MICHAEL COOPER: MASKED MARVELS & WONDERTALES Set for Harris Center, 1/31

Michael Cooper is a Poet of the Stage - an eye-popping visual artist and virtuoso mime whose exquisite performances of humor and poignancy, nimble speech and eloquent gestures have dazzled audiences of all ages for almost thirty years. Michael brings his own special world to Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom. Here dogs wear hats, wild stallions are tamed, giant noses sneeze and fish bait candy to catch children in a pond. Masked Marvels & Wondertales is an unforgettable experience for the entire family.

Combining the mythical and the autobiographical, this one-man extravaganza features 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. In an age of specialization, Michael is a true Renaissance Man ? a jack-of-all-trades, whose credits include over eight thousand shows in theaters, schools and festivals around the world.

Michael Cooper: Masked Marvels & Wondertales will be performed Saturday, January 31, 2015 at 1 & 3 pm. Tickets are priced at $11-$19. Tickets are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

Cooper has multiple heads, an enormous nose and a great sense of humor - all of which are blended together in a wonderful family entertainment performance. A master sculptor, Michael has won universal praise for his unique masks, which he brings to life. Michael's masks and stories grew out of his lakeside life in rural Maine, surrounded by a large extended family and his beloved maple trees. Michael Cooper is truly a "moving sculpture." Taking up to three hundred hours to produce a single paper or cloth mask, Michael has elevated this most ancient of theatre crafts to the level of a fine art.

In addition, 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. His use of captivating stories told in prose, poetry and silent mime, are sometimes funny and sometimes thought provoking. The program is designed to encourage creativity, compassion and a greater sense of self-worth. With laughter and audience participation, a humorous and energetic style, and themes that speak to all ages, Cooper's unending enthusiasm brings a program that captivates young and old alike.

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 theatre 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 to over 8,000 audiences in such varied places as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Hong Kong International Children's Festival, The Comedy Store in Lose Angeles, the Dublin Theatre Festival, Great Woods, the Eugene O'Neill Theater, Bass Performance Hall, and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

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