In the Company of Mump & Smoot and Pochsy: A Conversation between Karen Hines, Michael Kennard, and John Turner

Canadian clowns Michael Kennard, John Turner, and Karen Hines (Mump & Smoot and Pochsy respectively) grew out of the fringe festival circuit in the late eighties. They have gone on to play in numerous major regional theatres throughout North America, including Astor Place Theatre off-Broadway, Yale Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Canadian Stage, and Alberta Theatre Projects. Along the way they have garnered numerous awards, critical acclaim, and a widespread audience through their extensive performing, teaching, directing, writing, and mentoring. They have made significant contributions to both the evolution of clowning in Canada and the Canadian independent theatre scene. In this discussion, these longtime collaborators reflect on their time together, their teachers, the keys to the longevity of their connection, and their artistic interest in horror. They also reflect on how their approaches to performance, and clowning as an art form in particular, differ from one another, as well as the significant philosophical threads that run throughout all of their work.