TV Worth Blogging
by David Thiel, Program Director for WILL-TV
An insider's view of public television programming and the issues that help determine what and how you watch
Putting on the Dog
One of the side benefits I've enjoyed while working at WILL-TV has been the opportunity to dress up as a number of beloved PBS kids' characters. If you're ever at a WILL-sponsored event and see someone walking around as Clifford or Curious George, there's a better-than-average chance that I'm inside the suit. Last Saturday, however, was my first stint as Ruff Ruffman, the canine star of Fetch! It was quite a tail tale!
I get a real kick out of appearing as a costumed character. It allows me the chance to exercise my meager acting talents while retaining anonymity. It's fun to see how much I can express with only body movements and hand gestures. I truly enjoy interacting with the kids and experiencing the unconditional love many of them have for PBS favorites like Arthur, Super Why or Cookie Monster. As a bonus, I get informal feedback straight from the target audience; for example, Super Why! was expanded to twice a day due to the positive reactions and high level of recognition Whyatt and Wonder Red received at Urbana's "Read Across America" event earlier this year.
The costumes, which are official "walkaround" suits rented or borrowed from the producers, typically consist of six or more pieces, and some are even more elaborate. However, none had previously reached the level of complexity we discovered last weekend when it was time to get me into the Ruff Ruffman outfit.
Ruff appeared at a "family night" event at the Children's Discovery Museum in Normal, Illinois. As the costume was delivered directly to the museum, we hadn't had a chance to practice with it beforehand. And it didn't help that assembly instructions were not included!
The feet and leggings were straightforward slip on affairs, but the body was inflatable, which was a new experience for even a veteran such as me. (We were warned not to use the suit in windy conditions, which had me imagining myself floating over Normal in a dog costume.) A battery pack was hung from my shoulders and attached to an intake fan which zipped to a vent on the back of the suit. Many straps and pull strings were involved, and it wasn't always obvious where they were intended to fit.
As a result, Ruff's initial appearance was a bit...well, "rough." He didn't properly inflate and so looked somewhat crumpled. I felt as if I was inside one of the plastic bags people tell you not to allow your children to play with. I signaled my distress and we beat a hasty retreat to the safety of a secluded office.
The second attempt was much more successful, as you can see in the photo. The experience was very much like being within a balloon. I could see kids "hugging" Ruff, pressing faces and hands into his puffed-out belly. The tiny arms didn't allow me to do much other than a stunted wave or handshake, but they did allow me to occasionally pull my hands back into Ruff's body and operate his wiggling nose and ears. The kids really liked that, as they did when they rubbed Ruff's tummy and I thumped my foot repeatedly in response.
The two hours I spent as Ruff flew by, and I was sorry to have it end so soon, just as I was really starting to get the hang of performing in the suit. Ruff was packed up and shipped to his next destination. But perhaps he and I will meet again someday!
This upcoming weekend I'll be helping out at a couple of WordGirl events at the Urbana and Champaign libraries. For what I hope will be obvious reasons, I will not be dressed as WordGirl.
I’ve always told my wife if I could have any job in the world, it would be dressing up and entertaining people. What a fun job!
It is a cool job. When i was young, i tend to dress up as a clown and perform for my junior high school. I just don’t know why,i enjoy dress up like some funny/cute monster and make people laugh :D
Hehe cool, kind of a fuzzy celebrity then!!??
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