M.A. Martin Sochor, Ph.D. (born in Prague 1966)
actor – mime – teacher
Studies:
1991–1994 École Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris de Marcel Marceau
2005–2009 Doctorate at the Music Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts,
Field of Study: Mimic Dramatic Art; Doctoral Thesis: Education for
Acting and Mimical Theatre
Professional profile:
Dramatic actor, mime and educator.
Graduate of a prestigious French mime school. The only direct student of Marcel Marceau and graduate of his international acting school from the Czech Republic. One of only seventy people worldwide who possess a diploma from the school whose artistic director and teacher, Marcel Marceau, was the greatest mime of the 20th century.
In his acting he tries to attain his ideal of “total theatre”, approaching acting as a mime, with an emphasis on “flexible” acting in which mimic expression plays a major role.
In his own theatrical projects for children and adults he develops a distinctive dramatic-mimic style of acting.
He has a trained baritone voice, with which he has performed in musicals, experimental musical performances and in dramatic operatic roles in major opera houses.
As an actor without a permanent engagement, he acts in agency productions of all genres in theatres in Prague and throughout the Czech Republic.
As an educator, he specializes in teaching mimic theatre and is an expert on dramatic physical miming (Le Mime Corporel Dramatique) of Étienne Decroux, rightly called the father of modern mime. He also teaches the technique of classical imaginary pantomime (Style Marceau), which he studied for three years directly with the mime master Marcel Marceau.
For ten years he was a teacher at the Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in the Pantomime Department, where he taught the main professional discipline of Physical Mime and Pantomime.
He has led seminars on mime theatre in France, Switzerland, Algeria, Germany, Japan and Norway.
Selected artistic activities:
2016 Robinson castaway /Jakub Maceček , according to the book Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe, solo for
children
2016 Nefňuka /Jiří Ornest, Jan Rybář, Šimon Ornest, according to the book Jesus Betz Fred Bernard,
Francoise Roca, directed by Jakub Maceček
2015 UBU dneS / Ubu Today – Alfred Jarry / Jean-Marie Piemme:, directed by Axel de Booseré, Plzeň 2015 /
Mons 2015 / Liége
2014 Martin Sochor: On Tour with Pantomime: A Story About David and Goliath, directed by Martin Sochor
2014 Ma Fille Travaille à Paris by Jean Barbier, directed Jan Novák
2014 Frida Kahlo – The Cabaret of Life by Jakub Maceček, directed by Jakub Maceček
2014 Cyrano (character of Ragueneau), a musical based on the novel by Edmond Rostand / book by Lubomír Feldek, music by Ondřej Brzobohatý
2013 Wandering pantomime, this time on David and Goliath / Martin Sochor/solo for children
2012 The Dinner Party by Neil Simon, directed by Max Braun, Pavel Trávníček Theatre
2011 Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose, directed by Hana Gregorová and L’ubomír Fritz, DRB Theatre
2010 Hello, Dolly! by Jerry Herman, Michael Stewart, directed by Ondřej Sokol
2009 Duos sur canapé by Marc Camoletti, directed by René Přibil
2007 The Ring Sisters by Charles Laurence, directed by Hana Gregorová
2006 The Man Who Returned – a performance created by Martin Sochor
2005 Oscar by Claude Magnier, directed by Ivan Vyskočil
2003 Not in the Book by Arthur Watkyn, directed by Pavel Háša
2002 Milovat k smrti / Love to the Death by Táňa Nálepková, directed by Jakub Maceček
2001 Záměna / The Mix-Up by Jiří Just, directed by Ladislav Smoček
Major projects:
Chief organizer of Marcel Marceau’s appearance in Prague in 2003
Festivals:
2012 Mitteleuropäisches Theaterkarussell – Theater Brett, Days of Czech Culture, Bank Austria in Vienna, Czech Centre Vienna
2009 The Man Who Returned – a performance created by Martin Sochor, Czechoslovak Society of Arts and
Sciences, Florida Chapter, and American Czech-Slovak Cultural Club, Miami, Florida
2009 10ème Festival Culturel Européen en Algérie, Algeria
2008 Festival tschechischer Pantomime in Berlin, Germany
2008 9ème Festival Culturel Européen en Algérie, Algeria
2007 Contemporary Czech Visual Arts and Miming, Beit Hagefen, Israel
2006 2nd International Pantomime Festival, Shafa-Amer, Israel
2006 Mimraj – a celebration of 50 years of Czech pantomime, Prague, Czech Republic
2006 World Performing Arts Festival, Lahore, Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Seminars:
2014/2015 Mime theatre seminars – “Letters in Motion”, for “Sfumato ® or Blended Reading ® – otherwise
Reading for All Children” Project
2014/2015 Mime theatre seminars for New Prague Dance Festival
2009 Mime theatre seminar at the Scuola Teatro Dimitri, Verscio, Switzerland
2009 10ème Festival Culturel Européen en Algérie, Algeria
2008 Mime theatre seminar at the Mime Centrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2008 Mime theatre seminar at the ISMAS Acting Academy, Algeria
2005 Mime technique seminar with acting students at the Rouen Conservatory, Rouen, France, as part of the Babel Europe drama festival
2001 and 2003 – directing seminars of European pantomime + performances with students from the Nonverbal Department in the Faculty of Music of the Academy of Performing Arts, Prague, together with the Kasai Dance Company, Toga, Japan
Co-operation with opera:
2010 – Don Quichotte by Jules Massenet, directed by Jiří Nekvasil, Prague State Opera
2002 – The Elephant Man by Joseph Merrick, directed by Daniel Mesguich, Prague State Opera
2002 – The Elephant Man by Joseph Merrick, Opera de Nice, France
2000 – The Soldier and the Dancer by Bohuslav Martinů, Prague State Opera