Loretta Long

Loretta Long was interviewed for an hour-and-a-half at the Sesame Workshop in New York, NY. Long talked about her 35-year run as “Susan” on the classic children’s series Sesame Street, for which she has appeared continuously from the beginning of its run.  Long described her early years growing up on a farm and having aspirations for a life in show business.  She talked about entering the work force as a substitute teacher while she auditioned for acting parts in New York City. She briefly described her early work in local television, which included Soul, an African-American variety series that she co-hosted, which indirectly led her to Sesame Stree t.  For Sesame Street, she vividly described her audition (in which she sang “I’m a Little Teapot) and talked about the earliest years of the series.  She described the ethnic diversity of Sesame Street and the role of the National Association of Woman (NOW) in getting more attention placed on her character.  Finally, Long talked about pursuing her PhD in Education, while still appearing on the show. The interview was conducted by Karen Herman on July 21, 2004.