BEHIND THE SCENES @ KIDS-TV

A lot of people ask us what it looks like behind-the-scenes doing puppets on TV. I recently unearthed the Official Showtime-produced documentary about our series KIDS-TV featuring lots of backstage scenes. We shot in a studio in Manhattan called MOTHERS that was actually haunted by an Hungarian ghost named Henry. But that's another story. . .

The Flexitoon Puppets were brought to life by Craig Marin, Olga Felgemacher, Jonathan Freeman and Alan Semok with Ken Miele and Sal Denaro.

STUFF THAT MAKES ME SMILE

"It's all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago. . ."

Lesh/Hunter

The SHINING TIME STATION team

as

THE HAT SQUAD!

(Peter Baird, Alan Semok, Jonathan Freeman, Olga, Ken Miele, me)

Smiles with GABRIEL one Summers Day

Marionette Show in Forest Park, Queens

DAD and me, up on our roof, circa '71.

SVAARTA KATTAN (you heard me)

JIMMY STEWART showing puppets he made as a kid.

Kid show host, voice over guy, nice fella, HANK STOHL.

Young, free and easy one Spring day in Brockton, MA.

Art and Mrs Clokey. And a GUMBY storyboard.

Up and coming ventriloquist ALAN SEMOK. I predict big things for him.

Me working on the set of WGBH 21" Classroom Series "ALL ABOUT YOU"

During a break from shooting Shining Time Station, we went to Niagara Falls. Slowly I turned, and there she was. With OLGA on the deck of the MAID OF THE MIST.

MARKO PUPPET THEATRE

Memories of when my Bryant High School pal DUG COHEN and I started the first psychedelic puppet show THE MARKO PUPPET THEATRE.

This is Dug circa 1968. He knew a whole lotta stuff I didn't about music (he introduced me to the GRATEFUL DEAD and JOHN COLTRANE.) He also "dug" lighting, and that played a big role in all the MARKO shows. We were light heavy.

This is KEN MIELE. I met him because he was dating my first girl friend, BETTE. We hit it off right from the start. Kenny could also play a mean organ and guitar, and together we forged a rock and roll relationship that of course sequed into original music for the puppet theatre.

This is HOLLY SMITH. She was a councellor at Camp Limelight in South Fallsburg NY when the MARKO boys stormed into town on our first summer tour. She and I were instantly, immediately and mutually smitten, and by January we were living together. I taught her puppetry and she took to it like breathing. She also played piano and flute and could sew. So well in fact that when MARKO decided to tour the nation next summer and settle in San Rafael CA (and meet the Grateful Dead) Holly was the perfect puppeteer/team mate. Dug and Kenny in one van, Holly and I in the other.
Lotsa shows. Lotsa new friends. Lotsa love to go around.
We played the PUPPETEERS OF AMERICA FESTIVAL in Oakland in 1972. Dug took this shot of me and Holly and Kenny left foreground. My son said it looks like a scene from Forrest Gump(!)

Me.

Point Reyes, CA.

A new horizon was beginning to beckon. . .