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Page 19 Spring 1994
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Michael
Menes Says Good Performance Is As Close As Your Heart
The
tiny town of South Paris, ME., has
attracted many vaudeville artists in recent years. Anchored and to
some extent supported by Tony Montanaro's Celebration Barn Theatre,
the group shuns television and glitz in favor of splendid solitude
for practice, workshops with expert instructors and performance for
small audiences.
About two years ago Michael Menes joined them. Many IJA members know Menes from his frequent appearances at festivals since 1984, and have been impressed with his creative work. He placed third in the 1989 US Nationals, and won the masters division of the 1990 Baltimore Three Ball Open. He's probably proudest, however, of receiving the 1993 IJA Founders Award last summer in Fargo.
Menes
says he performs his unique routines to "lead by example."
He encourages others to enrich the variety arts by searching their own
souls for self-expression in movement and prop manipulation as he has
done, rather than copying the moves and styles of others. "That's
like reading about Tahiti
rather than going there,"
he said. "All the fun is in the trip."
This
winter Menes produced a major show of 16 of his routines at the
Co-Motion Theatre in Lancaster, Pa. He's recently completed an
around-the-world trip to perform in the South Pacific and
Portugal, and is looking forward to attending yet another IJA |
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