Séverin Cafferra, known as Séverin or mime Séverin (1863-1930), was one of the best-known French Pierrots or mime artists around the turn of the twentieth century.
Life
Caffera was born in Ajaccio, Corsica. He studied under the Marseille mime Louis Rouffe (1849-1885), who in turn had studied under Charles Deburau. He worked at Marseilles, then at the Théatre des Funambules in Paris. In his 1929 book, L'Homme Blanc : souvenirs d'un Pierrot, Caffera describes Rouffe as having created a complete language of gesture.
References
- "Mime Severin costumed as Pierrot, 1922". University of Washington Libraries. 1922. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- "Séverin Cafferra, dit Séverin". Larousse. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- Tångeberg-Grischin, Maya (2011). "The Techniques of Gesture Language". The Theatre Academy Helsinki (doctoral thesis). Retrieved 16 May 2014.
Bibliography
- Caffera, Séverin (named simply Séverin as author). L'Homme Blanc : souvenirs d'un Pierrot ("The Man in White: Memories of a Clown"). Introduction and notes by Gustave Fréjaville, Paris, Plon, 1929.