Michael and Lelands' paths first crossed back in the 1980's when the two first met at a world-renowned school for physical theater called the Celebration Barn in South Paris, Maine. At "The Barn" the two studied mime, improvisation, theater, and comedy under the direction of Tony Montanaro, a famous teacher who inspired a generation of performing artists throughout the United States and beyond. Over the past couple of years, Michael and Lee have been working in the studio improvising and experimenting to develop a new touring show that they recently took to China to open the 2015 Shanghai International Comedy Festival.
Michael Menes is a visual performer who creates a
perfectly blended mix of expert juggling, eccentric
comedy, and evocative variety suitable for all ages.
His performances feature exquisite juggling, mind-
boggling physical illusions, skillful acts of balance, the
fine art of t-shirt manipulation, the amazing Chinese
yo-yo, and the mesmerizing UV pyramids. A juggler
for 30+ years, Michael has performed all over the
world in festivals, theaters, conventions, cruise ships,
galas, TV shows, schools, colleges, and the occasional
casino showroom. He's appeared on CIRQUE du
SOLEIL's Solstrom Series, JUST FOR LAUGHS Comedy
Festival, “Le Grande Cabaret du Mode” (French TV),
Traumspiede Varieté (Germany), The Olympic Arts
Festival, and The Kennedy Center. Michael built and
runs a private arts/workshop retreat facility in rural
Maine called “Eureka.”
Leland Faulkner is a character actor, magician, and a
mime artist. Early in his career he worked with Affiliate
Artists as a corporate arts liaison in communities
throughout the United States. For many years he
partnered, toured, and taught with master mime Tony
Montanaro, and was the artistic director of
Celebration Barn in South Paris, Maine. He has also
created original content and special effects, most
notably, as an artist/consultant to the major motion
picture, The Polar Express. His theatre work has had
him featured at Arts Carnival in Hong Kong, The Ojai
Storytelling Festival in California, the Equitable Center
in New York City, a tour of Japan, a month long, multi-
city tour of China with the Wuqiao Circus Festival in
2011, and Russia at the Ivhesk International Circus
Festival in 2012.