I was an intern at Sesame Street. AMA!

Is this AMA brought to us by the letter V? For Verification?

Do you know how to use verification? I'm not sure how to submit proof

EDIT: Figured it out, thanks!

Read the comment above from the moderator. You need to submit some sort of proof (usually in picture form). Maybe like a picture of your work ID for Sesame Street (with your name blacked out)

Thank you! I don't have my ID on me (it's at home) but I just showed an old Facebook status and a youtube video with me in it.

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?

Astoria in Queens! Take the 1 train downtown and get off in Astoria. Walk 2 blocks North (past the TGI Fridays) and the studio is right there!

Well now the illusion is ruined.

Then you realize Sesame Street is down the block from the Orange is the New Black prison.

that's an amazing coincidence.

Please tell me you have your own comedy special on HBO

Points!

Is Bert and Ernie's life really like it's shown on /r/bertstrips?

Yes

Growing up as a kid my favorite character was Oscar because he kept it real while occasionally having a few soft moments. Is he still the same old grouch I used to love?

Yes. Caroll Spinney does both Oscar and Big Bird! He really knocks it out of the park when he had to do both in one day (which they try not to let it happen)

Good to hear! I will now happily sing "I Love Trash" until I piss off the people around me as my day has gotten a little bit better!

Me too!

What was your favourite moment?

This is hands down my favorite moment and will stay with me the rest of my life. My first day was an old man's last day. I was told that I needed to help him pack up his boxes. No idea who this guy was. I was told he did the music. As I'm packing up his boxes (Literally took from 10 am to about 4 oclock non stop with no lunch), I learned everything about this man's life. He gave me lessons on "How to not give a ****" and "Enjoy life". This man was an intense Brooklyn 80 year old man. He really did feel like Carl from Up. As I was going through the boxes. I found a script for "Follow That Bird" with some notes on it. The handwriting was very scratchy. I asked whose notes were they. He says "Oh, those are Steven's." Then it dawned on me. I'm holding in my hands the notes of my favorite director of all time, Steven Spielberg. Soon, I learned this man was the creator of my favorite animated movies growing up. His name was Tony Geiss and he was the creator of "An American Tail", "The Land Before Time", and "Fievel Goes West". He also wrote all of the Sesame Street movies in the 80s and 90s. He gave me this script and told me to follow my dreams. This old man truly inspired me and changed my life that day. He told me a couple conversations that him and Steven had and apparently they were close but then age happened. He also told me that he never had any children with his wife. They weren't able to have children but they had no regrets. Both of them entertained and wrote the music for Sesame Street for most of the show and viewed every child viewer as one of there own. His wife died earlier that year. He also wrote "Don't eat the pictures" which was a favorite child hood tune of mine. Sadly the day ran out and he had to leave. Nobody really made a big fuss of him leaving and retiring. This saddened me. Tony died a few months later and I don't think a lot of people went to his funeral. He made such a huge impact on my life. I hope to one day ask Steven about Tony.

I wonder what happened to all his stuff. Surely some of it would be of interest to a Smithsonian style museum or performing arts school collection.

Completely agree. I've tried finding more information on this guy over the years. But I can't find anything but books he's written.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/arts/television/31geiss.html?_r=0 ^{^} Here is his obit. Such a long great career

I recommend you contact the head of the performing arts library at Cornell (his college), share your story of the experience and the materials you saw, and ask if they would consider acquiring his papers for their collection.

Here is her contact info: Bonna Boettche
Director, Music and Fine Arts Libraries 607/255-7126
[email protected]

Do you have a personal email I can get in touch with you with? Not sure how I should approach this. Which papers do you mean? Do you mean the script?

I'd prefer to stay anonymous but PM me if you want me to read a draft of your email or something. I just happen to know a little about the world of academic library/archive/museum curation.

I don't mean the script he gave you--that's yours. But, the materials you helped pack up in his office--scripts, manuscripts, sheet music, etc. would all be pretty useful for performing arts scholarship. In this context, "papers" means "creative or historical stuff", more or less.

It's been a few years since he died, so his papers may be gone by now, or maybe they've already been picked up by some institution (I didn't look), but it does sound like great stuff from your description, and I'd really like to see his papers in a proper archive.

I suggest you try Cornell because he attended, and his school would have an extra interest in possibly acquiring the collection for the University Archives if not the performing arts library. If Cornell doesn't bite, try Vin Novara at the University of Maryland--they have the Henson papers, so maybe they'd take these as a companion collection. If not them, the Museum of Television and Radio? If not there, the performing arts department of the NYPL. I would hope that one of these places would at least investigate whether the stuff has already been collected.

So, I say just send an email. Acknowledge that it's a weird request but you know of a cool collection and some anonymous Internet stranger who used to be a museum and special collections curator told you to share your story and try to get the collection into an archive. Explain how you came to see the stuff, list whatever you can remember about specific items, tell them about your script (but say you have no intention of contributing it--it's just to represent the sort of items likely to be in the collection), include the obit as you did here, and make a case for the value of this person/his papers to that institution. For Cornell, he was an alum and tremendously important to the field of performing arts. For Maryland, he was an associate of Henson, and worked on Sesame Street X years. For MTR, he was tremendously important in television and motion pictures and Sesame Street has been on the air X years and Y children watch every day. For NYPL, Sesame Street is a key popular representation of the urban experience and produced in NY for X years.

I'm happy to advise if you want to keep me in the loop. In fact, I hope you will. I think its well worth your effort to pursue this--maybe not to you personally, exactly, but it sounds to me like a great collection that scholars can really use. I hope you can make it happen.

I am going to pursue this. Thank you so much!

I just remembered another favorite moment of mine. It doesn't top the story with Tony but I would always sneak onto the roof just before the day was over. The view from Kaufmann Studios was a breathtaking view of the city. Almost always before the end of my day, I would watch the sunset. I had this feeling of "I made it" and it was one of the best feelings in the world.

very nice.

Thank you!

WE NEED PICTURES

I will gladly take some pictures of the script if you would like to see them. The script is in a box in my garage of personal stuff. I'll try and open the box this weekend some time for you all. It's not the full script, just the first 10 or 15 pages. He didn't have the rest of the script for some reason.

Ryan Reynolds looks so annoyed in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm_3bfAEpII

Did you get tickled by Elmo?

I had a very awkward encounter with Elmo on my first day. I was walking into the bathroom and out comes Kevin Clash (who I bump into) and he goes "EXCUSE ME" in the Elmo voice. Completely shattered my childhood. Had no idea Elmo was a big black man (not being racist, it just really surprised me)

When I saw him on the Netflix doc it totally threw me for a loop too.

Right!

Was the season you worked before or after the randoms from dating websites created that whole controversy?

Before

Was he creepy on set?

Not at all. He was really friendly and outgoing!

How weird is it to get a behind-the-scenes look at something that is so iconic? Anything really surprise you?

It was really bizarre. I would spend any chance I had on the set. Whenever I had downtime, I would immediately go down to the set and just watch them do takes. I learned so much from everybody involved! It really surprised me how the puppeteers stayed in character most of the time (even when talking to the directors). A whole episode would take a whole day to shoot so that surprised me how fast they would be. Also, I never realized how often they put out military specials for military families. So so cool.

Thanks for the great answer. I've often wondered how the children they bring on the show react to finding out their favorite characters are actually puppets.

No problem! Thanks for asking!

Is Big Bird a diva?

Not at all. He was the sweetest old man. He has so much wisdom. Can't wait to see his documentary coming out this year (I AM BIG BIRD)

For what season did you do work on and what did you do?

Did you get any celebrity guests?

Also, which is your favorite character?

I worked on the 41st season. Every day I worked usually had somebody famous. We were told we can never interact with them sadly. I did see Jude Law (who is incredibly shorter than I've ever imagined). I did have a bad run-in with Ryan Reynolds. He wasn't very nice and didn't seem happy to be there. My favorite characters are Big Bird, Gordon, and Super Grover!

Grover4life

Sucks that you can't talk to the celebrities

Not really. I understood that you needed to be professional around them so it didn't bother me much. My Ryan Reynolds experience completely killed my mood for meeting celebrities tho. There is one long hallway from the dressing rooms to the set. I was running some errand for somebody. Ryan Reynolds is at one end and I am at the other. It's a long hallway with no other doors so neither of us can escape running into each other. So as we walked passed, I nodded and said "Enjoy the day and Good Luck!". He gave a "PFT" and completely ignored me. Ever since then, he has not had a good movie. Kharma is a great thing.

He does seem like the person to do that.

I wasn't even trying to talk to him! He seriously hasn't made a good movie since! And Green Lantern was one of my favorite superheroes at the time! And he ruined that for me too!

Also my job was to hand out scripts to everybody on the set. Usually it was 40-ish people and I had to print out and correlate each script individually. Very challenging but a cool experience.

[deleted]

See below!

[deleted]

From below! > Not really. I understood that you needed to be professional around them so it didn't bother me much. My Ryan Reynolds experience completely killed my mood for meeting celebrities tho. There is one long hallway from the dressing rooms to the set. I was running some errand for somebody. Ryan Reynolds is at one end and I am at the other. It's a long hallway with no other doors so neither of us can escape running into each other. So as we walked passed, I nodded and said "Enjoy the day and Good Luck!". He gave a "PFT" and completely ignored me. Ever since then, he has not had a good movie. Kharma is a great thing.

Did he have good movies before then? He seems like a real bad actor, so it doesn't bother me that he is kind of an ass. It bothers me a lot more when it is someone who is much more respected.

Agreed! I did like "The Proposal" and "Van Wilder". Other than that, nothing.

Waiting was a pretty good one.

I was a waiter once too. Very accurate.

Which character do you like the most on sesame Street?

Big Bird. Watching Carol Spinney perform in costume really was a work of art. I'm also a huge fan of Roscoe Orman's (Gordon) work. He really gave the most energy to everyone on set and was so nice.

Did Cookie Monster ever share his cookies with you?

Yes. See video up top

Does everyone enjoy it as much as they seem to, or is it just a job?

Mixed feelings. Most people really enjoyed working there a lot! I could tell that a few people didn't enjoy it but most of them looked like they were having the time of their lives. You could easily tell who weren't into it.

Were you there when Michelle Obama was there?

I was very briefly. That day was my second day at the studio. They were in the middle of changing offices so most of the time that day I was moving boxes for people. I did not see her but I did see the President make a video call to every one on staff. He was saying how important it is that the show is still on and how it still appeals to young children and wished us luck that season! Hell of a way to start off.

Are there as many hook-ups and personal relationships between the cast as one would imagine (ie. burt and ernie, big bird and snuffy, oscar and the garbage can)?

I think Abby Cadabby and the new Count had a thing. Don't quote me on that.

I dont like that Jerry Nelson isnt there to be the count anymore

Me too. I was very sad when he passed away. In my season, he would perform with an oxygen mask on! He never let his age or sickness bothered him. I really admired how he would go the extra mile and just always want to perform. I really admired his strength to keep going.

You ever wander into other sets at Kaufman (on purpose or by mistake)? I remember never being able to figure out the layout of the place.

Yes. Walked onto the set of Nurse Jackie accidentally. Also tried walking into Kevin Smith's new movie at the time (Cop Out) but I could never get through.

Funny, Nurse Jackie is exactly the wrong set I walked to when I was first there.

Haha! When were you there? That's a great coincidence!

Fall of last year. I'd worked on shows there before but always on location, and I had to go to Kaufman for a fitting for Orange.

Orange is the new Black?

Love that show. I have a funny story involving Tastee and Poussey if you know of the actors lol

I want to hear your story about those two. I love that show.

So, just last year I had one of those "How May I help You Signs" at New York Jets games. Another internship that I had last year and I am coming back for it again this year. I might do another AMA this week and talk about that. Really fun time! Anyways, Poussey and Tastee came in and needed to pick up there tickets. I said where to pick them up (not realizing it was them) and they went to go pick up there game day tickets. Then I realized who they were and I went "Oh shoot". They were supposed to enter into the celeb cliental entrance gate at Metlife. I didn't know what to do so I tweeted at them! They favorited it and got the message. Not really a funny story but I'm glad I was able to give them the right directions after.

Yea, Orange is the New Black, went to check on my episode when it came up, Boom gone, its like I never existed. I know of the actors, yea.

Awe I'm sorry! Do you have a twitter? Mine is @dalybear. Love to share more Kaufman stories!

I actually don't. Maybe one day I will, but you have heard 100% of my Kaufman stories. I'm happy to hear any others though.

My only other Sesame St story is that the new SAG offices are in the same building as the office by Lincoln Center, and every time the elevator opens on their floor I get slightly excited.

As you should! Good luck on acting! Maybe one day you'll have an official AMA and I can be like, hey I was that guy from Sesame Street!

What's the funny story?

So, just last year I had one of those "How May I help You Signs" at New York Jets games. Another internship that I had last year and I am coming back for it again this year. I might do another AMA this week and talk about that. Really fun time! Anyways, Poussey and Tastee came in and needed to pick up there tickets. I said where to pick them up (not realizing it was them) and they went to go pick up there game day tickets. Then I realized who they were and I went "Oh no". They were supposed to enter into the celeb cliental entrance gate at Metlife. I didn't know what to do so I tweeted at them! They favorited it and got the message. Not really a funny story but I'm glad I was able to give them the right directions after.

Well it is awesome they didn't give you the "do you know who I am" treatment and you went that extra step to reach out.

Yes I think they liked it. One of them tweeted that they loved the people working there that day. Go Jets!

Did you get to keep any souvenirs?

I did. There was an episode where it was Baby Bear's birthday. I got to keep the banner they sewed together and I still have the banner! It's in my garage. Might hang it over my future child's bedroom one day.

Appx how many goldfish did they go through throughout the seasons for Elmo's pet, Dorothy?

Oh god. Now that is a mystery I can't solve. So many haha.

What do you want to do after your internship is over? What career are you looking at?

Currently, I make army training videos for the government. I have a wonderful girlfriend who means the world to me (no, that's not career related but felt like sharing that). I like my job a lot but I really really want to get back into television in some capacity. It's just too hard and none of my contacts have panned out. I'm still trying tho and not giving up!

What did you actually do?

My main job was delivering scripts to the actors and producers. The other parts of my job were delivering packages from the office to the set. Also I transcribed currently airing episodes from the previous season, and my transcriptions would eventually be the DVD subtitles.

Is Cookie Monster actually Tom Waits? I mean, seriously, have you ever seen them in the same place at the same time?

I have never seen them both at the same time.... OMG!!!

Whats Grover like in person? I heard he is a real fun guy to hang around with.

Grover has had a lot of performers over the years. I think when I worked there, Grover was a "she". She's was a wonderful older woman who was really sweet and caring. There was a 40th Anniversary celebration and I briefly saw her interacting with children on the streets of NYC. She was very nice and I hope she still performs as Grover.

What an awesome experience! How did you end up being an intern there? Were you a big Sesame Street fan as a kid?

Sorry, thought I answered this! Just a simple email from my college job board. I loved the Street as a kid and still do!

Any favorite bloopers you can share during filming when either a celebrity, cast member, or puppet goofed?

Yes! If a puppet messed up there line they wouldn't curse but they would say something like "Oh rasberries!" Instead of shit or another curse word. Michael McKean kept messing up his lines when he was a guest star but would just laugh it off. Most never goofed tho and were always spot on with lines.

How do I get to fulfill my one and only dream of meeting Cookie Monster?

Step 1: Have a kid Step 2: Call up Sesame Workshop and ask if your child could come on the show Step 3: Profit

My kid is 9, will that work?

Yes! Perfect age!

Dang! Don't have kids. Its just as well, I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan, so I doubt Cookie Monster would want to visit. He was always my favorite.

God Bless. I salute you soldier.

Do you know about the Muppett Dr. Ruster? My dad, who is a cardiologist, actually knew the man who inspired him and said that he was going to be brought up to the U.S. sometime in the future. But I don't know if this is true or not.

I remember them talking about bringing him to the U.S. but I don't know if it ever happened. Looks like a fun Muppett!

Please tell me that Bert and Ernie are in as much of a loving relationship on camera as well as off? That would make me very happy.

I don't recall I'm sorry. Don't wanna lie to ya!

Okay I'll bite: Least favorite moment?

bumping into Ryan Reynolds accidentally. See further down.

What did they feed you?

Cookies. No really, just cookies.

Any fun facts about the show you learned while working there that you would care to share?

There is a wall where all the celeb guests sign in crayon. Not sure if people know about this wall, but it was really cool to see! I haven't seen pictures of it. All of the props in Hoopers store are fictional brands that the design team came up with. Behind the door on the famous stoop, is a wall.

How is Elmo off set? Is he really as humorous as he is on TV? What is Cookie Monster's favorite cookie brand? Is Oscar really a grouch or is it just for the cameras?

I know there are a lot of rumors about Kevin Clash. From what I saw at work, he was nothing like the way the media played him out to be. I never saw anything that was remotely like that. During my time there, he was as professional and wonderful as the others. I was really sad when I heard he quit Sesame Street because of these allegations. I really hope all of that isn't true but I'll never know. He was very funny on set and would charm everybody with his humor.

Cookie Monster's favorite brand is Cookies. That's what was on the prop department in Hooper's store!

Oscar is a grouch. The actor, Caroll Spinney, is not.

What was your last day working there like?

I was really upset my last day. I had my college formal that night so I had to leave early. There was a wrap party that I couldn't go to and I really regret not going to it. They gave me a gift basket (baby books, stuffed animals, an alarm clark) and a couple on screen props which was really nice. I loved working for the writing department and that was the nicest surprise when I was leaving.

Who was your favorite actor on the set?

Caroll Spinney, Roscoe Orman, Bob McGrath, and Alan Muraoka. All of them were super friendly and out going. Watching any of them work was unbelievable. Caroll hones into his craft of puppetry well. Roscoe and Bob are just such professionals now. All of them just laugh and have a great time on set.

what was your favorite part of the job (ie set design/set up or interacting with kids)?

I didn't get to interact with the kids that much but when I did, it was wonderful. The kids were so excited to be there and couldn't believe it. It was really nice seeing how happy they were. My favorite part of the job was probably getting to watch the performers work. They were amazing.

Do the kids get to see the set like you do? Or do they play it up while they're there and try not to break the illusion?

They see the set like I do. They see everything they can. Instead of looking down at the puppeteers, the parents and director would just keep saying "Look up!". And they would just get captured in the moment and stare at the Muppet or Puppet. Illusion for some reason never broke around kids.

Thoughts on Mitt Romney?

I like his hair.

Do you agree that Elmo ruined the show? Oscar 4lyfe

No. I think Elmo came in at the right time to help the show out. I think with a show that's been on as long as Sesame Street, you need to add in things to keep the show fresh. Adding a character like Elmo did just that. I don't think he ruined it at all. I'm hoping the new Elmo works out great.

Do you think there is too much Elmo though?

Maybe. I think there's been too much Baby Bear personally

What is you biggest tip for someone who wants to write their own skits and things for youtube?

My tips would be to be creative and have fun. I used to write skits on youtube a long time ago and would love to bounce back into it. Keep writing and don't stop creating. I know that sounds really cheesy but that's what you have to do.

any chance you could link to some youtube work? I would love to watch/ Study it

I wish I could. They aren't on youtube anymore. They wore from high school days. Perhaps I'll start writing again tonight.

would you consider reading something of mine, and criticizing it ?

Absolutely! I love giving notes on things. Feel free to send me anything. Follow me on twitter @dalybear and send me a DM

Was the guy who acted/voiced Oscar a real jerk?

Not at all. He was such a Gentleman.

Were you and your co-workers familiar with the Broadway show Avenue Q?

What did you think of it?

I've always wanted to see Avenue Q! Just haven't had the chance yet to see it.

The big thing that my coworkers and I discussed a lot was Spike Jonze's new movie (Where the Wild Things Are). We all LOVED it. I wish that movie got nominated for some Oscars.

How hot is Alison Bartlett-O'Reilly in real life? I'm a father of two little kids so I watch this show ALL THE TIME.

I'd run into her more than the other actors. How about Maria tho? Am I right?

The older lady? Nitya Vidyasagar is hot though

I was kidding. She's like 70

Hello! May I ask you how does one end up as an intern for Sesame Street. I would love to be in part of something like that. How did you do it? Please do tell. Thank you.

I literally just applied from a college email my school put it out. I would check Sesame Workshop careers. I think it was July I got hired and then started that August. Good luck!

What did you major in college? And what position did you apply for? Thank you again for your answer :)

Double majored in Media Studies and Communications! I believe the position was just Season Media Intern. My official title after I hired was Script Intern. Check out some of there stuff!

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/employment/

Do you agree that slimey is the cutest muppet of them all? If not, why are you such a jerk face?

He's pretty cute. I might have to give the edge to Grover tho.

On the nerdist podcast, Moby claimed people have sex inside a snuffalupagus outfit as a rite of passage. I believe he heard this while partying with Brian Henson in the early 90s. What sort of culture is there now? What are the rites and rituals? Do you know any other apocryphal tales of the past? Is the snuffy thing true?

Nerdist podcast is my favorite podcast out there. I love Chris Hardwick and I can't wait to see what happens next to him. @midnight is great. I can definitely see him being a Jimmy Fallon/Conan one day. I remember the podcast your speaking of. There weren't really any rites or rituals that I know of. I don't think the snuffy thing is true lol

Does Caroll relate to his character in anyway?

Yes. He puts depth and range into both characters. Watching him work was wonderful.

What was your most difficult moment on the job? Was there ever a tough situation or did it go pretty smoothly?

Most difficult was keeping track of everyone's names. About 40 different people came and needed scripts. Each script had that person's name on it. I confused some people with others so it would be embarassing if I gave the wrong scripts (which happened often). No real tough situations except that happening.

HI!I seriously hope you had a great experience- I work for a PBS Station and joke "Big Bird is my boss!" Public Broadcasting and Sesame Street are basically the antithesis of the Cable Companies.

Congrats on a great opportunity, how did you dovetail with your studies and what you're doing now?

I really did have a wonderful experience! If I could work for PBS or Sesame Street again, I would be extremely grateful. That semester of college was probably my hardest semester. I was taking 18 credits along with my internship so I never had any free time. The experience taught me how to perform well under pressure and it also taught me how to be a better writer. The writers that I worked with were simply wonderful. Currently, I work for the department of defense making army training videos for soldiers. It's definitely fulfilling and I do feel like I make a difference with the videos that complement there training. That's so cool you work for a PBS Station. How do you like your experience?

I've worked for a few non-profits- my background is in policy- and this is straight up the most interesting and unique job. You have all the pitfalls of your every day non-profit, unique situations that occur only in television stations/studios, and the joys/trials of education groups thrown in on top.

We're in the unique position of being a SMALL station (around 30 employees) but we have 3 channels running 24 hours a day and we broadcast an area of 3/4 of one of the largest states in the US- nearly a quarter of a million people split between cities, mountains, ranching, mining, farming, and desert rural areas.

We also produce our own local shows and do education services for free to teachers and classrooms, but (much to the contrary of the general public belief) only 19% of our total funding comes from the federal government. We raise the other 81% mostly from viewers.

It's a crazy challenge, but it is the most rewarding feeling at the end of the day. It doesn't hurt that I grew up, not only with PBS, but specifically watching this station- our 'birthdays' are 2 months apart to the day.

That's amazing. You should be very proud. Good luck to ya!

Do you know Chris and Will? Actually, Chris isn't there anymore, I think.

I met Chris and he was a really nice guy. I believe you're referring to Chris Knowings. He would do anything needed for the scene and was always committed to whatever the skit was. Not sure if he'd remember me tho. Which Will are you referring to?

Haha, no. I was just thinking about the guys I know that make the scenes and the puppets and stuff. Don't want to say their last names on the interwebs!

OHHHHH!! Yes, I believe I know who you are talking about. Are they heavily involved in the prop department? If so, then I know who you are talking about.

How much blow does Snuffleupagus go through each episode?

STAY AWAY FROM THAT STUFF SNUFF!

anyone fuck on set?

IT'S A CHILDREN'S SHOW!

Is the joint full of pedophiles?

Nope. Everyone was really nice and professional! Shame what happened with Kevin Clash. Did not see that one coming at all.