Puppet maker James Wojtal, a Verona native, was taught by his mother how to sew when he was five and started making puppets when he was 11. He’s made puppets for Avenue Q and numerous shows on and off Broadway. You may recognize him from the now-defunct Cafe Eclectic, where he was a waiter and his puppets were on display. You can follow his creative endeavors at his Puppet-a-Day blog on Tumblr.
Name: James W. Wojtal Jr.
Town: Verona
When did you move there? Born and raised .
How do you make a living?
I make my living ,such as it is designing and building puppets for film, theatre ,and Tv projects , and on occasion performing puppets for tv , film, online videos, or theatre projects.
Coffee, tea or …. ? Coffee any time, Beer by night .
What’s your idea of a perfect Saturday?
Well if I’m not working on a project , and the weathers nice I like to go into NYC to spend time with friends , or during the summer a few hours on a beach works wonders ..
What’s your favorite local restaurant?
I don’t eat out much these days , but I like To hit Egans once in a while , I’ve also been enjoying Casa Piguin .
What’s on your nightstand?
iPhone , and my sketch pad, and a couple of pencils
Your iPod?
Mostly podcasts , Freakanomics , A bit of a chat with Ken plume , Big Kev’s Geek stuff , the Nerdist , Filmsack the mediocre show , the morning stream , fresh air and a few other NPR shows .. Working alone in my rudimentary work shop , I need to keep my mind engaged , those tend to work best for me.
Your TiVO?
Gave up Tv when mine died last year , I realized I don’t really miss it, it was just a mindless distraction, if I need to watch something I have a few favorites on DVD, or netflix on my phone .
What’s the worst-kept secret about your town?
Have no clue honestly , stopped paying attention to local gossip/politics long ago .. I got enough of my own stuff to worry about .
What do you hope they say about you at your funeral?
Wow … No idea .. I suppose it would be nice to he remembered fondly … I suppose I should add some kind of corny , sickeningly sweet quote or phrase … “his life was like a movie, he wrote his own ending”. How’s that?