"When I first saw Marcel Marceau perform and then met him personally, I was deeply touched by his humanity. His “art of silence” speaks across all languages, all ethnicities, more eloquently than words. He has profound understanding of human nature and the human condition, surprising and delighting us while implanting powerful insight into who we are and how we relate to each other and the world around us. He’s a storyteller in the most fundamental way that appeals to everyone."

Kathryn Leigh Scott:

A Tribute that Honors the Legacies of Marcel Marceau & Ben Martin

The National Arts Club celebrates the centenary of the birth of the world’s most famous mime, Marcel Marceau, with an exhibition of photographs taken by Time/Life photographer Ben Martin. The exhibit, which is open to the public and free, will take place from March 9th to April 28 in conjunction with the publication of a new edition of Marcel Marceau: Master of Mime, a photojournalist’s view of the legendary artist as performer and friend. Begun as a Life magazine pictorial in the mid-1970s, their artistic collaboration produced an intense, intimate portrait of the mime whose stage creation, a white-faced clown in bell-bottom pants, sailor’s pullover and crumpled flower opera hat, continued a century old tradition. In more than 350 photographs, 80 in exquisite color, Martin captures Marceau behind the scenes, rehearsing, applying makeup, and performing. In a series of performance photos, he shows the artist conveying his miraculous emotional range as Bip, his onstage alter ego. Cumberland Press will publish the revised edition of this intimate photographic portrait with a personal foreword by Anne Sicco, the mime’s widow, and an afterword by Robert Pledge, a close friend and associate of both Marceau and Martin.                      (Photo: Kathryn Leigh Scott)

Kathryn Leigh Scott, Ben Martin’s wife of many years and publishing partner until his death, dreamed of reissuing the book "Marcel Marceau: Master of Mime" (1st Edition, 1978). Kathryn Leigh Scott is an author and actress who has written the novels September Girl, Jinxed, Down and Out in Beverly Heels and Dark Passages. Nonfiction includes the Lobby Card books on film art, Last Dance at the Savoy, The Bunny Years and a trilogy of books on caregiving: Now With You, Now Without, The Happy Hours and A Welcome Respite. She played Maggie Evans/Josette DuPres in the original Dark Shadows, and appears in feature films The Eleventh Green, Three Christs and A Rainy Day in New York. Kathryn resides in New York and Los Angeles.

Interview by Michael Limnios     Special Thanks: Kathryn Leigh Scott & Billy James

What do you love most about the act of writing? Where does your creative drive come from?

Writing is a wonderful way to discover oneself. It’s a marvelous surprise to write something and then wonder how I knew it, or where those thoughts have come from. I write both nonfiction and fiction, and both require research—often the most satisfying, fascinating aspect to writing. Writing is also as necessary to me as eating and sleeping; I don’t feel right if I haven’t spent some part of my day writing. That’s been the case since I was a child, so writing feels entirely natural to me and my most comfortable way of expressing myself.

What moment changed your life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

When I was 16 years old, I interviewed the poet Carl Sandburg for our school newspaper, and the piece went on to win a Minnesota State competition. That in turn led to a scholarship for summer study at Northwestern University, and a personal realization that I was good at something I loved doing.

What touched you from Marcel Marceau and why do you think that his art continues to generate such a devoted following?

When I first saw Marcel Marceau perform and then met him personally, I was deeply touched by his humanity. His “art of silence” speaks across all languages, all ethnicities, more eloquently than words. He has profound understanding of human nature and the human condition, surprising and delighting us while implanting powerful insight into who we are and how we relate to each other and the world around us. He’s a storyteller in the most fundamental way that appeals to everyone.

"Marcel offered to write an Introduction to a new edition, but passed away before we could make it happen. The dream was reawakened in early 2018 when I got in touch with Anne Sicco, Marcel’s widow. The two of us began discussing the possibility of an exhibit of the photographs and a new edition of the book to commemorate the centenary of Marceau’s birth For us, it’s a tribute that honors the legacies of both men and their artistic collaboration." (Marcel Marceau & Ben Martin / Photo by Ben Martin)

What is the impact of Ben Martin's photo-art on the socio-cultural implications? How has the 1960s influenced his views of the world?

Ben Martin chronicled the life and times of the 1960s, covering news events and news makers by “being there” in that pre-digital age. His photographic archive is a treasure trove of “the way things were” and his life’s work will inform generations to come.

How did the idea of publication of a new edition of "Marcel Marceau: Master of Mime" come about?

Marcel offered to write an Introduction to a new edition, but passed away before we could make it happen. The dream was reawakened in early 2018 when I got in touch with Anne Sicco, Marcel’s widow. The two of us began discussing the possibility of an exhibit of the photographs and a new edition of the book to commemorate the centenary of Marceau’s birth, March 22, 2023. For us, it’s a tribute that honors the legacies of both men and their artistic collaboration.

Are there any specific memories by Marcel Marceau and Ben Martin that you would like to tell us about?!

I first met Marcel Marceau after one of his performances at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 1977. Ben and I invited him to our home for supper that evening with mutual friends, and he was so enchanted by our 1790s London cottage that he staged an impromptu mime in front of the fireplace. How I wish Ben had photographed him that evening! Marceau was playful with a wonderful sense of humor.

What is it to be a female artist in a Man’s World as James Brown says? What is the status of women in art?

I’m an actor and writer grateful to be earning a living doing work I love. I don’t feel I’ve been hindered by gender in my career, but then I didn’t grow up expecting to be held back in any way. I grew up on a farm where everyone in our family was expected to do anything and everything whatever our age and gender. My parents nurtured us to be confident and self-reliant, and I carried that with me into my adult life. It’s served me well.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in art and life?

It’s fulfilling and terribly gratifying to be able to share one’s creative work and to share in the work of others. It’s how I learn and am inspired to explore new ideas and new ways of experiencing the world around me.

"I first met Marcel Marceau after one of his performances at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 1977. Ben and I invited him to our home for supper that evening with mutual friends, and he was so enchanted by our 1790s London cottage that he staged an impromptu mime in front of the fireplace. How I wish Ben had photographed him that evening! Marceau was playful with a wonderful sense of humor."

(Photo: New edition of book "Marcel Marceau: Master of Mime")

John Coltrane said "My art is the spiritual expression of what I am...". How do you understand the spirit, art, and the meaning of life?

How could I say it any better than that? Acting is collegial and interpretive; writing is solitary and entirely original in its creation. Together, when I engage in both, I feel fulfilled creatively.

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