(This article is an edited re-print of a prior post)
Over the past bunch of years, I have had the honor of interviewing a group of long-time cast, crew
and writers from the cultural juggernaut that is Sesame Street. It started with an in-person Q&A with Elmo Muppeteer and Sesame Co-Producer Kevin Clash.
Kevin suggested I also talk to cameraman Frank Biondo, who has been with Sesame from the get-go, as well as Fran Brill. You may know Fran as Zoe and, starting from way back when, Prairie Dawn.
While on the set with Frank, I also got to meet Big Bird Muppeteer Carroll Spinney, as well as a young person who started writing letters to Carroll at age five.
What a treat to meet Bonnie Erickson, who used to work for Sesame and who also created Ms. Piggy, Statler, Waldorf, and other iconic Muppets, to find out her life story.
I went back on set to watch and interview Snuffy and Telly's Muppeteer Martin Robinson. While observing Martin in action (from inside of Mr. Hooper's store, no less!), I met Kevin Clash's right hand hand, storyboard designer, and SuperGrover float creator Louis Henry Mitchell.
Most recently, I got to do some Q&Awith Annie Evans, Sesame writer and also wife of Martin Robinson. (They got married on the set!) And then went to Elmo's birthday party to help him celebrate 3.5 years!
I feel so grateful to have met all these amazing people and look forward to more Sesame adventures.
If you have a Sesame cast or crew member you would like me to interview, drop at line at ETraubman@aol.com
Here are the posts about all the folks mentioned above:
