Meet Peter Linz, Renowned Puppeteer

 It would not be Halloween in Katonah without walking up Terrace Heights and stopping by "Creepy Pete's" house. Peter Linz, a renowned puppeteer and all-around nice guy, recently talked to Patch about his work and life in Katonah.

He has had a long career with the Jim Henson Company and Sesame Street and has played characters such as Tutter and Pip on Bear in the Big Blue House. Add to that a successful run on Broadway's Avenue Q and several movie credits.
 
What attracted you to puppetry?
I have always loved it, even in my earliest memories. I grew up at the exact time when the Muppets and Sesame Street became well-known, so being on children's TV was always in the front of my mind. After a detour to earn a psychology degree, I pursued my passion. I believe there is something enchanting and engaging in a simple puppet. Even Miss Piggy can express emotion by seeming to actually bat her eyelashes. Puppets require an active viewer to appreciate this.
 
Who are some of your all-time favorites?
Well, Tutter from Bear in the Big Blue House is a great character. I love the challenge of getting so much expression from basically a sock puppet with no mechanisms. I'd also have to say that Cookie Monster is a simple and brilliant character. He is irreverent yet full of love - you know, he just really WANTS the COOKIE!
 
Your home has become a must-see destination on Halloween night in downtown Katonah. How did that start?
Back in 2000, I took over a tradition of displaying fake headstones at our home from the Fowler family. I added a serpentine path toward the candy basket through a "graveyard." I have experience with set-design and props so with some fog machines and lighting, our "graveyard" has welcomed around 1,500 kids in one night.
 
What makes Katonah a unique place to live?
This town is really an oasis in Northern Westchester - I feel so lucky to have landed here! There are no airs here though the town attracts so many successful, creative people. Perhaps because it is so aesthetically pleasing and laid-back: The historic homes, the lack of chain stores, the school and town all in walking distance, it is fabulous. Personally I love that the store-owners really get to know their customers: Noka Joe's, Kellogg's and Lawrence, Charles Department Store and all the other shops.
 
Are you excited about the new exhibit of the Art of Contemporary Puppet Theater that just opened at the Katonah Museum of Art?
I am very excited about it. In fact, I will be at Family Day at the Museum on Sunday, the 16th of May. Me and my puppet Theo the Lion will be appearing there to interview some puppetry professionals. I also love to do my variety show at home birthday parties.
 
It must be so cool for your three kids to have a Dad who is a famous puppeteer.
They love to visit me on the set when I work. But I guess for kids, whatever it is your parents do for a living, is just normal to them. A funny thing I do remember, however, are my twins as little girls playing with their dolls and admonishing me for intruding with my puppet voices: "Daddy, that is NOT what our dolls sound like!"
 
What would Katonah's mascot puppet look like?
Maybe a raccoon wearing Birkenstocks.