David Shiner, late of Seussical and Fool Moon, and HappyPants!, a new musical from the demented mind of Scott Warrender (Das Barbecu, The Texas Chainsaw Manicurist), will complete the 2002 season for Seattle's ACT Theatre.

Shiner, a former Cirque du Soleil clown and Broadway veteran, will revisit some of his old tricks, along with a few new comic bits in David Shiner in the Round, playing Nov. 1-23 on the Allen stage. Shiner is currently at work on a piece, specially commissioned by ACT, which the theatre hopes to premiere in the 2003 season.

National Chair Dancing Champions Fluff and Don LeQwape are the center of HappyPants!, as they celebrate a largely dysfunctional holiday season Dec. 7-29 on the Falls stage. Directed by David Koch, HappyPants! promises music, laughter and "some of the most thrilling aerial gymnastics performed by hand puppets that you will ever see."

Also planned for the ACT season on the Allen and the Falls stages are Charles L. Mee's Wintertime (playing now through Sept. 15), Fuddy Meers (Sept. 13-Oct. 13), The Education of Randy Newman (Oct. 18-Nov. 17) and the company's annual A Christmas Carol (Nov. 29-Dec. 28).

Single tickets are $27.50-$44. ACT is located at 7th and Union Street. For reservations, call (206) 292-ARTS. ACT is on the web at http://www.acttheatre.org. — By Christine Ehren