, inviting a game of catch. Two figures with clay faces briskly sculpt and re-sculpt their appearance, in an escalating game of one-upmanship. In all, there are nearly 30 short vignettes that are witty, stunningly acrobatic, and often very funny. Adults may appreciate the parables at play – there are keen observations on themes such as love, vanity, and diplomacy. Children will likely applaud the exciting, inviting antics on stage (and sometimes in the aisles). Watching the show with my family, I was struck by how the spectacle seemed low-tech yet modern, otherworldly and yet down-to-earth. Whatever your age, the wordless, wonder-filled cosmos of Mummenschanz may well leave you speechless.