Best of KC 2024: Ryan Reynolds flick IF features Simple Mischief Studio’s savoir-faire
Photo by Justin J Wee
Earlier this month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can take a peek at the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some local people, places, and things that we thought clearly won 2024. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November.
Not everyone gets to achieve their childhood dream, but Spencer Lott has managed to turn his passion for puppetry into a professional-level career at Sesame Street, where he voices the character Samuel. As a teenager in Lawrence, Lott worked for The Jim Henson Company and Kansas City’s legendary Mesner Puppet Theater before moving to New York to pursue his dreams.
Following the COVID pandemic, Lott and his wife—artist and social worker Grace Townley—co-founded Simple Mischief Studio—a shop that develops and builds puppets. The couple’s work has managed to appear in KU theater productions, the movie A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and most recently, the John Krasinski family film IF, released on May 17.
IF tells the story of a young girl named Bea (Cailey Fleming), who has the magical ability to see imaginary friends, also known as ‘IFs,’ and reconnect them with their grown-up kids. While there are no puppets on screen, Lott and Townley were brought on by Eric Wright—founder of the New York City-based shop Puppet Kitchen—to create puppet versions of each character for cast members to have something to act against while filming.
Throughout the film editing process, Lott contributed to the creative process by suggesting materials, colors, and techniques for the CGI characters to ensure a cohesive vision between puppetry and digital effects. After completing the product with big-name actors such as Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, and Brad Pitt (just to name a few), the couple hopes to continue combining their love for storytelling and puppetry in future projects.
