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SHAWN KINLEY MIME & MAYHEM   
-by Marina Endicott (Tour Talk - Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta

It's a delicate thing, interviewing a mime. There's that wind blowing them back wards all the time, and the invisible wall between you. And how can mere words, on mere paper, convey the subtle play of expression, gesture and movement that make up a mime's vocabulary?

Luckily Shawn Kinley is not that kind of mime. He's generous with noise, both in his performances and in person.

At Showcase last year Shawn delighted the audience with his mask work, including the horribly endearing "inner mask of the gorilla," a brilliant demonstration of primate behaviour. The gorilla startled a presenter from Yellowhead by darting up into the audience to snaffle her Showcase bag and strew its contents around the stage.

From mask to mask, and finally to no-mask, Shawn's unique style of theatre allows the audience in on the joke.

He trained in contact improvisation and as an actor, and worked with Keith Johnstone in Calgary (famous for his company TheatreSports and his book, lmpro)

Shawn has been out of Canada for many years, touring and performing around the world, especially in Europe and Asia.

Last winter Shawn worked with a group in Europe to design a circus show, in the Cirque de Soleil  mode. He went to Poland to direct a crew of young kids.

"These were amazing athletes, not performers," he said. "The Polish Athletic Federation was angry with the project for taking their great athletes and turning them into performers."

The show has attracted attention - the NBA is talking about bringing part of the show In for their own half-time shows - and Shawn is in negotiations for a second European circus project.

So imagine there were two gigs to choose from in Medicine Hatand one in Poland. Shawn would choose... Medicine Hat?

"I really want to stay home right now," he says, laughing. "I want to be with my dog." (The dog in question, a cocker spaniel named Fitz, is 11.)

He has lived in many beautiful cities: Berlin, Montreal, New York and Paris, but believes that in Calgary he has found the best of all possible worlds: small enough to be comfortable, big enough to get anything you need, and with the great added benefit of the mountains.

"People here in Alberta are so starved for art that anyone can do anything in front of an audience," Shawn says. "But we need to see art that gives something back, instead of just sitting there."

As well as performing for adults and children, Shawn teaches mask work, mask making, mime, clowning, and improvisation, in schools and in workshops ranging from 45 minutes to a week long. He has been praised by teachers for his "wonderful control and rapport with the students."

That rapport is evident immediately in Shawn's performances as well as in his teaching. His own philosophy is that one has to respect that the students' ideas are as worthy as the teacher's. Then the student becomes his or her potential not just an imitation of the educator."

A Grade 9 student in Whitecourt was delighted by Shawn's workshop: "We learned how to use our minds to the fullest and our bodies in new and interesting ways."

Mind and body - that's not a bad description of Shawn's way of working.

"This is a great environment for people who are willing to take a chance, who believe in their work."

As Shawn Kinley clearly does.
                                                      

Mime SHAWN KINLEY thinks life is funny   
- by Nancy T Lu - The China Post

Colorful performers recall all kinds of beginning. Visiting Canadian mime artist Shawn Kinley had his as a robot on the display window of a tuxedo rental shop in Canada. A talent Scout happened to see him and invited him, only 17 then, to bring his act to a festival. One thing led to another.

It was only four years after his stint in the tuxedo rental shop that Kinley made his debut on a legitimate stage.

"I have never done anything else for a living." the 30-year old talent, who is in Asia for the first time, claims. "This Is the only job  I know."

Kinley, an excellent entertainer, is accustomed to giving a hilarious performance that lasts from 45 minutes to one hour. He shows all kinds of comic situations.

Most of life Is funny," he observes.

"On Sale" finds him buying a knitted sweater. As soon as he tries to put It on, he notices a loose strand of yarn. He instinctively pulls it. Such natural reaction results in his ripping the sweater piece by piece. Another strand catches eye. He works on it.

This turns out to be an endless strand, Kinley weaves more funny situations involving the audience. The performer finally settles for an outfit made out of newspaper in the act.

He takes 30 minutes to put every-thing back afterwards. 

Animals are among Kinley's favorite subjects during his performances. He uses his entire being to act out a menagerie of 12 animals. He portrays an orangutan exceptionally well.

"I did an orangutan act at the zoo one time," he says. "All the orangutans came forward and peered through the bars of their cage to watch. I finally removed my mask. They became so upset. They doused me with water to show their anger and displeasure."

Masks, all made personally by Kinley except for one, are used a lot by the self taught mime from Calgary. In fact, he takes spectators country hopping with him in "Around the World," a number requiring masks.  

North American Indian tribes have been the sources of inspiration for two of his masks. Another one has been patterned after the mask of a Balinese dancer. The idea for the Chinese lion mask came from Calgary's Chinatown. Another mask in his collection could be transformed into a shield in a flash.

Kinley, who has been a mime for 18 years, presents his program often indoors. He finds venues that can accommodate 500 to 1,000 people suitable for his kind of family entertainment. His roving act, however, is best staged in the open air.

Kinley does not have an agent managing his career. His show usually makes a very strong impact on the audience. Somebody just steps for ward and Invites him to perform elsewhere.

Kinley also devotes some of his time to teaching young people in his art. He teaches in the university.

Shawn Kinley will be featured at 7:45 this evening, tomorrow night and on Thursday at the Taipei Municipal Social Education Hall at 25 Pateh Road, Sec. 3. He will also entertain the crowd at the marketplace in Hsihu town in Changhwa County' at 7:30p.m. on July 27.    

ANIMATEURS - La Presse, Montreal Canada

Zappper sur le site Ce qul est merveilleux, dans l'animation de rue, c'est Ie contact
direct avec le public, indique Shawn Kinley, de Calgary qui pratique un subtil
melange de mime, d'improvisation et d'utilisation de masques le tout epice par une
extraordinaire facilite a mettre la pagaille!

Conseil d'amie: surveillez vos arrives si vous donnez un coup de fil. Dissimule
derriere un masque blanc qui est le visage meme de l'innocence. Shawn Kinley est
arme et dangereux. Quelques metres de ruban adhesif lui suffisent pour transformer
une cabine telephonique en prison

Animateur public autotpidacte qui a entre autres participe a l'exposition universelle
de Vancouver et aux jeux olympiques de Calgary, le jeune homme age de 29 ans
avoue toutefois avoir une preference pour la scene. La, public est captif. On
peut prendre son temps, faire des mouvements plus lents, plus fins. Pas la peine
d'etre constamment hyper explique-t-iI.

AUDIENCE TEN YEARS YOUNGER  
-Ann V. Harvie - Brooks Bulletin

If laughter is therapy, then Friday's Griffin Park audience should be ten years younger after Shawn Kinley and Company's performance with masks, mime and improvisation. Kinley is a master of mime and use of masks, and his companions a young man and woman duo called Random Acts, did hilariously creative things with material given moment by moment from the audience.

Kinley started the show wearing a plain, round white mask, with nothing more than holes for features, but somehow gave this simple character the most compelling appeal.
It was impossible not to identify with him as he casually sidled up to the "Do Not Touch" sign set in the middle of the stage.

Instantly, temptation was in the air, and he conveyed it so realistically -the fear of getting caught and the bumbling panic when everything fell apart - that the audience was completely on his side without him ever saying a word.

It was almost eerie to see how much he could express using only body language. Later in the show he wore a completely blank mask, which, even before he filled in the features with strands of "spaghetti", seemed to have a multitude of expressions of its own.

In other sketches non-existent objects - a vacuum cleaner, a kitten, a set of gigantic weights - seemed quite clearly visible as he stepped over them, lifted them; or even got himself tangled up in them. 

None of this description, however, can possibly convey just how funny this all was. It literally was fun for the whole range of ages present, and people were actually wiping tears of laughter from their eyes. 

The improv sketches with Random Acts were no less hilarious, and took full advantage of the willing audience participation.  

Nobody will forget the little girl standing on Kinley's foot and even kicking his shoe to prevent his ankles wobbling as she tried to get him across the stage, and Stephanie, another audience member, was clearly amazed at how closely the performers acted out her family based only on her cues for right or wrong lines.

The quick-thinking and mental flexibility of the actors really was impressive, aid created an unusually strong rapport with the audience, who contributed sketch suggestions and. lines of dialogue with no inhibitions at all. 

Although the audience was on the smaller side, about 170 people, it was certainly one of the most enthusiastic and responsive I've seen. The friendly, open enthusiasm of the performers set a relaxed atmosphere from the beginning and the audience was able to let go and really enjoy themselves.  

Shawn Kinley and Random acts could do wonderful things for the Health Care system. Maybe if we ask very nicely Ralph will make them available on prescription.

MIME OF A THOUSAND FACES 
- Christa O'Keefe Calgary Magazine

CLOWN. MIME.  ARE there scarier words in the English language? Those who toil in the realm of "physical theatre" struggle against inadequate descriptions and outdated notions of what they actually do.

Take Shawn Kinley. He is all of the above, and more. In his current one-man show, Mask Mime Mayhem, he cajoles the audience into joining him in an irrepressibly fun romp through a collection of improvised scenes featuring characters and creatures he creates using masks, props, and bizarrely dexterous body language.

So, let's tally up. Masks? Yes, quite a few, several for his head, plus the infamous Butt Mask, the one he uses to blow up balloons. Mayhem? Certainly. Kinley says his characters are so comically destructive with his set that it takes him as long to put his show together again as it does to perform it. Mime? Well... he talks in his show, eschews makeup, and sports nary a striped shirt or beret. See? Outdated notions.

Kinley has been performing for 23-ish years. For one of his first gigs he was a "living robot" in a formal wear store window, a position that primed him for a career of improvisation due to the unpredictability of passers-by. Women flashed him, suburban nuclear families gave him the finger, and he was stalked by a woman who thought he was possessed by the devil.

He began designing and crafting masks and animatronics, some of which were exhibited in art galleries, then directing and writing, making forays into film and video, and travelled the world teaching and performing.

Teaching is one of his favourite roles. He has been affiliated with Loose Moose Theatre as a teacher and performer for 14 years. He'll return to Loose Moose this summer, but for now he's touring his show on a gruelling schedule through B.C. to San Diego to Singapore.

Learn more about Kinley and play some games at www.funandplay.com. 

Der Star des Ablends.  Das Wetter heute: Dicht bewolkt, ortlich ne!

M it Prognosen ist das so ei­ne Sache. Man vertut sich eben leicht. So ist das auch mit Volker Pispers. Ihn vor einigen Tagen recht forsch als d e n Star des neuen Programms im scho­nen Georgspalast-Variete titu­liert zu haben, war denn nun wohl doch ein wenig vorschnell. Halt, kein Migverstandnis: Der bartige Rheinliinder, der ein bi9chen an den Riesen Brutus erinnert, gegen den Spinat-Es­ser Popeye immer in den gleich­namigen Comic-Filmen kamp­fen mate, um seine Olivia zu retten, ist ganz wunderbar. Ein Kabarettist mit bissig-jovialem Ldstermaul, hochst amiisant, wortwitzig, v6Uig zu Recht mit hohen Preisen dekoriert. Und wie er am Mittwoch abend bei der Premiere als Conferencier, eigentlich nicht sein Metier, den roten Faden sponn, ihn mal straff, mal etwa locker hielt, das hatte schon viel.
Aberd e r Star, nein, das war er nicht. Das war das ganze Pro­gramm. Mit Juliana Chen (aus China) and Daniel Hochsteiner (aus Schwaben) hat Programm­macher Pi1schel die Spielkarten aus dem Handgelenk schutteln­de Weltmeisterin der Magier and einen der schnellsten Tem­po-Jongleure verpflichtet, die man je an der Rottstrage gese­hen hat. Sophie & Virgile, ein Paar aus Frankreich, begeisterte mit traumhaft sicherer Kraft­Akrobatik; eingebettet in eine Tango-Nummer. LeichfWig fiihrte der Berliner Step-Tiinzer „Dito" das Publikum im ausver­kauften Haus zuriick in die gol­denen 20er. Dorice & Ralf, ein griechisch-berlinerisches Duo, hingegen boten am Trapez eine so in Essen noch nie gesehene Mischung aus Artistik, Tanz and Schauspiel. Fiir die schwie­rige Kunst, ohne Worte kleine Kurzgeschichten zu erzahlen, stand diesmal der Kanadier Shawn Kinley. Seine wunder­vollen Pantomime-Miniaturen, die so federleicht daherkom­men - einfach grandios! Karten unter      ¹,P 247 93 93.           Der Mann ist Extra-Klasse: Shawn Kinley, Pantomime aus Calgary in Kanada, benotigt kein einziges Wort, um das Publikum auf seine Seitez^, ziehen.             NRZ-Foto:UlrichvonBorn

Masked merriment 

Today at the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival, check out SHAWN KINLEY:  

STREET ADDRESS: This master mime (no, not the mute, face-painted kind) calls Calgary home, but travels all over the world doing stage work.  

STREET SMARTS: Kinley uses a variety of masks and props to create comedic characters and situations. One moment he's wearing a giant mask on his behind (and using it to blow up balloons); the next he's creating faces out of a plate of spaghetti. 

STREETS OF GOLD: The festival's level of organization and professionalism is its biggest draw, Kinley says, with the audiences themselves coming in a close second. "Everyone here knows what to do."  

STREET VALUE: This guy could cure you of your fear of mimes AND Calgarians in one fell swoop.

Kinley's show is one of those rare gems that truly appeals to audiences old and young, especially since he incorporates kids into the performance in a gentle but hysterical fashion.  

He's also a master of transforming himself at the blink of an eye, sometimes using elaborate masks, sometimes simply using a mouth whistle or a facial expression. Not to be missed.  

STREET FIND: The weirdest thing Kinley has had tossed into his hat was earlier in this festival when someone donated a "Poopin' Pal"'- a little rubber sheep that you squeeze to create a bubble of brown, gooey stuff.  

STREET SCENE: Kinley will do several performances throughout the festival, including today at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
                               - KRISTEN WOOD, Special to The Sun 

Mime teaches techniques - Cold Lake Times

"A touch of magic" came to St. Dominic and McKenzie schools in the Tri-town area over the past two weeks when Calgary mime artist-in -residence Shawn Kinley taught week­long crash courses in mime, movement, improvisation and characterization to Kindergarten to Grade 6 students.

At the end of the classes, sometimes up to nine a day, the students displayed their newly-found skills at a school assembly in front of their peers and parents. Kinley also performed some solo skits.

Kinley hails from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and is a self-taught mime who's performed publicly for the past 17 years and taught mime classes to stu­dents of all ages since 1984. When he's not teaching, he can be found working with Loose Moose Theatre and Masquirx in Calgary.

In February he'll be head­ing to Germany to perform mime for a group of Montreal agents, and from March to July, he'll be doing the animatronics for, and playing the part of, a large, extraterrestrial plant in the stage play Little Shop of Horrors with theatre companies from Calgary, Manitoba and Victoria.

In July, Kinley will be off to Japan to perform at a children's festival "Ever since I first taught mime to some high school students, I knew that was the best place for me to learn. While I'm teaching them, they show me a new gesture or a different way of doing something. My phi­losophy of teaching is that I don't instill in my students my idea of what's right. It's like art. Everybody has a different way of doing things," said Kinley.