Leland Faulkner

Leland Faulkner is a man of a thousand faces. Recipient of Kennedy Center accolades for directing Shadowplay, and multiple awards for original films, Leland has also consulted on the popular film The Polar Express.Leland Faulkner builds on his life experiences, to create an array of characters, sketches, a host of original theatrical productions, and short films.

His theatre performances are a favorite of family audiences. around the U.S. and have international appeal too, relying primarily on universal non-verbal elements to create captivating theatre. Presenters have brought his program to the International Arts Carnival in Hong Kong, The International Children's Festival in Calgary, Canada, and an extensive tour of Japan.

Touring Repertoire

World of Wonder
World of Wonder is a program designed for the whole family, theatre that charms audiences of all ages with the actor's imagination, the mime's skill, and the conjuror's craft.  Beginning with the amazing and lost art of shadowgraphs or hand shadows, Leland conjures up an amazing menagerie of silhouettes using only his hands. He is recognized in conjuring circles as an expert on the history of this antique art. Imagine discovering a felt ring that allows Leland to become twenty four comic characters from around the world in a matter of minutes. Discover classical magic from the Far East as a Japanese magician lets folded paper butterflies fill the air with color in a beautiful homage to Old Japan. Larger concerts may include his film, The Sky God's Dance, a shadow play using cut-outs and 16mm film, based on his memories of life in Africa. World of Wonder is a journey around the world that occurs in the most magical of all places, yourself.

Dark Tales
Dark Tales is a family production that will raise your spirits! Spooky, comic, and perfect for the Autumn season. It is a full stage, ensemble production, written, produced, and directed by Leland Faulkner. Leland is also one of the stars, which in its last incarnation included former Big Apple Circus clown Michael Trautman, Prima Ballerina and mime artist Karen Montanaro, the comedienne Amanda Huotari from the Odd Co. and world class juggler/mime Emil Lamprecht. Dark Tales contains amazing magic, wild special effects, superb ensemble mime, jokes, screams, scary skeletons, great ghosts, and goosebumps galore. It is a spooktacular vaudeville spectacle for the whole family. Available seasonally so inquire early.

Genius@Work
Genius@Work is an edgy, laugh out loud comedy favoring the silly over the sedate starring Faulkner's zany mad scientist Professor Gene Poole in the role of a science teacher. Experience the best chemistry ever between an audience and a performer this side of a science lab as Professor Poole presents not only the wacky inventions of his students, but his own insane creations. See amazing optical illusions, incredible scientific phenomenon, and some of the nuttiest sight gags ever perpetrated on stage. This show is a crazy, fun, and experimental experience!

Doc Hokum's Travelling Medicine Show
Doc Hokum is a huckster, hoaxster, and humorous carpet bagging doctor who is part salesman, part monologist, and part patent medicine pitchman. From the moment he arrives, there is action, magic, spectacle, and old time comedy. Whether sharing the amazing properties of El Toro Medicated Concentrate, or relating jokes and stories about old time America, this is a show that proves that laughter is the best medicine.  Doc Hokum's Travelling Medicine Show is adaptable to almost any venue.