a quirky voice

Fran Brill, Prairie Dawn and the women of Sesame Street

The shoes Fran wore while performing, designed to help her match the heights of taller male colleagues (image via my last trip to The Museum of the Moving Image)

Fran Brill’s work outfit included a headband outfitted with a microphone and a ginormous pair of platform boots.

She needed this unique ensemble to do her unique job: the first-ever female Muppeteer on Sesame street. Fran performed as Prairie Dawn, also the first female puppet to debut on Sesame Street, and later brought life to beloved characters like Zoe, Little Bird and others.

Fran Brill poses here with some of the many characters she brought to life (image via Wikimedia Commons)