David Shiner (clown)

David Shiner is an American clown and physical comedian who has worked in various fields of entertainment, including circus, theater, film, and television. He is best known for his work with Cirque du Soleil and with Bill Irwin.

Shiner was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Shiner began his career as a street mime, first in Colorado, and later moved to Paris, where he worked with the legendary French clown, Marcel Marceau. Not long after and the German Circus Roncalli and the Swiss National Circus (Circus Knie) invited Shiner to perform in the Big Top. In between he toured performing a dual act with René Bazinet.

In 1990 he starred in Cirque du Soleil's production Nouvelle Expérience, as a clown and co-creator. Touring for 19 months through Canada and the USA and playing for another year in Las Vegas, Shiner became famous for 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.[3] The production was filmed for HBO and Shiner's popularity rendered him film roles in Lorenzo's Oil and in Sam Shepard's Silent Tongue.

He and Bill Irwin then created the two-man, wordless Broadway show Fool Moon, featuring music by the Red Clay Ramblers.

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 plus Shiner won a Tony Award for his performance in Fool Moon in 1993.

In 2000, Shiner originated the lead role of The Cat in the Hat in 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.

In addition to his work as a performer, Shiner wrote and directed Cirque du Soleil's touring production Koozå,[2] in 2007. Using such performers as Gordon White,[2] Jason Berrent, Stephan Laundry, Michael Halvarson, Joshua Zehner and Christian Fitzherris for the original cast. Kooza is the most successful touring show of Cirque du Soleil to this day.

In 2013 David Shiner and Bill Irwin reunited for another congenial creation: Old Hats is a comedy sketch, revue, musical and clown show written and performed by the duo, the show debuted in New York City. Musician Nellie McKay also performed in the 2013 show. The original 2013 Off-Broadway was a combination of "clowning revue-with-music". Old Hats won the 2013 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revue.

The show was revived in New York City in 2016 with Shiner and Irwin returning and a new third performer, musician Shaina Taub.

Overall, David Shiner is considered one of the most talented and influential clowns in contemporary entertainment.

Shiner developed the Shiner Method [4] and his passion is to mentor young, genius actors and clowns in his masterclass-ensemble-program.

Followi

In 2013, Shiner co-wrote and starred in the Off-Broadway revue show Old Hats with his Fool Moon co-star Bill Irwin.[5] Musician Nellie McKay also performed in the 2013 show.[2] 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.[6] He also was featured in the American Theatre Wing's Working in the Theatre series that was centered on clowning.[7]

• David Shiner at IMDb
• David Shiner at the Internet Off-Broadway Database