Michael Cooper (Photo: Jamey Penney-Ritter)
Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- On October 29, Michael Cooper will present Masked Marvels & Wondertales at Freedom Hall in Park Forest at 7 p.m., a family show appropriate for all ages!
Michael Cooper is an eye-popping visual artist and virtuoso mime whose exquisite performances have dazzled audiences for almost thirty years. His one-man extravaganza combines his breathtaking handcrafted masks, original stories of courage and wonder, outlandish stilt dancing and a physical repertoire that ranges from the madcap to the sublime. The result is a “moving sculpture.”
Taking up to three hundred hours to produce a single paper or cloth mask, Michael has elevated this most ancient of theater crafts to the level of a fine art. His ability as a wordsmith enables him to reel in the most discerning of crowds with the nuance of a poet, the joy and timing of a first rate comedian and the twists and intrigue of a master storyteller. And whether he’s high kicking on giant legs, animating one of his magical creations or quite literally “leaning on air,” the unending enthusiasm of this masked marvel captivates both young and old.
Michael graduated from Goddard College with a degree in Peace Studies, a unique major that continues to fuel his dedication to creating wholesome, uplifting entertainment that appeals to his audience’s sense of humanity. He then went on to complete six years of theater training with the two greatest mime teachers of the twentieth century, Etienne Decroux of Paris, France and Tony Montanaro of Paris, Maine. Since then he has crisscrossed the world, presenting his art in such varied places as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Hong Kong International Children’s Festival, The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, the Dublin Theater Festival, Great Woods, the Eugene O’Neill Theater, Bass Performance Hall and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
A paper masks workshop will be held at 3 p.m. on the day of the performance led by Michael Cooper. Masks are FUN! Everyone loves to play “dress up”. Why? Becoming another person or animal gives children and adults a freedom seldom found in the regular world. Along with body and voice, masks are one of the oldest and most important tools in theatre. Each participant will make their own paper mask, learning how to conceptualize 3 dimensions, the essence of sculpture.
Tickets are $14 for the performance, $15 for the masks workshop, and can be purchased at Freedom Hall, 410 Lakewood Boulevard, Park Forest, IL . For more information call the Freedom Hall box office at 708/747-0580 or visit the website at www.freedomhall.org.
