Exclusive Interview: KOOZA creator got his start in Boulder, Colorado
Jul 26, 2023, 3:08 PM | Updated: 3:10 pm
Listen to the full interview below with David Shiner and Murphy Huston.
Denver, CO — KOOZA, The show with acrobatic performances and the art of clowning, while exploring fear, identity, recognition and power took on the Mile High City. KOOZA’s playwrite, David Shiner, spoke with KOSI 101.1’s Murphy Huston in an exclusive interview.
Contextually, Shiner is from Denver, after going to k-12 in Westminister he left the centennial state and later returned to live in Boulder. It was there where he saw how theatrics and entertainment can prosper.
Specifically, Shiner told Murphy he saw a mime performing on Pearl Street after it was just built. After Shiner saw the mime making money he thought to himself, “I can do that.”
“I was terrible in the beginning,” admitted Shiner. Fast forward decades later, he learned to improvise with people and translated it into his lives work.
Shiner, who has no shortage of experience, being apart of broadway shows and traveling across the globe, gave insight on how he came to create KOOZA. He expanded with Murphy on his relationship with Founder and Creative Guide of Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté.
“I said ‘Guy, I want to direct a show’ and he said, ‘Sure! Go ahead’,” Shiner told Murphy Huston.
“How do you make a show?” Shiner laughed. “It’s hard to say.”
One of Shiner’s main goals was to create a “simple and understood” story. “For me, the most important thing was to really make the show intimate and have the artists directly communicating with the audience.”
Murphy assumed Shiner’s experience with being a clown helped guide his directorial choices. Shiner concurred saying he wanted his viewers to leave feeling like they had a joyful experience
Viewers can confirm Shiner accomplished his goal of making a tender, intense yet joyous show.
If you want to experience the magic, you can see KOOZA in Denver until August 13th!
