BWW Interviews: Mason Ames Talks TRACES

TRACES with ensemble cast member, Mason Ames, is part of the 2012/13 Duke Energy Broadway Lights Series presented by Blumenthal Performing Arts, coming to the Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts on May 7-19.

TRACES combines awe-inspiring acrobatics with infectious urban energy. A modern brand of circus infused with the energy of street performance including music, dance, illustration to skateboarding, basketball, and high-risk acrobatics. Blumenthal Performing Arts invited TRACES to perform back in 2008 for six weeks in the McGlohon Theater. Since then, the cast has appeared twice on the hit summer reality series, "America's Got Talent," and was named one of Time Magazine's "The Top 10 Everything 2011". Tickets are now on sale at the Blumenthal Box Office: 704-372-1000.

Mason Ames is a porteur (the bottom of an acrobatic partnership). He has been performing with TRACES for three years. When I caught up with him in Los Angeles, there was definitely a three-hour time difference. Mason was yawning and just getting his morning in gear.

LAW: Where are you?

MA: I'm in Los Angeles. It's a sunny day.

LAW: How did you get involved with acrobatics?

MA: I started juggling with a woman named Susan Lord, when I was 10-years-old. And then I attended a summer camp called Circus Smircus in Vermont. I toured with them until I was 19-years-old.

LAW: Where were you born and raised?

MA: I was born in Rindge, North Hampshire. And after Circus Smircus, I moved to Montreal to train at the National Circus School.

LAW: Were your parents circus performers?

MA: [Laughs] No.

LAW: What was your first professional job?

MA: Midnight Circus in Chicago. It was a hip-hop circus.

LAW: What was your most memorable job?

MA: Whoa... I don't usually think that way. It would have to be Traces.

LAW: Did you audition for Traces or did they already know your work?

MC: They knew my work.

LAW: Tell me about an average day when you perform in Traces.

MC: Well, I'll tell you about today. I woke up, had breakfast and then did a bunch of telephone interviews. I will go to train later and then head to the theater for warm-up. After the show, there's a premier party. After that, I'll go back to the hotel and put a do-not-disturb sign on the door and get a good night's sleep. [pause] But normally, I explore when I'm in a new city.

LAW: What's been your best experience being on the road?

MA: They are all good experiences. Well, South Korea was a great experience with Cirque Eloize. They had us on a man-made island. It wasn't finished yet. They weren't finished putting in the trees. It was a very different, crazy experience. Also, being on tour in Europe, we went to France, Belgium and Copenhagen. I have a lineage of Danish, so it was great to go to Copenhagen.

LAW: What has been your worst experience on the road?

MA: When you're away from loved ones and your significant other.

LAW: What's your favorite thing to do when you are back home?

MA: Oh, to cook and spend time with my sweetie, who's in Wyoming and my family. And to go skiing and hiking.

LAW: How long are you on tour?

MA: Well I just started this tour. It goes until the end of May. We take a break and then we go to Dallas, Denver, Europe and New Zealand. I perform with 7 artists. They are awesome, a great group of peeps to be around.

LAW: Have you ever been to Charlotte before?

MA: Only in the airport. I am looking forward to Charlotte. I am going to be there for two weeks.

LAW: Is there a difference in the audience reaction, depending on what city you are in?

MA: Not so much depending on location, but really the time of day. We recently performed for 3,000 school kids. That was pretty inspiring and super-cool to see them getting excited about life, because of seeing the show. We are really lucky to have such an inspiring "product" for audiences.