'Arts don't happen in Luverne without Shawn'

Members of Luverne’s art community came together Saturday night to reflect a lifetime of generosity back to one of their own. 

The benefit for Shawn Kinsinger raised nearly $20,000 to help him and his family following a cancer diagnosis earlier this spring. 

A total of 65 performers took the stage to put on a two-and-a-half-hour concert filled with musical numbers, band performances and heartfelt tributes. Many of the performers have worked with Kinsinger for decades. 

“Shawn’s story is inseparable from the stage. He’s acted, directed, played music, written songs, served on boards,” said Cody Henrichs, one of the evenings’ emcees and a lifelong friend of Kinsinger’s. 

“For more than 30 years if you experienced theater in Luverne, Shawn had something to do with it.” 

The evening featured songs from productions throughout Kinsinger’s career, including “Grease,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Mean Girls,” which Kinsinger had been set to direct this spring for the Luverne High School drama department. 

Friends and former students traveled for hours to attend and perform when they heard about the benefit, putting the show together in just two weeks. 

“Seeing his students come back and perform even better than when they were in high school was amazing,” said Anissa Vis, one of the night’s performers. “He instilled this love of theater and song (in them). They’ve gone out and spread their wings, and they wanted to come back and share that with the community.” 

The evening also included performances from two bands Kinsinger has played with over the years, PHR+ and Idyl Exhibit. One of the bands’ songs was written by Kinsinger for his wife, Teresa, and featured a recording of his original vocals.

Between each performance, friends and colleagues of Kinsinger took to the stage to say how much he’s meant to them, sharing stories of how he helped them find their courage and created a safe place where they could fit in. 

“Shawn has always been there for us whenever we needed, not just in theater,” said Xavier McKenzie. “He taught us the value of the arts, but more importantly the value of community.” 

For the final number, the entire combined cast poured onto stage in a dazzling display of glitter and sequins, bringing audience members to their feet for a sing-along of “Waterloo” from “Mama Mia!” 

Despite all of the cheers from the crowd, there was one reaction that mattered the most. 

“Seeing Shawn smile and clap his hands in the sound booth, it really made a difference in how I performed,” said David Vis, a guitarist for PHR+. 

“It made me play the best that I could.” 

Others shared the same sentiment: Kinsinger was at the heart of the performance. 

“It was for an audience of one; it was for Shawn,” Henrichs said. “If other people happened to like it, that’s great.” 

The evening was a glowing tribute to Kinsinger and his life’s passion – the shows he’s put on, the young people he’s inspired, everyone who was nervous and found a home in the community he’s fostered. 

“The arts don’t happen in Luverne without Shawn,” Henrichs said. 

Saturday’s performance was a reflection of the love Kinsinger has poured into his family, friends and community, all returning to him as a wave of gratitude and support for a man who has changed their lives. 

“(The diagnosis) is a tragedy, but we’re also talking about what an incredible joy it is to see people care,” Henrichs said. 

Kinsinger and his family expressed how meaningful both the performance and the support were to them. 

“We were completely speechless,” Teresa said. “Shawn was smiling and playing air drums throughout the entire show ... We cannot thank you enough.”