San Francisco Mime Troupe renews protest productions in the park
SAN FRANCISCO -- For decades, a San Francisco theatre company has made it their mission to not only entertain, but agitate.
The San Francisco Mime Troupe is not the kind of miming you may envision. They're anything but silent and have a history that dates back to San Francisco's earliest activist leanings.
Their first post-pandemic, in-the-park offering is a commentary that asks the question if life really was better before COVID. Actress Keiko Shimosato Carreiro is not only a part of this production, but many others in the past, where she acted, sang, danced, and even designed the costumes meant to provoke.
In the Troupe's Mission District studio, Carreiro showed KPIX 5 the treasure trove of protest costumes and described how the costumes punctuate the protest.
"This is Jesse Helms, a show called 'Rats,' said Carreiro. "We made the costume out of garbage because that's how I felt about him at the time. It's a conversation going on to this day."
For the troupe's performance at Mission Dolores Park, actor Andre Amarotico said, "This is our MO at the troupe. We are here to fire people up and agitate them. What better way than storytelling in our community."
Part of the Mime Troupe's success is its diverse casting. Carreiro said when she got into theatre, roles were rare and the Mime Troupe gave her a place where she could play many kinds of roles.
"There wasn't diversity casting back then," she said. "Here, I was accepted for being a short, small, Asian woman with stories to tell."
