Running The Show: A Muppet Show Diorama for Gallery1988

Kermit is focused. He pores over the running order for the show. Big celebrity host tonight, he hopes the dressing room is prepped. He may have to cut an act or two for time, maybe talk to Fozzie about some of his weaker material.

A stack of bills sits at his right hand, just a few from the much taller stack stuffed into the drawer of his desk. They’re underwater. The rent is due. The performers are bickering and it’s absolute chaos backstage. But Kermit is focused. The show must go on.

Somewhere in the basement of the Muppet Theatre, Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker are loudly tinkering with their latest wacky invention. Up in the dressing rooms, Piggy is screaming at Gonzo over the stunt he pulled at rehearsal that now has her sequined gowns covered in pie custard and gunpowder residue. Sam Eagle is apoplectic that Animal copped some of his Fourth of July fireworks to add pyrotechnics to an Electric Mayhem performance.

And all the while, Kermit is at that desk, making sure all the puzzle pieces fit together, making certain the acts all get to the stage on cue, putting out the occasional fire (both figurative and literal) and ensuring the audience is entertained. Every once in a while he has to hit the stage to introduce an act, but a lot of his responsibilities involve wrangling his frantic cast and making sure the night is a success. And his home base for that is the backstage desk.

This week, Michelle and I have a piece in Gallery1988’s latest show, Raised By Rainbows: Puppet Pals. The show is curated by illustrator Luke Flowers, and focuses on film and television projects that feature puppets. Both of us have a substantial list of puppet-centric shows and movies we enjoy, but we didn’t hesitate to choose our favorite for this project. The Muppet Show.

While the wackiness on-stage at the Muppet Show was always entertaining, our favorite bits took place amidst the chaos backstage. And a lot of that chaos orbited Kermit’s desk. He’d be there, going over last minute changes or other theatre business, while his cast-mates buzzed around him in disarray. Michelle and I wanted to honor his hard work, his focus, his absolute reliable leadership, by making a diorama depicting Kermit at his desk, running the show.

If you want to see the Puppet Pals show, you can visit the Gallery1988 website. There are over 90 artists with pieces in the exhibit. They’re all amazing, and many of them will bring back cherished childhood memories. And if you’d like to see Michelle and I put this piece together, you can watch our process video at the link below.