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High energy M'Bassu catches fire

Two high energy performers, John Conway and Jean Pierre Makosso, captured the children's attention from their first moment on stage.

Two high energy performers, John Conway and Jean Pierre Makosso, captured the children's attention from their first moment on stage. When a clowning Makosso first poked his head through the gym door to open M'Bassu, the Roberts Creek Elementary students started to laugh. M'Bassu means fire, and Makosso told them they would share their fire with the audience. They delivered an energetic performance of clowning, story telling, singing, music and audience interaction. Conway is white and from Ontario; Makosso is black and from the Congo.

"We both have the same style though we're from different cultures," says Conway. "We tell identical stories and we do them in 3D."

The format varies each performance, depending on who participates from the audience. On one occasion, one little boy was on stage with them eight times, Conway says, but June 9 in Roberts Creek they enticed several kids, including one teacher, to be part of the show. When they asked for volunteers, about 150 hands shot up. One of the children was singled out because he knew French; his task was to translate one of Makosso's folk tales. In another story, Makosso spoke in the dialect of his African village, with Conway interpreting, and the two entertainers closed with a wonderful tale about unity, told entirely in gibberish.

Conway is thrilled this show is going on the road entertaining kids through the auspices of Artstarts, a program for young people that provides resources for teachers and artists. Conway has an extensive background in theatre and special education. Makosso is a natural storyteller who also teaches African dance and drums on the Coast.