BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. — In the episode "Crayons, Chicken and Mr. Birke," somebody has scrawled a big mess in crayon all over Mr. Birke's wall.
"Did you do this?" a puppet named Mr. Birke asked.
"No-nee. No-nee. No No No," Chicken responded.
Produced inside Kevin Veatch's recording studio located in a Bainbridge Island business park, "Chicken and Mr. Birke" uses local talent. Mia McGlinn plays chicken. Birke Duncan plays Mr. Birke. Duncan also write the scripts with his novelist wife Sara Mossman.
"All of the chicken mannerisms like the song 'Du-dee-du-dee-du' and the 'No-nee. No-nee. No No No' business? That all came from Sara," Duncan said.
McGlinn says her job is to bring an elementary-aged chicken to life. She admits to practicing the voice when she's driving.
"I do practice in the car," she said. "I think the people at the stoplight next to me probably think I'm a bit crazy, but it's really good fun.
Good fun and award-worthy. The Accolade Global Film Competition honored both McGlinn and the debut episode.
"It was an award of merit which is like second place," Duncan said.
"It's better than third place," Veatch laughed.
Duncan and Veatch had worked together on radio plays and video shorts before deciding to focus their talents on the adventures of a little chicken.
"He represents the children in the audience because kids feel small and funny and that's what he is," Duncan said.
Mr. Birke is the chicken's mentor. He's the adult in the room.
"He's actually a calmer version of me I would say. He doesn't ever really get angry," Duncan said.
"Neither does the real Birke," laughed Veatch.
"He tries to guide the chicken," added Duncan. "I never thought I'd say that out loud."
In this episode, it turns out the neighbor kid, played by Cait Stewart, is the big crayon culprit and Evening's Saint Bryan plays her big brother.
"I like being involved in stories that mean something," Veatch said.
Every story has a lesson. When it comes to entertaining kids, nobody is too old to play with puppets.
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