Marceau liked to recite lines from his own reviews: “‘Marceau explains why theater exists, where it comes from, and why it will be with us for a long time.’”
But that’s not what the critic said.
Walter Kerr actually wrote, “Marceau really explains where the theater came from, why it is going to last for a very long time, and why we like it.”
Kerr did not write “Marceau explains why theater exists.” That was Marceau on Marceau.
The empty stage is a universe without laws. Up to the mime to conjure and rearrange, to make the dark space become alive with recognitions and quickenings. To him, absences can be transformed into a wall, a woman, a restaurant, a thief. The mime holds out his arms and motions that the world floats within the armspan of one man.