OLGA and BAIRD

When Olga Felgemacher joined the Bil Baird Marionette Theater, it rejuvenated Bil. "Finally" he said. "A female puppeteer who can not only act (she graduated from Northwestern University), manipulate marionettes, design and sew costumes - - but - - she also has the perfect toy voice!" Bil signed her to a long-term contract. He also gave her this amazing picture.

Olga became Leading Lady in the Bil Baird "A" Team: Bil, Frank (Sully) Sullivan (who was Olga's mentor), Byron Whiting, Carl Harms and off course, the legendary Pady Blackwood (more about Pady next post.)

Her first show with Bil was Winnie The Pooh. She played Christopher Robbin, Tigger, and the Coddleston Pie Mouse (Sully was Winnie, Bil was Eeyore.)

Olga also played PETER in Peter and the Wolf. . . . . . DOROTHY in The Wizard of Oz, and NICKIE in DAVY JONES LOCKER.
Baird's was a very exciting place to work. Of course all the puppets and marionettes were the product of the idiocyncratic vision and genius of Bil Baird himself, whom I call THE OLYMPUS OF PUPPETRY. Olga said if you were skilled, though, the puppeteers could also have a hand in the building process (there never really was a "shop foreman.") Sully would one day be making molds while Olga was sewing costumes and Bil was painting faces and Pady was laying celastic (they were very close.)

Then one day Bil told Olga they were going to do a show "just for her." It was PINOCCHIO!

Written by JEROME COOPERSMITH (The Apple Tree); Music by MARY RODGERS (Once Upon A Mattress); lyrics by SHELDON HARNICK (Fiddler on the Roof), Pinocchio, with Olga in the lead, won the New York State Council of the Arts GOLD MEDAL.

By now, several new, world-class puppeteers have joined the company, as Sully retired from the bridge to build puppets and supervise the productions. This is when JONATHAN FREEMAN came upon the scene, forging a life-long connection to Olga (and me!) in the make-believe arts.

BAIRD COMPANY ON TOUR

(from left) Sean O'Malley, Olga, Bill Tost, Jonathan Freeman, Byron Whiting, Peter Baird, and Carl Harms

Pinocchio, being the rousing success it was, prompted Bil to tackle another classic. This time, ALICE IN WONDERLAND (see earlier post.) It opened at the theater to rave reviews, and soon, Olga was on the road again, touring Alice across America. Olga played ALICE (live on stage and as the puppet,) the RED QUEEN, and TIGER LILY. All the marionettes were wonderful to work. Of course - - they were BAIRDS!

OLGA ON THE BRIDGE BETWEEN SHOWS

A child loved the show, saw it several times, and came back once to meet Olga - - dressed as Alice!

Olga wanted Bil to sign her copy of his book, THE ART OF THE PUPPET. He said OK but held onto it for several years. Whenever she'd ask about it, he would shine her on. Then one day in 1975, Bil, smiling impishly, handed her the book. Olga ran and hid, and in the privacy of under the stage, she sloo-o-o-wly opened the book and cried. She could not have been happier with what she discovered!