Martin P. Robinson

From Muppet Wiki

Martin P. Robinson (b. March 9, 1954) is a puppeteer who has performed on Sesame Street since 1980. His characters include Telly Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus and Slimey. He is currently married to writer Annie Evans.

Bio

Martin Robinson has been on staff at The Jim Henson Company since 1980. Early roles have included Mr. Snuffleupagus, Telly Monster, Slimey the Worm, and Buster the Horse, though all were previously performed by other people. He also perfomred Oscar's niece, Irvine, and has voiced many announcers. In addition to performing, he has played an active role in hiring and training puppeteers for local Sesame Street productions in Mexico, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Russia, and Bangladesh.

Other Henson productions that Robinson has performed in, outside of Sesame Street, have included the Farmer in Tale of the Bunny Picnic, the animatronics for Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Cat in the Hat on The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss.

Robinson's stage credits include designing, building and performing Audrey II in the Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, and set designing and building for the Broadway production of Frogs.

Robinson got into the business as a member of the Bil Baird Puppet Company. According to Sesame Street Unpaved, "Martin Robinson became a performer so that he could play a wider variety of characters than his "nice guy" looks would have allowed him to play."^[1]

Often, his Muppets are paired with Caroll Spinney's on Sesame Street, such as Telly and Oscar and Big Bird and Snuffy.

Henson Puppeteer Credits

• Sesame Street: Book, Buster the Horse, Dicky Tick, Irvine the Grouch, Monty, Mr. Snuffleupagus (1981-), Slimey, Squirmodine, Shelley the Turtle, Telly Monster, Vincent Twice, Yip Yip Martians
• The Muppets Take Manhattan: Rat, The Swedish Chef (hands), Muppet Babies
• Little Muppet Monsters
• The Tale of the Bunny Picnic: The Farmer
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Leonardo (face)
• The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
• A New Baby in My House: King Goodheart
• Dog City - Scratch McCollie, others
• The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss: The Cat in the Hat (Season 2), Civil Servants #1, #2, #5, and #6, The Milk, The Old Man,

Non-Henson Credits

Marty Robinson at a puppeteering workshop. Marty is a puppeteer scout for co-productions of Sesame Street.

• Little Shop of Horrors: Performed Audrey II for both the Broadway and Off-Broadway productions
• Spitting Image
• Allegra's Window': coordinated the construction of many characters, and performed characters.

Puppet Design Credits

• Designed puppets for the Broadway production of The Frogs

Trivia

• Robinson was born in Michigan and grew up in Brookfield, Wisconsin where he attended Brookfield East High school. A talented actor and musician, he played the lead in several musicals, including Bernardo in West Side Story and Fagin in Oliver.
• According to Street Gang, Robinson uses a converted greenhouse as his home workshop.

References

1. ↑ Borgenicht, David Sesame Street Unpaved page 189.