A Brief History
The first show in 1855 was, "King Henry the Fourth" followed by the comedy "Seven Clerks". There is an interesting reference in the program for the "Seven Keys to Baldpate" that indicates that the "Mimes" (formerly St John's Dramatic Society then the Fordham University Dramatic Association) actually predates the university: "The custom of producing plays at definite intervals on the college stage extends back to the days of St. Mary's College, Kentucky, Fordham's lineal predecessor in the college world. The first play to be produced was an original drama by Father Chazelle, the first Jesuit president of St Mary's entitled "Red Hawk." The years after the WWII get a bit murky (a program from 5/27/1946 that indicates "The Fordham Mimes and Mummers have the pleasure of welcoming you to their first production in four years in Collins Auditorium"). It is believed that it was about this time that an actual "theatre department" existed at Rose Hill. Presumably, its establishment coincided (after the interruption caused by the war) with renovations to Collins that were basically completed in 1941 (that's when the balcony was removed and the side stages were added). It's at this time that there are documents that refer to the "Fordham University Theatre, Department of Communication Arts". Sometimes their shows are done in association with the Mimes and Mummers, other times not. Sometimes the Mimes perform shows in association with the Thalians which was a theatre group within the Department of Education. Rev. Alfred J. Barrett (for whom the Barrett Award conferred at Enceania is named) was the chairman of the Department of Communication arts in the 1950's. A certain famous thespian can be spotted by those who have a "Hawkeye" in far right of this picture from the 1956 One Act Play Festival. The program from the same play festival came be found here.
It was with the completion of Lincoln Center and the elimination of the last paid theatre position (that of theatre director held by Gerald Patt) at Rose Hill in 1972 that the Mimes took on the character of the organization as it exists today.
There are conflicting dates as to when the Mimes started using the name Mimes and Mummers (1919 or 1921). I believe I resolved the date as 1921. A 1920 program ("Seven Keys to Baldpate") still used the name "The Fordham University Dramatic Association"; however, the 1921 program "The Mistakes of a Night" used the name "The Mimes and Mummers". -Tim Kelley FCRH '81
Thanks to the “Mimes Alums” website: http://www.mimesalums.org/index.htm