Elmo Comes to Vineyard Haven

If a weekend full of Halloween events is not what you’re hoping for, there is a very special event happening this Saturday night sure to please every member of your family. The will be presenting “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey” at the . This documentary, which uncovers the man behind everyone's favorite furry red friend, has already earned a number of prestigious awards including the Special Jury Prize Documentary at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.  And Jada Yuan of New York Magazine says, “It is impossible to come out of this documentary about Kevin Clash, the man behind Elmo, without wanting to hug someone.”-

While Elmo is beloved by children of all ages around the world, few people know his creator, Kevin Clash. Clash dreamed of working with his idol, master puppeteer Jim Henson as a kid. Displaying his creativity and talent at a young age, Kevin ultimately found a home on Sesame Street where he brought Elmo, now the show’s most widely known character, to life.

Clash’s Muppet™ characters include Elmo, Hoots the Owl and Baby Natasha. Clash began building puppets at the age of 10, and as a teenager began his career performing on Baltimore’s Harbor Front and local television. He came to Sesame Street after attracting the attention of Muppet designer Kermit Love. Since then, Clash has won numerous awards and Emmy’s. He is now Sesame Street’s Senior Puppet Coordinator and Muppet Captain as well as Sesame Workshop’s Senior Creative Consultant.

One of Clash’s most recent projects was the direction of the Muppet™ segments of the PBS primetime special, “Families Stand Together: Feeling Secure in Tough Times” - a bilingual (English and Spanish) outreach initiative with useful strategies and information to help families talk, come together, and reach out for support in tough financial times. The special features in depths look at three families, including the Chivers family who live in Edgartown.

“Being Elmo” is narrated by Whoopi Goldberg and includes rare archival footage, interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O’Donnell, Cheryl Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney and others and offers a behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop. It is 80 minutes long, not-rated and a delight for all ages.

"Being Elmo a Puppeteer's Journey" 7:30pm ; Adult: $8.00; Members: $5.00