Thirty Years Ago Today
Posted By Kathleen David on May 16, 2020
May 16, 2020 Saturday Day 62 of the Homebound Saga
Thirty years ago, the day was a Wednesday. I was at the Yale School of Drama finishing up my third year. My last work study assignment at the Yale Rep was on the rail for Pygmalion and we had a Wednesday matinee of a shortened version of the play for an audience of school aged people. The rail was going to be a bit trickier and I went in a bit early and made sure everything was in order and ran my changed cues with my fellow crew members to make sure it was safe for the actors.
I came back down to the green room and sat down to eat my lunch when the one crew member I did not get along with came in for his call. He saw me there and said, “I didn’t expect to see you since Jim Henson just died.”
I chose not to believe him since he had tried to get a rise out of me before. That quickly crumbled when my stage management mentor came in and asked if I was okay.
I went up to my rail position, sat on the floor, and started crying as quietly as I could. Richard, who was playing Higgins and I had become friends with, came up to check on me. He gave me a hug and told me he was sorry for my loss. A number of the cast and crew checked in with me that day. I made it through my cues, went home, and just lost it.
For many puppeteers, Jim Henson is their spiritual godfather. His body of work has influenced so many. I know many people who owe their careers to Jim.
The puppetry world is not that big. It is probably three degrees of separation rather than six. If I don’t know someone, I know someone who knows them.
The number of people who met Jim is getting smaller along with the group that worked with him. There are practically two generations that did not have Jim Henson in their lives the way I did.
He will never be forgotten. He and his work has become a part of our lives and our culture.
Today at 4:00 pm EDST there will be a tribute to Jim on muppetguystalking.com. I plan on watching it.
The rest of the day I am putting on various Jim Henson projects to watch as I work on puppets today.
Even after thirty years, it still hurts that he is gone. But I take comfort in the Rainbow Connection that he forged between us.
I am grateful for Jim Henson.
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