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a14 people & arts
Tuesday 20 OcTOber 2020
'Sesame Street' launches a podcast to help educate kids

By MARK KENNEDY ience and kindness, which "I kept remembering, 'OK,
AP Entertainment Writer is something we could all but if they can't see it, how
NEW YORK (AP) — What use a little more of these can we bring it to life?
has more letters than the days." What do we need to do to
alphabet? That's easy: The Each 15-minute episode will keep children engaged?'"
post office. revolve around a different she said.
That joke — sponsored by preschool-friendly topic, Foley, a new character, is
the letter A — is a high- from vehicles and animals voiced by Lindsey "Z" Briggs,
light of the first original to birthdays and learning a professional puppeteer
podcast from "Sesame the alphabet. There are since 2004 who, with her
Street," featuring music, in- recurring moments, like puppeteer husband, Chad
teractive games and Mup- "Elmo's Joke of the Day," Williams, created the com-
pets galore. "The Sesame songs and a game show. pany WonderSpark Pup-
Street Podcast with Foley "Today on the podcast pets. She previously gave
& Friends" is an offering on we're going to be talking all life to the Muppet Dalia for
Audible that gives some about the alphabet," Foley Sesame Workshop.
screen-free educational says in the first episode. "I "I've always loved making
entertainment to kids who love those A, B, Cs," replies different voices," she said
may be having spotty Mikee. by phone from her fam-
school lessons during the The first guest is someone ily's home in Springville,
coronavirus pandemic. who especially likes the let- New York. "My whole life, I
"We think it's so important ter B — Big Bird. The letters was always making funny
to have this other medium This image released by Audible shows cover art for "The Sesame A, B and C also join ("we sounds."
besides screens for play- Street Podcast with Foley & Friends." don't have room from D-Z," Since her new gig is just
ful, fun, engaging episodes Associated Press they argue) For the A, we voice work, Briggs doesn't
that are also curriculum hear alligator sounds and have to worry about ma-
driven and really address by 6-year-old, exuberant from the neighborhood, for B there are balloon nipulating puppets, lip syn-
the important educational Foley, "the sound-maker like Elmo, Big Bird and sounds. ching or coordinating with
needs for young children," monster." She's joined by Cookie Monster. "Each Schiffman Sanders previ- a TV monitor. "For me, it's
said Jennifer Schiffman her sidekick, Mikee the Mi- podcast really focuses on ously taught pre-school super freeing," she said.
Sanders, the director of crophone, a microphone school readiness skills," said and helped "Sesame "Not having to think about
content, education and with googly eyes. Together Schiffman Sanders. "It also Street" transition from a vi- almost half of that stuff is
research for Sesame Work- they tell jokes, sing songs addresses really critical so- sually vibrant TV show to an awesome."
shop. The podcast is led and host familiar guests cial emotional skills like resil- aural experience. Briggs, as well as her hus-
band and their two boys,
Ethan Hawke tapes audio 7, and 5, fled New York City
during the lockdown to
edition of acclaimed novel western New York. They've

‘Gilead’ found an unusual place to
create the podcast — their
town's fallout shelter. But
By HILLEL ITALIE she said. Winner of the Pu- they've made it work.
AP National Writer litzer Prize in 2005, "Gilead"
NEW YORK (AP) — When is the first of four Robinson The podcast kicked off last
week and there are 15 epi-
she learned that Ethan novels set in a rural Iowa
Hawke was working on a community in the 1950s. sodes, released Tuesdays
and Thursdays. Sesame
special audio edition of It's narrated by the dying
her acclaimed novel "Gil- Rev. John Ames, a Con- Workshop hopes families
will listen together, whether
ead," Marilynne Robinson's gregationalist pastor who
response was to get a bet- reflects on his family history Ethan Hawke poses for a portrait during the 2020 Winter in the car, making dinner
or before bedtime.
ter idea of who he was. and the suffering and tran- Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif., on
"I can't say I was familiar scendence he has known Jan. 13, 2020. Associated Press "It's been an absolute
bright spot in the midst
with his voice," Robinson in this "poor perishable
said of the four-time Os- world." The book's many "In 'Gilead,' the Reverend ing, was inspiring — so I of everything that's been
happening. It's been this
car nominee whose films admirers include former John Ames contemplates started reading," he ex-
include "Before Sunrise," President Barack Obama, 'grace as a sort of ecstatic plained. one thing that I can look
"Reality Bites" and "Boy- who has spoken of read- fire that takes things down Hawke's roles have ranged at and say, 'But you know
hood." But when Robinson ing "Gilead" while cam- to essentials,'" he said. "I from the born skeptics of what? We did this amazing
watched Hawke star as paigning in Iowa. read that and think of "Reality Bites" and "Before thing,'" Briggs said.q
a troubled priest in Paul Hawke has recorded an Ethan Hawke's voice. 'Gil- Sunrise" to the violently Solution Sudoku
Schrader's "First Reformed" abridged narrative of ead' is a great American committed John Brown,
she felt confident he could "Gilead" that was com- novel, and Ethan Hawke is the 19th century aboli-
inhabit the life of an aging missioned by Manhat- a great American actor." tionist whom he plays in
Iowa minister in the 1950s, tan's 92nd Street Y and In a recent email, Hawke the Showtime adaptation
one whom Robinson de- can he heard Oct. 19-29 remembered his first en- of James McBride's prize-
scribes as "a man deep in via www.92y.org/gilead. counter with Robinson, winning novel "The Good
conversation with himself." Bernard Schwartz, who when she read from "Gil- Lord Bird." The Rev. Ames,
"He (Hawke) speaks in a directs the Y's Unterberg ead" at Shakespeare and as much seeker in his own
sort of American way that Poetry Center, said in a Company in Paris, as a way as some of Hawke's
is well within the range statement that he thought "near Holy experience." more secular characters,
of what I understand my Hawke was an ideal nar- "Her humility as a person, is in his "wheelhouse," the
character to be speaking," rator. and the depth of her writ- actor says.q
Puzzle on Page 13