Puppet Designer ,James Wojtal

James Wojtal Jr                         wojtaljr@aol.com                         973 220 6409 

Designer, Puppet Performer, Puppet and Prop      

Designer and Builder, Set Wrangler,   

                Jack-of-All-Trades

    I have been working as a designer, and puppet builder, as well as

Performer for the last 10 years during my career, I have been proud to be

a part of such projects as “AVENUE Q”, “BEAR IN THE BIG BLUE HOUSE”,

“CRANK YANKERS”, ”SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE” and  ”SESAME STREET”. 

In addition to these programs, I have worked with the classic “MUPPET” characters 

in a series of shorts, as well as being the lead puppet designer and

Builder for numerous smaller projects for individuals through the United

States, and Canada..

 2006 /2007Freelance work

 “Evil Dead The Musical” Off BRoadway 

 Talking Moose Puppet ,Talking Beaver Puppet

“Go Diego GO” Stage Tour 

 8’ 4” Elephant Flat/Puppet 

 Macy’s Puppet Theatre

 2 Hand Puppets for new show

 “King Hedley II “, Broadway Play 

 Dead Cat Puppet/Prop

“Ruby Tuesday”, Commercial Spots.

 Designed and built 3 Chicken Puppets

Performed Puppets for Commercial spots, 

 “Diggy” Traffic Cone Puppet 

 “Big ,Big ,World“, TV show

 Puppet Wrangler 

 “Diddy Doodle Works”, TV Show

 Wardrobe, Puppet Wrangler

 “Olde English Comedy”

Talking Dirty Dishes

For comedy short ,webcast.

“The Adventure of Young Thomas Edison"

 Designed and Built Puppet for 

Nightstand Creations, 

Pitch Pilot for TV

 Monkey Boys Productions.

2006-2007

"SONY BRAVIA"Dancing Animal Puppets,Tv commercial

Working with MonkeyBoysProductions.Com and CINECONCEPTO.COM,
I designed seven animal Puppets in a Combination of 
Traditional Hand Mouth puppets (Muppet style),and Bunraku puppetry, 
the puppets were built by Myself, and the rest of the company,(Russel J Tucker,
Marc Petrosino,Mike Latini, Scott Hitz and Paul Mcginess), 
Build was supervised by Russel J Tucker.
the add was produced by CINECONCEPTO, for Sony.Directed by Fredd Clapp.
you can see a sample of the puppets in action on my YOUTUBE.COM link.

The six of us also Performed the puppets for the Film Shoot,in Mexico City,Mexico.

 “GO DIEGO GO” Stage Tour 

9 foot Giraffe

“PLANET CAMP (JAM)” TV Pilot

“Tiki Island” TV Pilot

 The Jim Henson Company 

1998-2002

'Bear In The Big Blue House'

 'Play House Disney’, live shows

P.R. 'Bear'

'Mop-a-Top's Shop'

'Classic Muppet' 

'Plaza Sesamo'

'Sesame Street-Germany'

'Sesame Street-Egypt'

'Kermit's Swamp years'

'Telling Stories With Tommie DePola'

'Animal Jam'

'Smart Heads' Research and Design Project, 'GONZO'

'Set Work, Puppet Wrangling'

'A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Special' NBC (non-credited)

Puppet builder, Designer, Wrangler,

Den Design

 2002-2003

“Crank Yankers” Comedy Central

 “Dave Chappelle Show”.

 'Wicked'-Broadway musical

 'Saturday Night Live' –

 The Lyon Puppets

2003-2006

Avenue Q, London

Shop Manager, Puppet Builder

'Avenue Q 'Las Vegas, 

Tony Award Winning Musical,” AVENUE Q'

Puppet Builder/Designer

 'CBS 2 AND AVENUE Q' 

 'AL BLOOD'

 ' Nickelodeon' 

Macy’s Parade Studio,

 Fall 2005

Puppet fabricator, Sculpture, Float Construction

'Animal Planet Float' 'HIHI PUFI AMI YUMI Float' 

 Macy’s Trolley Tour

Puppet Builder/Designer

“THE SMOKING GUN TV” 

Court TV, Summer 2005   

Art Department, Puppet Wrangler, Puppeteer     August 2005

The Puppetworks Inc. Theatre 

1996 to present,

Puppeteer, Puppet Designer, Puppet Builder,

Freelance Puppet Designing, and Building 

2002-2006 

“The Reluctant Dragon”

Co-Writer, Designer, Puppet Builder, New Show 

For Puppetworks Inc., Park Slope Brooklyn,

Custom Puppet build, 

For Author Tony Diterlizzi

Book Character “ONSIE”

Central Park zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect park zoo

'WILDLIFE THEATRE' 

Designed and built, puppets and props 

'Igby Gets a Job’, short film, L.A., 

Puppet Builder/Designer

'United States, Marine Corps. Educational video '

Puppet Designer/Builder, Lead Performer, Wrangler

'Dog, Bear, Frog and Pig, Video Series Canadian Production'

Puppet Builder/Designer

'Greg the Bunny', New IMC interstitials

Assisted designer in building the Puppet Character “Wumbus”.

“Ollie”

“Sports car, shopping cart” puppet-H.I.T. Entertainment

Puppet Builder/Designer, Pilot TV Show,

EDUCATION

FASHION INSTITUE of TECHNOLOGY 1993-1995

Associates Degree, General Illustration, 

NEW SCHOOL, for SOCIAL RESEARCH   1995-1996

Continuing Education, Sculpture, Puppetry, 

•INTERNSHIP                                                            

1995

Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre