https://www.storymasktheater.com/humannature daily 0.75 2018-10-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1538622973431-NPXW0TMHBZL5TZ300SXS/Marvels+1.PNG 2) Masked Marvels - Masked Marvels Michael Cooper is an eye-popping visual artist and virtuoso mime whose exquisite performances have dazzled audiences for over forty years. This 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.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1538622973431-NPXW0TMHBZL5TZ300SXS/Marvels+1.PNG 2) Masked Marvels - Masked Marvels Michael Cooper is an eye-popping visual artist and virtuoso mime whose exquisite performances have dazzled audiences for over forty years. This 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.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1538362183248-MJDE99NMZCX9MQPP9A1Z/Sneeze.jpg 2) Masked Marvels Taking up to three hundred hours to produce a single paper or wooden mask, Michael has elevated this most ancient of theater 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. 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. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534011061979-ORFI6E1ZFP3F5X6SHQ42/MARV+POSTER.PNG 2) Masked Marvels - The Masked Marvel Poster https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534018005798-P4ZUHU1P6SBROOS8INE0/32495B+FishRGB.jpg 2) Masked Marvels - The Fish-or-man Looking out at our lake one morning I saw a large mouth bass jump out of the water. By the time I filtered him through my childhood dreams and the lessons I had learned about “fishers of men” this is the character I came up with. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534009642690-NOQWIVAI7ATYICKLZ66G/IMG_0036_014_014.jpg 2) Masked Marvels - The Matador Face your fears - but don’t hurt anybody - says the talented but tender hearted bull fighter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534009347931-JA6CCDSHPNTYEPQCK63Y/Full+Bull.jpg 2) Masked Marvels - The Bull Worn with short “arm stilts”, this Picasso-esque bull struts and puffs a little like … Picasso! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534017393009-VMERCM0NHBW159SW6MIQ/Baby+face.jpg 2) Masked Marvels - The Baby I made this mask to celebrate the birth of our first child. It opens every show because innocence is irresistible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534010065496-GZMOCE5B2GBKTVEIUS60/12B.jpg 2) Masked Marvels - The Grandfather This old man appears from beneath my baby mask - a combination inspired by the transformation masks of the Northwest Coastal Tribes of British Columbia, Canada where my parents were born and raised. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534018708678-5ZM6WJGCX85D1LGLYQSD/giant+face+j.jpg 2) Masked Marvels - The Giant Everyone has fantasized about being a giant. They are archetypes, and to see one dance is to find a secret entrance to a fairytale world. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/5b6f271340ec9a4b5a7559d0/5b6f278689858355257c4d4e/1534011270720/ 2) Masked Marvels https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1538249680236-PZUY1L95AGFYTQWT05H4/Newspaper+5+jpeg.jpg 2) Masked Marvels - Me Again There are no hard lines between masks and puppets. I make them both. These fine feathered fellows with their flappable wings were inspired by the swooping barn swallows of my youth. https://www.storymasktheater.com/blog daily 0.75 2018-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534699365859-AH38LVE6I4BW1E9C7TW2/baqby+2_NEW.jpg Michael's Blog https://www.storymasktheater.com/blog/2018/8/19/baby-baby monthly 0.5 2018-10-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534705183239-3DPGOVYZIN9WHTFE6MRM/baqby+2_NEW.jpg Michael's Blog - Baby, Baby https://www.storymasktheater.com/portraiture daily 1.0 2024-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534014822000-GD44NFBB97QKCJDNMW4N/latest.PNG 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls - Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls A childhood fascination with the wild animals of his native western Canada, followed by a teenage love of horses and adventure, eventually led my father to veterinary school, then across the continent to begin his storied career caring for the sick and injured animals of rural Maine. Dad may have been “from away”, but through 60 years of dogged tenacity, and 3 million miles driving his signature red truck to the homesteads and farms dotting the western foothills of his beloved adopted state, he managed to earn, in the hearts of countless practitioners of the country life, the oh-so-rare title of Honorary Mainer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534014822000-GD44NFBB97QKCJDNMW4N/latest.PNG 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls - Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls A childhood fascination with the wild animals of his native western Canada, followed by a teenage love of horses and adventure, eventually led my father to veterinary school, then across the continent to begin his storied career caring for the sick and injured animals of rural Maine. Dad may have been “from away”, but through 60 years of dogged tenacity, and 3 million miles driving his signature red truck to the homesteads and farms dotting the western foothills of his beloved adopted state, he managed to earn, in the hearts of countless practitioners of the country life, the oh-so-rare title of Honorary Mainer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1538358577086-1EDY8E0RYFMTX124J61M/Doc+Cooper+Title.jpg 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls - Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls The very first masks were probably animal masks worn by prehistoric hunters as they danced around the evening’s fire re-enacting the details of their encounters with the mighty beast. It was the wonder of this timeless idea, as well as the beauty and power of the “transformation masks” made by the Northwest Tribes of coastal British Columbia and first exposed to me by my parents, that led me to my own forty year career of maskmaking and performing. And that is why, in the wake of my father’s passing, I consider it a perfect fit and a perfect time to use my stories, my songs and especially my masks to portray this “last of a dying breed” and the animals who filled his world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1538515449180-DHVVL9U0K0A63DJMCZH0/Show+One.jpg 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534008981846-5MN1AL92NRXJURINAPMG/frog+6a+-+Copy.jpg 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534206175098-Y6KSI768UDEJIT053DLV/10+sec+sun2.gif 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls - Temporary Sun Video With it’s blinking eyes and movable mouth this solar soul became so emblematic in my shows that I decided to use him as my logo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534602839148-WR6MQEOYX347JNNAMGI6/IMG_0059_011_011.jpg 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls - The Monkey “You little monkey”, my mother would say when I was young. Little did she know. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534015403499-8XFMS3YOTCWSMIGMWJ5C/32495B+horseRGB.jpg 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls - The Horse My father used to break in wild horses. He also courted my mother on horseback. So to me horses are one of life’s essentials. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534016037705-1STEXC2GFYNABQT7T65M/dog+3.jpg 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls - The Bulldog This jabbering junkyard mutt would rather bark than bite, so listen up, ‘cause he sure does have a lot to say! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534020255481-36JI6CFRLAAPP5FGR0C8/2+hand+chicken.jpg 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls - The Chicken A hinged beak and the way the mask is superimposed over me so that my face still peers through, gives this cluckster his charm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534009800479-K3PHKM6IHAO7JGN9XQ3I/Head+Shot.jpg 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls - Me Oh what do you do with a scalp so smooth? Slip on a mask and start to move. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/5b6de25821c67cb04607066b/661c87256eb86e523b600a0e/1713146812981/ 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534008981846-5MN1AL92NRXJURINAPMG/frog+6a+-+Copy.jpg 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls - The Bullfrog I carved this swamp dweller out of a pine tree harvested from my father’s land - a watery paradise he shared with vast numbers of nature’s creatures, and then passed on to his children. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/5b6de25821c67cb04607066b/661c8a7c1d105624f23e627c/1713146812983/ 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/5b6de25821c67cb04607066b/661b3d98d5402f1bbb432a3a/1713146812981/ 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/5b6de25821c67cb04607066b/661c8b4df3b6a75ffd78d870/1713146783604/ 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1533928110776-HD3DRA14QDGKJD4HGG1C/MARV+POSTER.PNG 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls - The Masked Marvel Poster https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/5b6de25821c67cb04607066b/661c8bca0a067b5cda69ffa6/1713146854704/ 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1533928736340-WK3VEO7X01RQAV1R5HG4/latest.PNG 1) Doc Cooper - A Son Recalls https://www.storymasktheater.com/where-hes-been daily 0.75 2024-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1538429619499-KNXCU7YSWJ4UDWTXO3UI/earth+2.jpg Where He's Been https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1538427650646-E39FS8P6CN7AL84JFIRB/Norcross.png Where He's Been https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1538429097846-1A14QU5ZJFHNU1MNL61L/earth.jpg Where He's Been https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534215582770-058L8P3YMVOMOUXLAM7X/Yellow+Birch+1.jpg Where He's Been - Where He's Been A list of Michael Cooper’s stage appearances https://www.storymasktheater.com/new-page daily 0.75 2024-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534455311052-Y4SGAR0UQB1CI4Z7SE4A/002_5.JPG What People Are Saying https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534202668662-06N76FOVWDXU64JEGPDP/mc+full+body.jpg What People Are Saying - What People Say Reviews of Michael Cooper’s performances https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534204448142-HCUX33Z4PF4CW0G631DF/IMG_0048_020_020.jpg What People Are Saying https://www.storymasktheater.com/new-page-1 daily 0.75 2018-10-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534707350024-AZDDYF4OU0T6VI9RV2Z7/Framed+Lake+%284%29.jpg Publicity Links View from my home on Norcross Pond https://www.storymasktheater.com/contact daily 0.75 2024-04-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b6de02e9f877061cfe6bfbc/1534957709515-7PRZ97BBDJ6JYELJ9GWZ/Wind+2_NEW.jpg Booking