Bari Rolfe

Known as the “grandmother of American mime,” Bari Rolfe (1916–2002) was an American dancer, mime artist, and teacher who wrote on the art and history of mime and the use of masks in theatre. She was interested in dance from a young age and performed at the Chicago World’s Fair while still in school. In the 1950s and 60s, she developed a passion for mime and moved to Europe to study at the schools of Etienne Decroux and Jacques Lecoq. After returning to the United States, Rolfe taught mime in Los Angeles before moving to the Bay Area, where she continued to teach and write.

Her books include Behind the Mask, Movement for Period Plays, History and Mystery of Mime, and Mask in Mime and Puppet. She also edited Mimes on Miming: An Anthology of Writings on the Art of Mime.