Marilyn O'Connor Miller has returned home to Connecticut after 37 years in the Midwest as a storyteller, recording artist, television performer and Master Puppeteer. As a shy child recovering from polio, Marilyn spent hours with her Italian grandmother and her first 'puppet', a teddy bear who was far more verbal than she.
Learning the art of the puppet has taken Marilyn out from behind the traditional puppet proscenium where folklore and music were key elements from the beginning, and into storytelling using mime and masks as well. The result is a fascinating blend of the two arts of Storytelling and Puppetry, as she tells a story to or with puppet, performs a story as if it happened to her wherein there is a fantasy puppet, or tells a tale with a combination of puppets and masks. Marilyn calls this dual-focus performing, the maintaining of at least two personalities onstage at the same time and throwing focus back and forth.
Her two signature puppets, 'Tiffany' and 'Piccolo' are charming reflections of Marilyn herself that she shares in a special way. These puppet characters act as proxy children to react and respond, and sometimes take a small role in the stories themselves. Tiffany is sometimes shy, sometimes outspoken with street smarts, wearing a mask of bravado to cover up her insecurities. 'Piccolo', who speaks only Italian, is a precocious bambino who flirts with girls, goes for laughs, and navigates the learning process satisfying his needs first whenever possible.
Children need strong examplary characters to help guide them through the maze of our current society. Folklore provides these role models in stories that instill universal moral values without preaching, and entertain by urging us to laugh at ourselves.".....Marilyn O' Connor Miller
