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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.
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