Evelyn: It’s good to see you, Vanilla. I'm excited to talk to you.  

Vanilla: Yeah, thank you so much for joining me! You know, we've been working together for... [pauses to think] 4 years! 

E: Yeah, working alongside each other.  

V: Alongside each other for years, but have we really had the chance to sit down and really get to know each other? No, we haven't.  

E: This is great because I see you over there across the room and I just wonder, what is Vanilla up to? What is he thinking and feeling today? And we're just so busy! There's so much stuff going on. 

V: Yeah, we mostly just see a blur of all black going to the theater stage.  

E: That’s right – the parade of people in all black just walking to and from the theater. But look, Vanilla, we can talk for three hours today if you want.  

V: I don't know if we need to do that much.  

E: I guess we do have other things we need to do, don’t we? 

V: We have work to do and stuff, but we've got a few minutes. Just us.  

[Both laugh] 

V: So, for the people at home that don't know Wishing Chair, are you guys a department? Or just Wishing Chair?  

E: We're Wishing Chair Productions – we are our own department, but we’re closely connected with Children’s. 

V: So, Wishing Chair Productions and Main Children’s share a workroom space and share the Children’s department. So to start out, I'd like you to tell the people what exactly it is that Wishing Chair, and you, specifically do, because I feel like a lot of people assume that it's the Main Children's staff doing that.  

E: Right.  

V: But we are not puppeteers.  

E: Okay, so Wishing Chair Productions is made up of performing artists who have been hired to work full time for the library – we put on puppet shows for the public, and we create new puppet shows. All our shows are based on books, stories, or literature. And then as a team, we do a lot of different things. We're making puppets, we're fixing puppets, we're learning how to work puppets. Personally, I also create the posters for our shows and any graphic design that Wishing Chair needs done.  

V: Those are good!  

E: Thank you. I love doing it. It's really fun. And if there's little puppet clothes that need to be made, I am often the one making them. Sometimes Noel [Library Performing Artist] does that kind of work too, but I'm sort of the main tiny-puppet-clothes person.  

V: So the fabrics department is your job? 

[Evelyn laughs] 

E: Yeah, it is my job.  

V: So cool! Oh, because you quilt! 

E: Yeah, I do. I'm a quilter in my free time and I also used to make a lot of my own clothes. So I've been sewing for a really, really long time.  

V: Did you learn to do that for puppetry? Or did you use that skill that you already had and you’re like, well, I can do this. Maybe I should link those.  

E: I learned to sew back in college because I was a theatre major. You had to do what was called a practicum – you had to work on creating or building sets, or you had to work in the costume shop, or props, sound or lights. The first place that I got assigned was the costume shop and I learned how to sew. It was disastrous at first, but I learned and it didn't take long before I was like, ‘Oh, I love this. This is awesome’. So, for a long time, I made costumes, and then I made my own clothes, and then I got into quilting. And then I got this job here at the library, and they were like, ‘What sorts of things can you do?’ And I said, ‘I sew!’ And besides the puppeteering and all that, it's really helpful if everyone kind of has a specialty area, right? Like a little specialized skill set. So Noel's is puppet fabrication – which by the way, she's amazing at making puppets. She whipped up a puppet today.  

V: She made one in a day?! 

E: Yes, this morning I went down to the studio. And I was like, what are you up to? She said, ‘I'm making a new book puppet.’ 

V: Like Lolly? 

E: Yes, like Lolly.  

V: Oh, we were talking about Lolly the other day, because our new associate, Danielle, didn't know about that video series.  

E: She needs to watch it.  

V: I told her to go sit over there in front of the TV and just watch all of them.  

E: Yes! So Noel is making a new book puppet to go with Lolly and the other book characters that she had made before. She was already halfway through it. Amazing. I went back down after lunch and she was like, here it is. It's done. And I thought, are you kidding me!?  

V: So, what is that, like a five-hour puppet?  

E: Maybe? I mean, not even.  

V: She is so impressive. She's so talented. Like, I've seen Lolly the Library Book. I've seen the wizard book.  

E: Yeah, Steve the Wizard and Robin Goes to Mars.  

V: Is that the orange one?  

E: That's the orange one! The new one is bright yellow. It's called Jo's Garden and it has a flower on it. 

V: That's so cute! 

E: It's so cute!  

V: Who's Jo?  

E: No one. She just made it up.  

V: [laughs] I love it.  

E: So yeah, in addition to being an excellent puppeteer, Noel is really good at making puppets of all kinds. Will [Puppet Truck Program Supervisor] is really good at woodworking. Pete [Library Performing Artist] is really good at building and songwriting. Walt [Puppet Truck Performing Artist], he's really good with anything sort of tech related – video and sound and lights. He's our newest team member, so he’s also learning a lot about puppet building, creating props, doing repairs, stuff like that. And I’m here with the fabric and textile skills.  

V: Wow, you guys have all the bases covered! When you got this job, did you already know about puppetry? 

E: I did. Enough.  

V: Well, is it a requirement? Like, do you have to know puppetry to work here?  

E: It certainly helps! By the time I went full time, I had been working with Wishing Chair off and on for several years in different capacities. Years ago, I met Brian Hull… 

V: The Professor?  

E: Yes, the Professor! I met him and Mary when I was doing a show, because I'm a local actor as well. So I do shows around town sometimes. 

V: A local celebrity, yes. 

E: Ha! I don't know about that.  

V: My mom saw you in 9 to 5. She said you were so good!  

E: Oh, thank you. Well, I was doing a show called Avenue Q, which is mostly puppets, and Brian and Mary popped over to the theater and did a consultation for us actors. I'd always loved puppetry and just had never had a chance to really play with it. So as soon as we started getting into it, I was like, OH I LOVE IT. It's really fun. And I loved Brian and Mary. And I that's when I first learned about Wishing Chair, that we had this program here in Nashville. I had not known about it before then. This was like 14 years ago.  

V: See, I was going to ask, but I didn't know if that would be rude or not.  

E: No, it's not rude, not at all. Yeah, it was quite a while ago. Basically, at that point, I was like, I need to figure out how to get a job with them. So they started calling me in if they ever needed an extra puppeteer. Sometimes Brian would need help with something, and he'd get me in for some contract work, so that was wonderful. But I just kept showing up and kept learning. And this is where I learned marionettes. I had never worked with marionettes before because that's a specialty sort of skill.  

V: So, what did you do before? Did you only know the hand ones?  

E: Yeah, I had only ever done hand puppets. 

V: That seems like the most common form of puppets.  

E: Yes, definitely. Well, think of the Muppets. I grew up watching the Muppets and loved them. I just took to it. That's the form of puppetry that's in Avenue Q and it was so much fun. 

V: Did you do the puppets in Avenue Q? 

E: I did! 

V: That's so cool. Avenue Q is so awesome! 

E: Avenue Q is a great show. Such a great show.  

V: Oh, it's funny because well, it's Pride Month, so we can bring this up. I was watching the other day the song "If You Were Gay" from Avenue Q.  

E: Yeah! If you were gay!  

V: But not me. But it's OK if you are.  

[Both laugh] 

V: So, you know, it is ok if you are. 

E: I am a little bit gay. Are you a little bit gay? 

V: Not me, but I have two moms! 

E: Wonderful! 

V: So were they doing that at TPAC or where were you?  

E: No, that was at a company called Street Theater.  

V: OK. So does it still exist today? 

E: Street Theater does still exist today. They're in a whole different space now and they do really great stuff. I love the shows that they do. It's kind of like, off the beaten path.  

V: So it’s a, you gotta know to know situation. 

E: Yeah. You got to know.   

V: Now we know! 

[Evelyn laughs] 

E: Yeah, they're a great theater company.  

V: That's so cool. You guys in Wishing Chair have such interesting backgrounds. We don't always get a chance to really talk to you guys like that, just like in passing. So we don't really know what you guys do besides like: I know that they do puppets. I saw them do that show.  

E: A lot of us have dabbled in theater in some form or fashion. Library Pete is a trained clown. He went to clown college, he can juggle. 

V: Of course. 

E: He’s done shows with Nashville Repertory Theatre and other companies in his past as well. Noel also had a whole life working in various aspects of the performing arts before she got here.  

V: Right.  

E: It's just really cool, the breadth of experience that then leads us here and what we can all bring to the table, you know. How did we get so lucky to have such an amazing group of people all together, in one department?  

V: Yeah! For each of you to bring such different and amazing things to the department. Specific things.  

E: Very specific.  

V: But like it's not the same specific thing that someone else can do.  

E: I know! 

V: I think it's kind of amazing.  

E: Yeah. Well, and that the job exists – and that there's enough room within the position for us to utilize our diverse sets of skills. 

V: Right.  

E: Everybody needs to understand puppetry, but there's space for us to each bring our own skills. And then we adapt our job positions to highlight what we do best, you know.  

V: But it seems like you all have a time to shine, because Library Pete, he gets to go up there and juggle every week for the kids, which is awesome. 

E: I know! 

V: But then like, didn't you get to make the clothes for the goat puppets in the last show, Rockabilly Road, about the Three Billy Goats Gruff? And those are so cute. Like, I feel like it really captured the essence of each goat. 

E: Thank you! I loved making their little outfits. 

V: So, it seems like you all get to have your shiny moment. Which is cool.  

E: It is really cool.  

V: But how long were you part time before you got to be full time?  

E: Well, OK, so I was contracted for a few years, and then part time for I don't know, maybe three years. And now I've been full time for…five.  

V: OK. So, you became full time right before I got here. Exciting! 

E: Yeah! 

V: But you weren't doing the story times then, right? You were on the puppet truck. 

E: I was more on the truck then, yes. And I still work on the Puppet Truck. But when The Professor and Mary Mary retired, I was lucky enough to get ushered into Mary Mary's Storytime spot. And all my dreams came true! Not even kidding. I love Storytime so much. I love it. So that was just a really beautiful gift. I hated losing Brian and Mary, but it meant so much to me to be able to step into that role. 

V: I love story time! 

E: Me too. 

V: The people do love Dr. Ev and Coco.  

E: I think they mostly like Coco, but that's ok.  

V: But the lab coat, it's cool.  

E: We try to decorate it. Lots of things to look at.  

[Both laugh] 

V: Did they make you audition to be on stage? Or was it like a hierarchy where you were here longer than the other puppet truck people?  

E: I guess I was probably the one that made the most sense because I'm a stage performer, an actor, a singer – all that stuff. Plus, I was already full-time. 

V: True.  

E: And so, I'm really comfortable performing in front of an audience. I wasn't going to have to get used to it or be trained to do it.  

V: Yeah, that makes sense. I actually don't even remember when you started. I just remember you always kind of doing it. It's like they left, and then you just walked on the stage.  

E: Literally!  Library Pete walked me through the general structure of it before my first Storytime, and as we performed over the first few weeks, we worked out the kinks and developed our rhythm. It was great, because he's got his routine down, the things that he loves to do and that he's worked out over the years in Storytime – and just making sure that we could work together seamlessly in that way. 

V: Right. 

E: He'd kind of instruct me along the way, remind me, oh, hey, this is when I'll do this and this is when you'll do that. And it wasn’t too long before Mr. B joined the Storytime rotation, which was another fun addition. So now we all just get up there and vibe together, you know.  

V: It's a good vibe! Good show. If anyone hasn't had an opportunity to see you guys in Storytime, they really should. Even if they don't have a child. 

E: Yeah, I think that Storytime should be for all ages.  

V: I think it is for all ages! I think everyone should have an opportunity to enjoy a show.  

E: Yes! 

V: Enjoy a show, because that's what it is.  

E: That’s it! 

V: You guys get up there, you guys are performing. And then there just happens to be like a couple of books. Which I actually take a lot of inspiration from you guys. I want to go up there and perform and give the audience a good show.  

E: Yeah.  

V: But then also, hey, here's a book. 

E: I know. Well, I love when a book can just sort of fit right into that, because it doesn't have to be, ‘And now we're serious and reading a book,’ right? ‘Be quiet. You have to listen to a book.’ No, it's fun! 

V: Right! 

E: That's what we're here to do. Part of our job is trying to show them that reading is fun. 

V: That’s like our whole thing, 

E: Let me read you a book. Don't be afraid. They're fun! 

[Both laugh] 

V: OK, I want to switch gears a little bit and talk specifically about what you do.  

E: Ok!  

V: I would also like to invite Coco and my mom to the interview to make it a party! 

E: Sure, since we are talking about Storytime, we should probably welcome Coco.  

V: So for this part, we want to talk little bit about your Storytime. Like, do you, I guess really this might be a silly question. Do you guys ever get nervous before story time?  

C: No, of course not.  

E: No, I typically don't. I'm just so used to it. It's just fun. So I'm just always excited to get started and start chatting with whoever, whatever puppet friend I'm with. If it's Jahmbi the Alpaca or if it's Tommy Dog or whatever. I don't get nervous anymore. 

V: So was there a time when you did get nervous? Coco, I don't know how old you are, so I don't want to assume.  

C: Right. Thank you. Yes, I've been part of this with Dr. Ev since the beginning. But yeah, no, I don't get nervous either because I'm fabulous.  

V: I have heard that.  

C: Yes.  

V: And you look amazing. I just, I can't stop looking at it [Coco’s hat]. 

C: There's a lot of movement. Do you see? [Coco waggles her head from side to side] 

V: I do. I do see.  

C: Do you see? [still waggling her head] 

E: Coco, you look amazing. So good.  

V: Yeah, she does look really good.  

E: She's too fabulous to get nervous. I think when I was first experimenting with Coco, I was like, oh, my gosh, is this going to work? And then pretty quickly I realized, oh, yeah, this is it. I also didn't know who my character was going to be at first, my puppet character. And, you know, I'd had the advice from other puppeteers to just try something – you don't have to be married to it.  

V: Right.  

E: If it doesn't stick, find something else. But she was literally the first puppet that I tried in Storytime.  

V: Yeah? 

E: I found her in our random hand puppets collection and thought, OK, what could she be? And I decided on fashion because I love fashion and I love costume history.  

V: So pulling from real life. 

E: Exactly. Pulling from my own knowledge.  

V: Right.  

E: Also, the idea that, well, if she's a fashion cow, I mean, she could change her outfit every week.  

V: Right.  

E: And that sounded fun to me. So like personally, I was like, oh, my gosh, nobody's ever going to know what Coco's going to show up and be wearing, which is delightful.  

V: It makes people want to keep coming back to story time.  

E: I mean, we can hope! 

[All laugh] 

E: Anyway, then I had to find her voice and that was me in the car driving around, just experimenting with different voices. We had some real duds. Then eventually I decided that we would be inspired by Moira Rose from Schitt's Creek. 

V: I do feel that a little bit.  

E: There's just her vibe in there. I'm not trying to do a full-on Moira Rose impression.  

V: Right.  

E: But it was asking myself, what do I like about her? And so, I decided to just take that and turn it into something that worked for me. And it was clear that it worked pretty early on. So, yeah. And honestly, you know, Coco's just so confident in her fashion.  

Haylee: I love it. I mean, Coco, we've seen your video out there [Main children’s department], you know, the super cool video you do about fashion.  

C: Fashion is art! 

H: Teaching the kids about art and fashion. I love it. 

C: Also, Miss Haylee and Vanilla, did you know that fashion is for everyone? 

H: I think you said that in the video.  

C: It's my catchphrase. Fashion can be anything! 

H: Yes.  

C: Go be fashion!  

H: I love it.  

C: Vanilla, you are being fashion right now.  

E: Yes. Oh, my goodness. The boots.  

C: Stop it! 

V: Yes. We're too close to Broadway not to wear cowboy boots. Now I feel like I need a catchphrase.  

C: It's helpful.  

V: Hmm.  

H: Do kids ever come up to you and say the catchphrase? 

E: No, she doesn't say it a ton in Storytime. It's been mostly in her videos. She does like to announce herself in Storytime.  

C: Yes, it is I, Coco, the Fashion Cow! 

E: So she'll say that.  

H: I will say at the desk, we usually get more requests for your stamp than the others, even Vanilla's stamp.  

C: I didn't know Vanilla had a stamp.  

H: He does! He's wearing a party hat. 

C: Oh, my. Oh, fashion! 

V: Yes. I used to wear a party hat.  

E: I did not know that. 

V: I stopped wearing it when Parsley left. When Nikki went to Bellevue.  

E: Oh, we miss her. We miss Parsley. She was a good time.  

H: What about Nikki?  

E: Of course! 

H: Shout out Nikki! 

E: Shout out Nikki! 

V: But mostly Parsley. Do you have a best friend, Coco?  

C: It's Dr. Ev! 

H: That's so sweet.  

C: Oh, Dr. Ev likes to come and get in my house and go through my wardrobe and look through my scarves and my hair bows and my hats and accessories.  

E: She has quite the collection.  

H: I really like all the hats and scarves you wear Coco. I don’t think I could pull them off. 

C: Miss Haylee, I have always wanted to know, how would you describe your own personal style? 

H: I would say I dress for comfort, but sometimes I dress for style. My inspiration for my style would probably be cowboys and western. 

C: I really like your ear lobe decorations — sometimes I wear earrings but they're not quite the same. I think yours are wonderful! Can you tell me more about them? 

H: I started stretching my ears when I was a freshman in high school because my younger did it first and I thought it was so cool. They started out the size of a regular earring, but now they’re probably quarter size. For people who want to try stretching their ears, I recommend lots of patience. 

C: Is there anything you don't like to wear, personally? Like for example, Dr. Ev's wife, she does NOT like to wear dresses or skirts. She won't do it! It's just not her thing. What's not your thing? 

H: I would agree with Dr. Ev’s wife. I do not like to wear dresses or skirts. I like to be able to run around. 

C: You probably know that I encourage everyone to have a signature look. Mine is fashion accessories for the top of my head! Like scarves, or bows, or ribbons, or hats! I see you wearing a lot of fun vests. Would you say that is your signature look??? 

H: I have noticed and I love it! I usually wear fun vests for Storytime, especially it matches the theme. I would say my signature look would include denim. Lots of denim. Oh, and my hat! I love to wear my hat when I can. 

V: We're going to pause here. Come back for part 2 to read the rest of the interview!