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Fifteen years ago
May. 16th, 2005 08:54 amFifteen years ago I was getting ready to graduate from the Yale School of Drama. I had some hours left on my work study and since I had gotten my thesis into my advisory committee for review, I had some time to spare probably for the first time since I entered graduate school. I found myself on running crew for “Pygmalion.” It was a fun show and the cast was really nice. We had a Matinee on that Wednesday for a bunch of school kids and a number of retirement homes. We were going to be fed between shows since the time was juuust enough to make it fall under both the Equity and Stage Hands rules.
I enter the green room and there were a number of people sitting around. The Sound Guy says to me, “So I heard Jim Henson died.” This guy had not been among my favorite people and he had rubbed me the wrong way more than once. “Really, “I said, ‘Where did you hear this?” “On the radio.” He said with a grin. Just at that point the actor who was playing Henry Higgins walked in, came up to me, gave me a light hug, and asked if I was OK. Then I knew it was true and the world came crashing down on me. I went up stairs and set my set pieces and made sure I had all the things I needed to do the show. I then went of stage left and cried quietly. I can remember cast and crew coming by to make sure I was OK. I managed to make it through two shows and get home. I called my folks and we all had a good cry.
I went to the memorial service that was very nice and cathartic. Then the rumors started that Henson died of Aids and the family revealed that Jim died of a massive bacterial infection. His kidneys shut down and he basically drowned in his own waste since his body was no longer processing it. There have been a lot of what-ifs about this. What if he had gone to the Doctor 24 hours earlier? What if the first Doctor had caught what was wrong with him rather than thinking it was extreme fatigue and a cold?
15 years later Disney owns the Muppets which they were going to do back in 1990 if Jim hadn’t died. Disney said that Jim’s death voided the contract. Brian went on to make the company worth more than it ever did when Jim was running it. Henson Associates is now the Jim Henson Company. This Friday we have the Muppets take on the Wizard of Oz. There are rumors of a new Dark Crystal movie or something. The work Jim did is alive and well. His family has kept his legacy going forward rather than sitting on his laurels.
Then there are all the people he touched. Ask just about any puppeteer people who influenced them and Jim will come up on the list. In my puppetry class we all expressed an appreciation and love of the Muppets and all things Henson when we were introducing ourselves. I think for many that love is a given and a touchstone we have in common. Henson influenced a lot of people outside the world of puppetry too and continues to find new audiences through his works.
He once wrote, “I believe in taking a positive attitude towards the world. My hope is that I leave the world a little better than I went I got here.” I think he did that and a whole lot more. I can only hope to do the same.
I think I need to work with puppets today in some shape or form.
I am grateful to Jim for being Jim.
I enter the green room and there were a number of people sitting around. The Sound Guy says to me, “So I heard Jim Henson died.” This guy had not been among my favorite people and he had rubbed me the wrong way more than once. “Really, “I said, ‘Where did you hear this?” “On the radio.” He said with a grin. Just at that point the actor who was playing Henry Higgins walked in, came up to me, gave me a light hug, and asked if I was OK. Then I knew it was true and the world came crashing down on me. I went up stairs and set my set pieces and made sure I had all the things I needed to do the show. I then went of stage left and cried quietly. I can remember cast and crew coming by to make sure I was OK. I managed to make it through two shows and get home. I called my folks and we all had a good cry.
I went to the memorial service that was very nice and cathartic. Then the rumors started that Henson died of Aids and the family revealed that Jim died of a massive bacterial infection. His kidneys shut down and he basically drowned in his own waste since his body was no longer processing it. There have been a lot of what-ifs about this. What if he had gone to the Doctor 24 hours earlier? What if the first Doctor had caught what was wrong with him rather than thinking it was extreme fatigue and a cold?
15 years later Disney owns the Muppets which they were going to do back in 1990 if Jim hadn’t died. Disney said that Jim’s death voided the contract. Brian went on to make the company worth more than it ever did when Jim was running it. Henson Associates is now the Jim Henson Company. This Friday we have the Muppets take on the Wizard of Oz. There are rumors of a new Dark Crystal movie or something. The work Jim did is alive and well. His family has kept his legacy going forward rather than sitting on his laurels.
Then there are all the people he touched. Ask just about any puppeteer people who influenced them and Jim will come up on the list. In my puppetry class we all expressed an appreciation and love of the Muppets and all things Henson when we were introducing ourselves. I think for many that love is a given and a touchstone we have in common. Henson influenced a lot of people outside the world of puppetry too and continues to find new audiences through his works.
He once wrote, “I believe in taking a positive attitude towards the world. My hope is that I leave the world a little better than I went I got here.” I think he did that and a whole lot more. I can only hope to do the same.
I think I need to work with puppets today in some shape or form.
I am grateful to Jim for being Jim.
