Mark Manning
Coordinator for the KCK Organic Teaching Gardens
- Location
- Kansas City, Missouri Area
- Industry
- Farming
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Mark Manning's Overview
- Current
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- Volunteer, Host, Engineer, Producer, Active Member, Former Board Secretary (for 5 Years) at The Mid Coast Radio Project Inc. 90.1 FM KKFI Kansas City Community Radio
- Coordinator at KCK Community Gardens Project
- Co-Founder, Producer, Actor, Writer, Director at Big Bang Buffet
- Freelance Theatre Artist: Designer, Stage Manager at Kansas City Theatre
- Actor / Performance Artist / Writer at Kansas City Theatre
- Past
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- Capacity Builder, Reading Mentor, Trainer, Event Organizer at YouthFriends KCK / Rolling Readers USA / VISTA
- Project Director, Performing Arts Educator, Mentor at The Storytellers Inc.
- Box Office Manager / Office Manager at The Midland Theatre
- Copy Specialist at Kinko's
- Server, Producer, Food Preparation, Catering at Cafe Lulu (Sole Proprietorship)
- Box Office Agent at Central Ticket Office
- Singing Telegram Artist at Mabel "H" Singing Telegrams
- Server, Bartender, Cook, Dishwasher, Busboy, Catering at Chances "R" Restaurant
- Education
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- Doane College
- Connections
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375 connections
- Websites
Mark Manning's Summary
Community Organizer, Director, Teacher, Gardener, Performance Artist, Actor, Writer, Radio Producer & Host, Stage Manager, Engineer, Activist, Mentor, Designer, Board Member, Secretary, Environmentalist, Progressive, GLBT Organizer and Speaker. Mark Manning has worked in Kansas City Performing Arts for over 25 years. His work in professional theatre has led him to collaborations in radio, television, film, mural projects, not-for-profit service organizations, AIDS education and activism, first amendment and free speech issues, inner-city schools, children and education, mentoring, organic gardening, nutrition, and various social programs. Mark's collaborations have opened new career paths, permitting his passions to push himself into new territories, harvesting the fruit of life's experience. Mark has unique capabilities working inside groups of people with diverse backgrounds and points of view, to achieve objectives to serve a greater good. Mark has the ability to stay with projects through difficult times to insure they deliver to those in need. Mark's work as a stage manager, project coordinator and producer on hundreds of programs, give him special abilities to get the job done. Mark brings creativity, energy, and humor to each project. Mark has collaborated with many not-for-profit organizations including: Many professional theatres, KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, Kansas City Community Gardens, The Lesbian & Gay Community Center, KCK Public Schools, Passages, PROMO, ACLU, KC Free Speech Coalition, Willow Productions, UMKC, The Storytellers Inc., Crosscurrents Culture, and many others.
Specialties
Mark builds sustainable programs from small resources. He developed garden curriculum for schools. He helped create bylaws & policy manuals for several not-for-profits. He supervised building organic gardens at public schools with teams of 700 students. He created budgets, productions, fundraisers, programs. He is skilled in publicity, marketing, promotion, grant writing, education, program building, supervision, management of staff, computer systems, community outreach, writing, production.
Mark Manning's Experience
Coordinator
KCK Community Gardens Project
September 1999 – Present (12 years 6 months)
The KCK Organic Teaching Gardens, an Initiative of The University of Kansas School of Medicine, Office of Cultural Enhancement and Diversity, Health Careers Pathways Program, K-12. Mark works with 1000 - 2000 students per year, between K through 8th grades, with organic, "raised bed" gardens, built directly on the school grounds of 3 Middle Schools and 4 Elementary Schools in the inner city of the Kansas City, Kansas. Mark conducts over 300 workshops annually in classrooms at these schools. Workshops include: planting, harvesting, cooking homegrown produce, parts of the seed, parts of the plant, worms & worm bins, salsa, and other subjects. Mark started the project under the guidance of Marcia Pomeroy, in 1999. The KCK Ortganic Teaching Gardens has been financially supported through grants from The Kauffman Foundation, and The University of Kansas Medical Center and has been recognized by The National Gardening Association, The Kansas City Star, The Green Bliss Festival, KACEE and the PBS television program America's Harvest.
Co-Founder, Producer, Actor, Writer, Director
Big Bang Buffet
May 1990 – Present (21 years 10 months)
Founded in 1990 to provide venue to original works in Performance Art, and Spoken Word. BBB fostered an underground scene. Founders met at The Spoken Word at Cafe Lulu (until it closed in Oct. '91) and Club Cabaret (Now demolished). BBB has presented 75 productions at: The American Heartland, All Souls, Unicorn, Midland, Harlings Upstairs, Quality Hill Playhouse, Hobbs Building, Just Off Broadway, The Farm, KC Fringe Festival and Lou Jane Temple's living room. Shows were benefits for: Free Speech Coalition, Human Rights Project, Missouri Naral, ACT-UP KC, Free Health Clinic, SAVE. Contributors: Ron Megee started Late Night Theater, Beth Marshall is Producing/Artistic Director of Orlando Fringe Festival, Lisa Cordes is Executive Director of Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Janice Woolery runs in marathons, Mark Manning plants gardens. BBB won a Silver Reel Award from The National Federation of Community Broadcasters for "The AIDS Radio Show."
Freelance Theatre Artist: Designer, Stage Manager
Kansas City Theatre
June 1986 – Present (25 years 9 months)
Experience: THE UNICORN: S.M. for "Doin' The Reality Rag," A.S.M.- "Catspaw," "The Dining Room," "Kiss of The Spider Woman," "Glengary Glen Ross," "Aunt Dan & Lemon," "Veteran's Day," "The Rocky Horror Show." Designer-"Hunting Cockroaches," "On The Verge." PAUL MESNER PUPPETS: Puppeteer-"The Little Match Girl," S.M.-"Jack & The Beanstalk," "Wiley & The Hairyman," "St. George & The Dragon," "Sidewalk Poems," "Sleeping Beauty," "Mobile Mesner," "Rapunzel." THEATRE LEAGUE: A.S.M./Tech-"Angry Housewives," Puppeteer-Broadway Marionettes national tour "A Christmas Carol." KC REP: P.A. - "A Christmas Carol." THE COTERIE: P.A. - "Dennis The Musical." QUALITY HILL PLAYHOUSE: S.M. - "Blue Betty Blue," P.A. / tech - "Jeffery," S.M. - "Voodoo Annie." Coordinator - "She Bang," "Slightly Effeminate Men" and Lighting Designer - "She Bang." ACTOR'S CRAFT STUDIO: S.M. - "Incidents," "Land." IOWA EASTER SEALS: S.M. - "Doin' The Reality Rag." KC PRIDE Fest: S.M. - Barney Allis.
Actor / Performance Artist / Writer
Kansas City Theatre
June 1986 – Present (25 years 9 months)
As an Actor, Mark has appeared at:
The Unicorn: "Talk Radio," "Veteran's Day," and "Heartland."
Gorilla Theatre: "Antigone," and "The Bald Soprano."
Actors Against AIDS: "The Normal Heart."
Quality Hill Playhouse: "Valley of The Dolls," and "Slightly Effeminate Men."
The Coterie: "An Imperfect Holiday."
One Time Productions: "Arts or Crafts"
The Fishtank: "Discernment" and "Prop 8 On Trial"
As a Performance Artist and Writer Mark has created several original pieces and plays including: "Jesse's Dream Our Nightmare," "Every Gay People," "Gay Bash," "It's A Man's World," "Anti-Gone in Kansas," "Slightly Effeminate Men," (w/ Ron Megee & Jon "Piggy" Cupit) "Straight Marriage," "70's Cocktail Party" and "The Children of Karen Carpenter" (w/ Sandra K. Davies).
With Big Bang Buffet, Mark has appeared in over 75 productions playing roles as diverse as Jesse Helms, Phil Donahue, Tonya Harding, Barbara Bush, George W. Bush and Andy Warhol.
Project Director, Performing Arts Educator, Mentor
The Storytellers Inc.
May 1999 – May 2000 (1 year 1 month)
Mark served as Program Director for Project Discovery at Argentine Middle School, Served as co-director for film “Don’t Miss the Bus” for Prevention Services, The Wyandotte County Truancy Project and KCKS Public Schools, District #500
Copy Specialist
Kinko's
Public Company; 10,001+ employees; FDX; Printing industry
January 1992 – September 1997 (5 years 9 months)
Mark served as job manager and trained employees, received above standard and excellent ratings in all ten reviews by four different managers, specialized in customer service, operation of Kodak and Canon color copiers, operation of multiple Xerox machines including the 5160 and many others, binding, cutting, collating, etc.
Server, Producer, Food Preparation, Catering
Cafe Lulu (Sole Proprietorship)
June 1989 – October 1991 (2 years 5 months)
After working with Lou Jane Temple in her catering business, and collaborating with her at The Unicorn Theatre, Mark became a waiter at her restaurant. Mark worked the first day it opened, his birthday - June 5, 1989, and on the day it closed, Lou Jane's Birthday, in October, 1991.
Mark was "born to serve" working 4 nights a week, serving world food until Midnight. On Monday nights Mark produced and hosted, The Spoken Word. On Sundays Mark worked in the kitchen with Lou Jane and Pat Newman preparing "Nebraska Fried Chicken" and the many dishes for Soul Food Sunday.
While working at Cafe Lulu "Mark found his voice."
Singing Telegram Artist
Mabel "H" Singing Telegrams
September 1987 – April 1989 (1 year 8 months)
Playing The Dancing Birthday Cake, Kissing Bandit, Tarzan, Nerd Stripper, Birthday Flasher, and traveling from Raytown to Lenexa, on I-435, changing costume while driving. This job taught Mark how to navigate all of KC Metro's roadways, and more importantly, how to take control of a room full of motorcycle gang members waiting for the "Birthday Stripper" he introduced in song as an Elf.
Server, Bartender, Cook, Dishwasher, Busboy, Catering
Chances "R" Restaurant
August 1975 – May 1986 (10 years 10 months)
Mark came of age working at Chances "R" restaurant. He starting at age 12, first working as a busboy for two years, then working as a dishwasher for two years, then working as a fry cook for two years. During the summer of 1983, Mark worked as the daytime fry cook, preparing the Chances "R" world famous pan fried chicken, and making all dressings, and other specialties. From August 1985 to May 1986, Mark worked as a bartender, server and caterer.
Mark Manning's Education
Doane College
B.A., Theatre-Drama
1981 – 1985
Activities and Societies: The Doane Players, Doane Speakers Bureau, Peer Advisor, Xanadu Staff,
Mark Manning's Additional Information
- Websites:
- Interests:
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As a young child, Mark learned about gardening from his grandmother Edna Jacobsen on the family's McCool Junction, Nebraska farm. His grandmother raised a huge garden, with chickens, sheep and cattle. She preserved apples, wild berry jams, beets and virtually everything she grew was canned for consumption in winter months. Edna raised seven children with no running water. As a child, she lived in a sod house. Mark's passion for gardening with kids is fueled by the reality that the lessons he learned from his grandmother don't seem to be passed down to kids today. Young people deserve to know where their food comes from, especially with the rise of diabetes, obesity, and environmental concerns. We can all learn from our gardens how to treat ourselves and the world better.
- Groups and Associations:
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90.1 FM KKFI Community Radio, Wednesday MidDay Medley, Mid Coast Radio Project, Big Bang Buffet, KCK Schools, KCK Organic Teaching Gardens
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- Honors and Awards:
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With Big Bang Buffet Mark was the recipient of a Best of KC Theatre Award, a Rainbow Award and The Kip Weiner Award. Mark received a Silver Reel Award from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters for "The AIDS Radio Show" a special broadcast he created with performers Lisa Cordes and Jon "Piggy" Cupit and Greg Hansen of The Tenth Voice.
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