http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Aanika’s Elephants is a stage show featuring puppetry that is about a young Kenyan girl who meets a baby elephant at the orphanage where her father works.  The show was written by Emmy Award winning Sesame Street writer Annie Evans and directed by Sesame Street and Muppets puppeteer Pam Arciero. Annie and Pam also produce the show along with Jean Marie Keevins who puppeteers in the production as well.  I sat down with Annie, Pam and Jean Marie for a...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Russ Walko has puppeteered on projects such as Five Nights at Freddy’s, Waffles + Mochi and Mystery Science Theater 3000.  He’s also an Emmy Nominated puppet wrangler and builder who has worked with The Muppets and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.  His own puppet shop Puppet Garage has built puppets for commercials and films and TV shows such as The Barbarian and the Troll.  I talk to Russ Walko about all this and more on this supersized 100th episode of Under The...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Cat Rock is a puppeteer, filmmaker and puppet builder who lives in Bristol in South West England.  Disciplined in many styles of puppetry from hand and rod, to shadow, to table top to giant puppets, Cat is always looking to push the notion of what can be done with puppets.  She’s a trustee at puppet place, a workspace for all things puppetry in Bristol and she spearheads the Bristol 48 Hour Film Challenge.  Additionally, she’s puppeteered for Coldplay in...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Luman Coad is a puppeteer who spent several years as the director of The Storybook Theater at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, California.  He used the skills learned there to found his own puppet company Coad Canada Puppets, that produced over 30 different puppet shows and traveled around the world performing them.  He’s worked in TV and Film and is the founder of Charlemagne Press, a publisher that specializes in books about puppetry.  I talk to Luman Coad...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Bob Mills is one of, if not the original Disneyland puppeteers, performing marionette shows at the park starting in 1957.  Before that he puppeteered at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, CA and before that he was the resident puppeteer and clown for the TV show Just Kids which broadcast every weekday in Hawaii.  Bob would later step away from puppetry to do make-up for some of the biggest stars in film and television.  I talk to Bob Mills about all of this and...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  On July 21, 2023 as part of the National Puppetry Festival at the University of Maryland, festival attendees were invited to take a bus tour of historical Jim Henson sites in Washington DC and the surrounding areas.  The tour was hosted by Heather Henson and author Craig Shemin.  Cheryl Henson was also along for the tour. I recorded the audio of that bus trip in binaural audio and I present it to you now on this episode of Under The Puppet. Visit...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Danny Montooth spent several years as a puppeteer and Puppet Specialist at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.  He is also a creator of and puppeteer for Perception Studios which streams weekly live on Twitch.  I talk to Danny about working for Disney, his thoughts on streaming, and his jobs working on commercials, movies, web series and more in this episode of Under The Puppet. Plus, hear more of my conversation with Danny Montooth exclusively on...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Melvin Campbell is a puppeteer on the PBS Show Donkey Hode. Not only is he playing the show’s newest character Cousin Hode, he’s also composed music for the show and written a couple of episodes of the show as well.  He’s also written for Sesame Street and The Not Too Late Show Starring Elmo.  I talk to the incredibly talented Mel Campbell about his puppetry career on this episode of Under The Puppet. Plus, hear more of my conversation with Melvin Campbell...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Alex Evans is the Co-Executive Director and Head Puppeteer of The Historic Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Los Angeles.  Since the 1960’s The Bob Baker Marionette Theater has been entertaining audiences throughout Southern California. I talk to Alex Evans about his puppetry career, his role at the theater and a bit about the history of Bob Baker and the theater on this episode, the first episode of the eighth year of Under The Puppet. Plus, hear more of my...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Puppeteers Donna Kimball and Colleen Smith are the creators, directors, and producers of  GLOP - The Glorious Ladies of Puppetry.  Donna and Colleen, along with puppeteer Alice Dinnean, created GLOP to promote the many incredible Lady Puppeteers, Puppeteers of Color and Non-Binary and Trans puppeteers there are around the world.  I sat down with Donna and Colleen to talk about the history of GLOP, the two seasons of the show they’ve produced, the live show...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Alison Mork played Chairry on the legendary TV Show Pee-Wee’s Playhouse where she also performed Magic Screen, Chicky Baby, Chandelier and more.  She has also puppeteered on Sesame Street, The  Muppets, Crank Yankers and Team America World Police.  I sit down with Alison Mork to talk about all this and more on this episode of Under The Puppet. Plus, hear more of my conversation with Alison Mork exclusively on the free Under The Puppet app for iOS &...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com - On Saturday, July 22, 2023, I was honored to be asked to moderate What’s Next? A Panel for the Future in Puppetry at the National Puppetry Festival.  I sat down with puppeteers Rachel Burson, Andrew A. Cano and Matthew Lish to talk about their careers in puppetry and where they see the art form going in the future.  I’m happy to share that audio with you on this episode of Under The Puppet. Download the free Under The Puppet app for iOS & Android! IOS...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Sam Kendall is a puppeteer, writer and director who has been making puppet videos for the internet for over a decade. His show The Mo Show starring his puppet Mo Monster has shown that Sam is a master at writing, directing and performing puppetry for the web. I sit down to talk to Sam about The Mo Show, his new series Rooming with Dino and much more on this episode of Under The Puppet. Plus, hear more of my conversation with Sam Kendall exclusively on the...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  While I was at the 2023 National Puppetry Festival, I met Carol Sterling for the first time.  Within a minute of speaking with her, I knew I wanted to get her on the show.  Carol Sterling is an educational puppeteer who has taught puppetry in education around the world including as a Fulbright Specialist in Uganda and India and she was invited to the White House for her work in the arts.  She is also just about the biggest champion of the puppetry arts that...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  For this episode of Under The Puppet, we’re doing something a little different.  We are headed out of the studio to conduct some interviews, sort of documentary style, with several of the performers  of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry’s recent Puppetzilla Puppet Slam Astrology: What’s Your Sign.  We’ll then chat with about what goes into putting on a successful puppet slam with the Puppetzilla Puppet Slam producer, Christine Papalexis  on this episode of...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Sid Krofft is the grandfather of puppetry.  He picked up his puppet at a young age and was soon a sensation booking shows across the United States and then around the world.  He would go on to create shows such as H.R. Pufnstuff, Land of the Lost and Sigmund & The Sea Monsters to name a few, but his love of puppetry was always at the heart of all he did.  I chatted with Sid Krofft about his career in this special episode of Under The Puppet produced for...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com - Michael Oosterom puppeteered Cornelius in The Jim Henson Company series Earth To Ned on Disney+.  He also played Rankle on the Netflix Series The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell.  I talk to Michael about these projects as well as Puppet Up Uncensored, No You Shut Up, the reboot of Sigmund and the Sea Monsters and more on this episode of Under The Puppet. Plus, hear more of my conversation with Michael Oosterom exclusively on the free Under The Puppet...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Dustin Curtis is the puppeteer and founder of Trivia Puppet Company out of Seattle.  He is also the current president of the Puppeteers of America and the director of the 2023 National Puppetry Festival happening this July in Maryland.  I sit down to chat with Dustin about his journey to puppetry, his travels abroad working with other puppet companies and what we can expect at the National Festival on this episode of Under the Puppet. Plus, hear more of my...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Andy Breckman is television and film writer who created the Emmy Award Winning television series Monk.  Ken Freedman is the station manager of WFMU, an independent free form radio station in New Jersey.  For over 30 years, Andy and Ken have hosted Seven Second Delay, a stunt radio program that airs every Wednesday on WFMU.  I sit down and talk to these two non-puppeteers on this episode of Under The Puppet. Download the free Under The Puppet app for iOS...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Chad Williams is the Co-Artistic Director of  WonderSpark puppets.  He has written, directed and performed over 15 solo puppet shows and will be presenting his show Fox Fables at the 2023 National Puppetry Festival.  He’s also the author of the book 50 Hand Puppet Techniques: Hidden Secrets and Tricks Revealed that just won an award from UNIMA.  I talk to Chad Williams about all this and more on this episode of Under The Puppet. Plus, hear more of my...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Paul Lewis is a puppeteer who was building puppets and molding creatures at an early age.  A trained opera singer and accomplished actor, Paul’s puppetry credit include Bobby the Gopher Boy on the hit Netflix series Sweet Tooth and the menacing M3gan, the killer robot from the hit 2022 science fiction horror film.  I talk to Paul Lewis about his puppetry career on this first episode of season 7 of Under The Puppet. Plus, hear more of my conversation with...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com -  Mike Horner is the Director of Puppetry Arts at What If Puppets, a puppet company that creates innovate storytelling that captures children’s imaginations and inspires communities.  I talk to Mike about his puppetry career, how  e got started at What If Puppets, originally the Mesner Puppet Theater, and the show How To Snag A Sea Monster that he’ll be performing at the National Puppetry Festival in July of 2023 on this episode of Under The Puppet. Plus, hear...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com - Alex & Olmstead is an internationally acclaimed puppet theater and filmmaking company than has been the recipient of two Jim Henson Foundation Grants.  They create puppet magic in many different mediums and will be performing live at the 2023 National Puppetry Festival.  I talk to Alex & Olmstead about their path to puppetry, their wonderful shows including Milo the Magnificent and much more on this episode of Under The Puppet. See Alex & Olmstead...

http://www.UnderThePuppet.com - Danny Joe LaBrecque is the creator, puppeteer and host of Danny Joe’s Treehouse.  A show that invites families to come out and play with big thoughts, ideas, and feelings. I talk to Danny Joe about the development of Danny Joe’s Treehouse and how he has been able to produce three seasons of the show completely on his own on this episode of Under The Puppet.   Plus, hear more of my conversation with Danny Joe LaBrecque  exclusively on the free Under The Puppet...