A Kick in the Head leads to a Big Bang: Mark Manning, producer/actor/activist
A Kick in the Head leads to a Big Bang: Mark Manning- producer/actor/activist
In 1986 a young small town Nebraskan migrated to Kansas City to pursue his theatre craft. Kansas City was considered an oasis for Mark Manning. Manning quickly landed low paying gigs as an actor and stage manager at the independent theatre, The Unicorn Theatre at 3828 Main Street. Like many young artists, he also ventured into the service industry to support himself. Manning found employment on West 39th Street’s “Restaurant Row” at Lou Jane Temple’s eclectic Café Lulu. Unfortunately, Manning would become a victim of a random hate crime after an evening shift at Café Lulu. The traumatic gay bashing later enlightened the artist to create a performance piece about the beating. Manning debuted his first original performance piece at David Ford and Scott Cordes’ "Art Coffee and Roll" program at The Foundry.
The audience’s reception to his original work encouraged Manning to produce more pieces and create a weekly event called “The Spoken Word” at Café Lulu with co-worker/actor Ron Megee (Late Night Theater). The variety show format (10 minutes an artist) fostered an underground scene for Kansas City performers to showcase new original works for over one hundred weeks. After Café Lulu closed in 1991, Manning evolved “The Spoken Word” showcase into “The Big Bang Buffet.” Manning created themes for each of these events that attracted contributions from more of the serious writers and performers of “The Spoken Word.” The Cabaret, a gay bar at 5024 Main, would become an early “home” to The Big Bang Buffet’s performance events. New social and political themed performances were showcased at The Cabaret with titles like: “Birmingham’s Book Burning Barbeque”, “Gingrich Eggs and Ham”, “Every Gay People”, “Nasty Sally Searsucker”, and “The Fired-Up Fruitcake Bake-Off.” Often the shoe-string budget productions were benefits for various organizations like the Coalition Against Censorship, KC Free Health Clinic, The Good Samaritan Project, and ACT-UP. Big Bang Buffet continued to fill the house at the Cabaret and also flourish as an organizer/contributor to the annual Culture Under Fire anti-censorship programs in Kansas City. In the end Big Bang Buffet presented art exhibitions and hosted over 75 performance events at underground venues and established theatres like The American Heartland, Midland, and the Unicorn.
Mark Manning continues to be an activist/organizer in Kansas City. He is the producer for KKFI’s 90.1 FM’s weekly community radio program; Wednesday Mid-Day Medley (10am-12pm). The program highlights Kansas City’s art community and features original local music. Manning also is the coordinator of the KCK Organic Teaching Gardens program at elementary schools in Kansas City, KS.
Text by Pat Alexander. All images/materials courtesy Mark Manning.
October Event 1990
February Event 1991
Best of Big Bang Buffet 1992
100th Show: July 7 1992
CANS January 25, 1993
Hot Popped Art: July 19,1993
Kansas City Star: February 23,1994
9.9.99
The Rubber Heart Show
The Fired-Up Fruitcake Bake-Off
Jesse's Dream, Our Nightmare
An American Family Christmas
