Ancient Greek Theatre: Mimesis

Mimesis [μίμησις] means "imitation" or "representation".

Aristotle, Poetics, section 1447a Footnote 2
Life "presents" to the artist the phenomena of sense, which the artist "re-presents" in his own medium, giving coherence, designing a pattern. That this is true not only of drama and fiction but also of instrumental music ("most flute-playing and harp-playing") was more obvious to a Greek than to us, since Greek instrumental music was more definitely imitative. The technical display of the virtuoso Plato describes as "a beastly noise." Since μίμησις in this sense and μιμητής and the verb μιμεῖσθαι have a wider scope than any one English word, it is necessary to use more than one word in translation, e.g. μιμητής is what we call an "artist"; and for μίμησις where "representation" would be clumsy we may use the word "art"; the adjective must be "imitative," since "representative" has other meanings.

Theatrical production, the planning, rehearsal, and presentation of a work. Such a work is presented in front a live audience at a particular time and place by live performers, who use either themselves or inanimate figures, such as puppets, as the medium of presentation. A theatrical production can be either dramatic or nondramatic, depending upon the way an activity is presented.

Whilst most dramatic productions conform to a written text, it is not the use of any such text but rather the fictional mimetic (from Greek mimēsis, “imitation,” “representation”) nature of an actor's skill that makes a work dramatic. For example, a person walking a tightrope is performing an acrobatic act, whereas a person who pretends to be an acrobat walking along a tightrope is performing a dramatic act. Such acting demonstrates the real and full mimetic skill of an actor. Both performers are engaged in a theatrical presentation, but only the latter is involved in the creation of a dramatic illusion. It is only through dramatic performance which can include dancing, singing, juggling, acrobatics, or any other nondramatic elements, that the audience learns that theatre is primarily concerned with the representation of an actual or imagined life.

In nondramatic theatrical productions there is no imitation of “another existence” but simply the entertainment or excitation of the audience by the actor. Whether acrobatic or musical, gestural or vocal, such activity is theatrical because it is presented by a live actor in front of a live audience, but it remains nondramatic so long as it has only a purely presentational quality rather than a representational one.

Mimesis, the concept of imitation in art and performance, is more than mere pretence. Whilst pretence plays an important role, mimesis involves various other dimensions:

Representation: Beyond surface-level imitation, mimesis seeks to capture the essence of a subject, conveying its spirit, meaning, or emotional impact.

Interpretation: Artists actively interpret and filter observations through their perspective, enabling creative expression and commentary on the world.

Transformation: Mimesis goes further, allowing for the creation of new worlds or realities inspired by observation. This is seen in surrealist art that distorts or juxtaposes elements.

Pretence is an important facet of mimesis, evident in:

Fiction: Characters and events in fictional narratives exist as pretence, enabling engagement with the story and exploration of various possibilities.

Drama and Performance: Actors on stage or screen engage in pretence, embodying characters' emotions and actions, making theatre and film powerful mediums for human exploration.

Irony and Satire: Some art forms use pretence for ironic or satirical purposes, manipulating reality to highlight its absurdities or contradictions.