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Arts & Entertainment

Dr. Phineas's Magical Emporium (Puppet Show)

For several years, while Bijhan Clarke was attending the theater program at Western Connecticut State University, his parents Tim Clarke and Sheyda Ardalan would regularly attend the student performances which they found to be quite outstanding. However, they noticed that upon their graduation, many of the theater majors were unable to find jobs in any form of theater or film. With Tim Clarke’s background and experience in working for the Muppets on the Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and the Dark Crystal, the family found it a wonderful opportunity to join their efforts and created a puppet theater called Dr. Phineas’ Magical Emporium. Bijhan Clarke wrote a modern fairy tale about a king, a queen, a princess, and a knight in shining armor who encounters a fire-breathing dragon. Included in the story is a brilliant subplot about a chef who cooks food that is much too spicy and a princess who has a cell phone bill that is much too high which makes the king raise taxes in order to pay it off. The story gives wonderful examples of creative solutions to universal problems and solving them. It has a hopeful outlook on life and comes with much humor for both adults and children. Daughter Ariane Clarke, who graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art with a degree in Printmaking, designed and painted all the sets. Tim and Sheyda both majored in Fine Arts at Pratt Institute; Tim with a concentration in Art Education and Sheyda in Illustration and Painting. Tim has, for the past thirty years, created toys independently for Mattel, Coleco, and Hasboro, and has worked for Melissa and Doug Toys. Sheyda is currently a professor of Art and Art Education at Teachers College, Columbia University and a full time art teacher at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, CT. She has taught art to students from pre K to grade 12 for the last twenty years. Given this experience, the family has created a website that will both entertain and educate: www.drphin.com. Free for everyone, it provides video shorts of the Emporium characters, membership to Dr. Phineas’ Society, information for parents, and access to the store where puppets created by Tim Clarke may be purchased. A Facebook page: www.facebook allows one to become a fan of Dr. Phineas and keep updated on events.

In the picture from Left to Right: Front: Tim Clarke and Dr. Phineas, Dot Stasny and Doi Bird, Bijhan Clarke and Doi Bird Back: Nicki LaPorte and Queen Rosemary Worcestershire, Buzby the Dragon (Scott Condon), Mike L’Attrella and Chef Tony Bolognese, Mat Bagley and Sir Forest Glenn

(Photo: Sheyda Ardalan) To contact Dr. Phineas: 203-438-7428 (Studio), 203-313-9261/203-313-1676 (Cell)

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