Non verbal communication
A mascot performer must communicate with their audience non verbally, meaning “without speaking.” With practice you can build up a large non verbal vocabulary that will allow you to convey actions and emotions without saying a word.
Mascot Emotions
When showing emotion as a mascot, think of it in acting terms, on a level on 1 through 10, 1 being the lowest. As a mascot it is easy to feel that you have to be “at a 10” the entire time. If you do this you will soon find yourself out of energy and the audience may lose interest. It’s best to do your emotions/acting in waves, that is to say low, medium, high, medium low, etc. Throw some variety in there. Go from a 10 to a 1, or the other way around.
Some common emotions:
- Happy
- Sad
- Shy
- Scared
- Angry
- Impatient
- Sexy
- Tired
- Bored
- Shocked/surprised
- Depressed/defeated
- Scheming / mischievous
- Lazy
- Embarrassed
- Cheerful
- Arrogant
- In love
and many more. Let the moment affect you. If a little kid is scared of you and starts crying, that can make you sad. You slump your shoulders, hand your head, and wipe away a tear. Or the crying kid could scare you. You act afraid, tremble, and run and hide behind someone/something and occasionally peek out to see if that scary crying kid is still there.
How to be a mascot 