On Saturday night, up-and-coming funnyman Marcus Banks performed at the University of Maine, in the Class of 1944’s Minsky Recital Hall. The free event was sponsored by non-profit organization Strong Mind-Strong Body (SMSB), and featured Banks as the main act, with an opening performance by magician Vladimir Zinczenko.
After an introduction by the president of SMSB, the entertainment began with Zinczenko. who stole the audience members imaginations with his elaborate tricks and tongue-in-cheek humor.
The magician told whimsical stories to accompany his tricks, which ranged from eye-popping card maneuvers to accurately predicting a phone number a student had randomly chosen from a large phone book. His performance was highly interactive and had the audience engaged from start to finish.
After the audience members had their minds and funny bones stimulated, it was time for Banks to come to the stage. The New York-native comedian began his show by asking the audience about their partying habits, offering his own humorous take on subjects like alcohol, marijuana and dating. He jumped from subject to subject, frequently engaging the audience directly in his jokes. The audience interaction continued throughout his set, with Banks picking on couples, asking audience members to tweet him, and heckling a few unlucky people.
Banks often ridiculed members of the audience even as he ridiculed himself, all with a nod and a wink. However, during one bit where he described being homeless, one member of the audience suggested that he should have applied for Section 8 — a type of low-income housing, and things got a bit hairy. “You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” he told the patron, frustrated.
Afterward, things lightened up a bit. He made several references to the long trip to Maine, asked about the school’s athletics, and put a young couple on the spot, all in the pursuit of laughs. Judging by the crowd reaction, it seemed to work.
Toward the end of the show, Marcus gave a shout out to SMSB for putting on the event, and thanked the school itself and everyone there for making him feel welcome.
Marcus is a 23-year-old comedian from New York city. He is a relative newcomer to the comedy scene, having performed for the last three years. This is his first time in Maine.
On his website, he lists comic legends Eddie Murphy and the late Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor as his big influences.
But Banks does more than comedy. He is also an actor, with an upcoming role in an indie film, and he regularly hosts radio shows and events.
It wasn’t an easy start to his career. After college, he says, things were difficult. “I hit rock bottom, and I was a homeless college dropout with nothing to look forward to,” Marcus said in an interview with web magazine/blog #iWRITE. Banks said it was his old college roommate who convinced him to try out comedy. With his friend’s encouragement, Banks tried his hand at a few open mic nights, and eventually got to performing more and more. Now signed to label Muscle Management Group, he is in demand at venues and college campuses across the country. His DVD, titled “Refund Check,” is to be released in October of this year, and will be available for free on his website.
Zinczenko, also known as the Russian Mentalist, is a mysterious performer. Now 52, he has been a magician since he was 8 years old, and to this day he holds a grip on audience attention with his seemingly psychic abilities. He says his goal is to make every show an experience, both mystical and spiritual. “In my shows there is always a huge element of surprise at the end,” he said. Interested audiences will have to find out what the surprise is for themselves. Zinczenko also volunteers every year at SMSB’s free youth summer camps, where he delights in entertaining and teaching the children. “There is always an important real-life message in my work for these kids, and to see their response to what I do is just incredible,” said the magician, who leads a piece on spirituality at the camps and also works on leadership development at the University of Maine.
SMSB is a part of the national organization Strong Mind-Strong Body, Inc., which operates in Maine; Washington, D.C.; and Ghana, West Africa. The organization was started by UMaine graduate student and former Black Bear football player Roosevelt Boone as a way to give under-privileged youth access to health and fitness programs in their community. Boone co-founded the group with his mother, Alice Boone.
As an undergraduate, Boone was struck with the idea for SMSB while working as a councilor at one of the University’s youth summer camps, where he realized that many kids don’t get to experience summer camp. Boone has also traveled to Ghana, a country in Africa, twice to educate children about the benefits of physical education and education in general.
Boone and the rest of SMSB spent three months trying to book Marcus Banks after seeing his performances on YouTube. Boone knew Banks’ former manager, and reached out to him to see if they could get Banks to perform at the university.
“He’s an up-and-coming guy, around the same age as the students here at UMaine, including many of our international students,” Boone said. “We believe in supporting young people’s creativity. Plus, it’s not often that a magician and a comedian come to campus.” Boone is also friends with the Zinczenko, and knew him through his involvement with SMSB.
Currently, the UMaine branch of SMSB, led by President Khari Al-Mateen, will be offering summer camp in July for underprivileged youth in the greater Orono and Old Town area.
Campers aged 10-17 who come from low-income households are able to attend the camps for free. The camps offered focus on sports, wellness, nutrition, health and hygiene, and are funded by grants and private donations. Interested families should visit their website at www.strongmind-strongbodyinc.org for information and applications. The Maine summer program will operate during July 7 -18.