Matthew Janisse and Carolyn Miller learned a new skill while preparing for the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts’ production of the musical “Avenue Q” – puppetry. “Just puppeteering itself is a skill I didn’t have before this. I feel fairly confident with it now, but it’s definitely (challenging),” Miller said in an interview Tuesday afternoon. While performing with puppets, Janisse said, there are “lots of things you’ve got to be concerned of. Like, even just for example, speaking with someone, you have to remember the voice comes from the back of the throat ... So you have to find the subtle nuances that make people people in order to translate to make these ‘dead people’ come alive.” Janisse plays and voices the rod puppet Princeton, while Miller is Kate Monster. Unlike a typical puppet show, the actors appear onstage with their puppets with no attempt to hide them. “It’s actually really bizarre to work with it because you don’t necessarily use the normal acting skills you would as yourself,” Miller said. “So now using a puppet and having it have to be portrayed through the puppet but also portrayed through yourself, obviously, because you’re playing the character but you can’t emote as much as you normally would, it’s really bizarre. It’s like you have a growth.” Janisse said, “It’s fun. It’s interesting. Rick Lyons ... the guy who designed the puppets for the Broadway production, which are the same designs we’re using for this show, said it’s sort of like watching a foreign film with subtitles. You first look at both the actor and the puppet, but then it becomes seemless and one thing. So we’re not isolated from our puppets’ performance, we’re giving them life, but the main focus – our goal – is to be solely on the puppets so you have us disappear.” The actors performing as the puppets dress very neutral so the focus is on the puppets, Miller said. Some of the actors in “Avenue Q” have more than one puppet to handle. Janisse said Christopher Duffy, an actor in this production, plays two major roles, a supporting role and a bunch of different parts. There are also rod puppets and hand puppets in the show. Human characters include a married couple on the street and Gary Coleman (“Different Strokes”). “Gary Coleman is a pivotal character,” Janisse said. “It’s irreverent and hilarious.” The story in the musical begins with Princeton. “Princeton is sort of our introduction to Avenue Q. He’s a fresh-faced kid, just graduating from college, looking for a place to live in New York City, and he comes to Avenue Q, which is a world sort of like ‘Sesame Street,’ where they have monsters and puppets and real people, and it’s all about him discovering his life and what his purpose is supposed to be,” Janisse explained. In describing his first impressions of Avenue Q, Princeton – voiced by Janisse – said, “Well, Avenue Q seems really nice. First off, it’s cheap. And that’s always a plus for a recent grad. But, what really surprises me is how colorful the neighborhood is. There’s all types of different people. We have all races and all species, too. It’s pretty wonderful.” Kate Monster – voiced by Miller – said she lives on Avenue Q and she meets Princeton when he moves there. “And I’m actually a monster, so that’s actually one of the different kinds of races,” she clarified. “I guess Princeton would be more of a human puppet, and Kate’s a monster. It’s sort of explained in the show.” Princeton said, “And there are, of course, allegories to it being minorities. Monsters are the minority. And there are certain themes in that, that are, although this is a comedy, that does come up like there are undertreated opportunities for monsters.” Unlike “Sesame Street,” the story and themes in “Avenue Q” are a little more edgy and adult themed. “Out of context, there are sexual innuendos. The language, you definitely should be prepared for. There’s a few swear words dropped here and there,” Miller advised. “But, also be prepared to laugh because it’s all in the context of comedy. Nothing’s out of place. Nothing’s vulgar for the sake of vulgarity. There’s purpose behind these things, especially with the usage of the ‘Sesame Street’ archetype, it really expands what we can get away with because it’s more innocent if you’re watching puppets,” Janisse explained. Miller said it’s all lighthearted. It’s also a three-time Tony Award-winning show, winning for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score. “I love the music,” Miller said. “It’s not hard per se.” Janisse said, “It’s fun, it’s catchy. Robert Lopez wrote it, who has won a Tony for writing ‘Book of Mormon,’ and his big hit with ‘Frozen.’ So he’s a renowned famous lyricist, but this is one of his first gigs that he did so that all the jokes are clever, all the music is catchy, it’s fun to sing. And just because it’s the adult show – there’s one song that’s called ‘The Internet is for Porn,’ where I literally just sing the word ‘porn’ four times and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my entire life.” “Avenue Q” also might look like a combination of “Sesame Street” and “South Park,” but it does have a storyline throughout the musical. “There’s a through storyline, but we use those sort of ‘Sesame Street’ moments and turn those over their heads,” Janisse explained. “Instead of learning the word of the day, it’s like, ‘Oh, let’s learn how to not get an STD.’” Miller said the show is one of the funniest productions she’s ever been a part of as an actor. “It’s so funny, and it’s so clever, but in the core of it, it still has a great message and has a lot of heart,” Janisse said. “So people will come and think, ‘Oh, I’m going to be shocked.’ But they’re going to find they’re going to laugh their heads off and be touched in some moments.” Kate Monster said, “Enjoy the show!” “Come to ‘Avenue Q’ and see us!” Princeton added. For the complete video of this interview, visit the free video section at www.timesuniononline.com. Tickets are on sale at Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts or can be purchased online at wagonwheelcenter.org. Admission is $32 for adults, $24 for seniors, $18 for students and $14 for children up to age 12. Call the box office at 574-267-8041 with any questions. The show runs Tuesday through Sept. 6. Times vary by day. Presented by Parkview Warsaw.
