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David Shiner (clown)

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Name
  
David Shiner

Role
  
Parents
  
Francis Shiner


David Shiner (clown) tn500screenshot20130227at65547pmjpg

Born
  
September 13, 1953 (age 70) (
1953-09-13
)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

Occupation
  
Actor, clown, playwright, theater director

Awards
  
Lucille Lortel Award for Alternative Theatrical Experience

Nominations
  
Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actor, Visiting Production

Movies
  
Man of the House, Silent Tongue, Lorenzo's Oil

Similar People
  
Bill Irwin, Nellie McKay, James Orr, Tina Landau, Sam Shepard

Old hats by bill irwin and david shiner


David Shiner (born September 13, 1953) is an American actor, clown, playwright and theater director.

Contents

David Shiner (clown) Moon39 shines again in all its clowning glory ACT brings

Background and career

David Shiner (clown) cdntheatermaniacomarticle185321jpg

Shiner was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His father, Francis Shiner, was a computer programmer. Shiner, usually donning a small dunce cap, started as a street mime, first in Colorado, and later in France and Germany. He managed to get multiple gigs with various circuses, including performances with the German Circus Roncalli and the Swiss National Circus (Circus Knie). In between he toured performing a dual act with René Bazinet.

David Shiner (clown) David Shiner clown Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

From 1990 he was featured in Cirque du Soleil's production Nouvelle Expérience, touring for 19 months through Canada and the USA and playing for another year in Las Vegas. With his antics, including stepping through, on and over much of the crowd and the staging of a mock silent-movie melodrama with four members of the audience, he may be the best-remembered of the Cirque's clowns. In 1995, he also starred in Man of the House.

David Shiner (clown) The Theatrical Clowning Blog

The production was filmed for HBO and Shiner's popularity rendered him film roles as a clown in Lorenzo's Oil and as straight man to Bill Irwin in Sam Shepard's Silent Tongue. He and Irwin then created the two-man, wordless show Fool Moon, featuring music by the Red Clay Ramblers, which had also performed in Silent Tongue.

This "evening of inspired lunacy" ran from 1992-99, including three separate runs at Broadway. The show won a special Tony for "Live Theatrical Presentation" in 1999, a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, and an Outer Critics Circle "Special Achievement" Award.

In 2000, Shiner initiated the role of The Cat in the Hat, the host and guide of the Broadway stage musical Seussical. Later he toured Europe and Seattle with his shows David Shiner in the Round and Drop Everything. He made additional appearances on The Tonight Show, and is a guest director at the Wintergarden Theatre in Berlin and the Apollo Theatre in Düsseldorf. He has mentored and guest directed for LILALU, a German youth circus program.

In 2007, Shiner wrote and directed Cirque du Soleil's touring production Koozå, using such performers as Gordon White, Jason Berrent, Stephan Laundry, Michael Halvarson, Joshua Zehner and Christian Fitzherris for the original cast.

In 2013, Shiner co-wrote and starred in the Off-Broadway revue show Old Hats with his Fool Moon co-star Bill Irwin. Musician Nellie McKay also performed in the 2013 show.

In 2016, Old Hats was revived in New York City in 2016 with Shiner and Irwin returning and a new third performer, musician Shaina Taub, in between sketches Taub performed original songs with a band.

Filmography

Actor
2014
Lullaby as
Clown
1998
Soul Man (TV Series) as
Roommate
- Todd and the Bod (1998) - Roommate
1995
Man of the House as
Lloyd Small
1995
The Last Seat (Short)
1994
Monte Video (TV Series) as
Clown
- Erntedankfest (1994) - Clown (as Fool Moon)
1993
Silent Tongue as
Straight Man
1992
Lorenzo's Oil as
Clown
1990
Mit den Clowns kamen die Tränen (TV Mini Series)
Writer
2016
Old Hats
2008
Cirque du Soleil: Kooza (Video)
2007
A Thrilling Ride Through Kooza (Video documentary) (show)
1995
The Last Seat (Short)
Director
2008
Cirque du Soleil: Kooza (Video)
Producer
1995
The Last Seat (Short) (producer)
Self
1993
Working in the Theatre (TV Series documentary) as
Self
- Clowning (2016) - Self
- Production: Fool Moon (1993) - Self
2016
Old Hats as
Self
2007
A Thrilling Ride Through Kooza (Video documentary) as
Self - Author and Director
2004
Great Performances (TV Series) as
Self
- Bill Irwin: Clown Prince (2004) - Self
1999
The 53rd Annual Tony Awards (TV Special) as
Self - Special Tony Award Recipient & Performer
1997
Fiesta (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode dated 22 November 1997 (1997) - Self
1997
Sesame Street: Get Up and Dance (Short) as
Self
1995
Sesame Street (TV Series) as
Self - Guest Appearance in 'A New Way to Walk'
- Gordon pretends to be Grandpa Bird (1995) - Self - Guest Appearance in 'A New Way to Walk'
1994
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #3.10332 (1994) - Self
1993
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration (TV Movie) as
Self (segment "New Way to Walk")
1993
The 47th Annual Tony Awards (TV Special) as
Self - Performer
1993
Bob Hope: The First 90 Years (TV Movie documentary) as
Self
1991
Cirque du Soleil II: A New Experience (TV Movie documentary) as
Performer
1986
Die verflixte 7 (TV Series) as
Self - Clown
- New York (1986) - Self - Clown
Archive Footage
2020
Wait in the Wings (TV Series documentary) as
The Cat in the Hat
- The Fall & Redemption of Seussical (2020) - The Cat in the Hat

References

David Shiner (clown) Wikipedia