It's a rare couple that can claim Oscar the Grouch as one of their wedding guests. "Sesame Street" writer Annie Evans and puppeteer/Muppet captain Martin P. Robinson are among the lucky few. Married on the show's set in 2008, the two have made a life straddling — and weaving together — the human and puppet worlds. What's a Muppet captain? Inquiring minds can find out this Friday evening, May 4, at the Shelburne Museum, when Evans and Robinson speak about their creative careers and the beloved children's public television series that began in 1969. Their talk, "Sesame Street: The Longest Street in the World," is open to the public and presented in conjunction with current exhibition "Puppets: World on a String." Friday afternoon, Sesame Workshop's Tara Wright will offer a free seminar for educators and service providers titled "Sesame Street in Communities: Building Literacy Skills and Beyond." The community-based initiative aims "to guide and support healthy habits in young children, while also engaging the important adults in their lives," according to the museum's website. The session can earn participants three credit hours of professional development. Both the workshop and the evening talk are supported in part by Vermont PBS. Seven Days reached Robinson by phone at the couple's Connecticut home; Evans was busy soaking up theater in New York City. "Look at any puppet and you know it's not alive," Robinson said, "and yet in the hands of a trained professional, it has all the appearance of life. It has character; it has empathy; it makes very strong emotional contact." Robinson is likely best recognized for the characters he brings to life: the lumbering, thick-lashed Mr. Snuffleupagus, aka Aloysius Snuffleupagus or "Snuffy"; the risk-averse Telly Monster; Oscar's pet worm, Slimey; and Mrs. Grouch, among others. Robinson joined the television series in 1981, inheriting the massive role of Snuffy from mentor and original "Sesame Street" cast member Jerry Nelson. Technically speaking, Robinson is half of Mr. Snuffleupagus. He described climbing into character through a zipper in the puppet's middle. A second performer operates the mammoth-like creature's back. Both use ergonomic backpacks that distribute most of the puppet's weight to the hips, Robinson explained. Once they're strapped inside the body of rattan and foam, the performers can view the set, and their own movements, through monitors. Robinson's left hand operates Snuffy's mouth, while his right hand animates the puppet's eyes…
It's a rare couple that can claim Oscar the Grouch as one of their wedding guests. "Sesame Street" writer Annie Evans and puppeteer/Muppet captain Martin P. Robinson are among the lucky few. Married on the show's set in 2008, the two have made a life straddling — and weaving together — the human and puppet worlds. What's a Muppet captain? Inquiring minds can find out this Friday evening, May 4, at the Shelburne Museum, when Evans and Robinson speak about their creative careers and the beloved children's public television series that began in 1969. Their talk, "Sesame Street: The Longest Street in the World," is open to the public and presented in conjunction with current exhibition "Puppets: World on a String." Friday afternoon, Sesame Workshop's Tara Wright will offer a free seminar for educators and service providers titled "Sesame Street in Communities: Building Literacy Skills and Beyond." The community-based initiative aims "to guide and support healthy habits in young children, while also engaging the important adults in their lives," according to the museum's website. The session can earn participants three credit hours of professional development. Both the workshop and the evening talk are supported in part by Vermont PBS. Seven Days reached Robinson by phone at the couple's Connecticut home; Evans was busy soaking up theater in New York City. "Look at any puppet and you know it's not alive," Robinson said, "and yet in the hands of a trained professional, it has all the appearance of life. It has character; it has empathy; it makes very strong emotional contact." Robinson is likely best recognized for the characters he brings to life: the lumbering, thick-lashed Mr. Snuffleupagus, aka Aloysius Snuffleupagus or "Snuffy"; the risk-averse Telly Monster; Oscar's pet worm, Slimey; and Mrs. Grouch, among others. Robinson joined the television series in 1981, inheriting the massive role of Snuffy from mentor and original "Sesame Street" cast member Jerry Nelson. Technically speaking, Robinson is half of Mr. Snuffleupagus. He described climbing into character through a zipper in the puppet's middle. A second performer operates the mammoth-like creature's back. Both use ergonomic backpacks that distribute most of the puppet's weight to the hips, Robinson explained. Once they're strapped inside the body of rattan and foam, the performers can view the set, and their own movements, through monitors. Robinson's left hand operates Snuffy's mouth, while his right hand animates the puppet's eyes…