Nikki Tilroe

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Nikki Tilroe as the Mime Lady on Today's Special.

Nikki Tilroe (December 26, 1941 – September 1, 2005) was an American performer and puppeteer who worked extensively in Canada. She is best known for her work as the "Mime Lady" on the children's television series Today's Special. She also operated Muppets on the TV show Fraggle Rock and played "Beaver" on Cucumber.

She worked out of Toronto during the 1970s and 1980s, and served as director for Frog Print Theater, where she received a Citation of Excellence for her direction of Mimi and Toto in 1974-75. She performed on a number of Canadian television shows as well.

She appeared on Shari Lewis' Charlie Horse Music Pizza, and was one of three puppeteers to manipulate the Snuggle Bear, a puppet designed by Kermit Love. She also taught many courses on Manipulation technique through the O'Neill Puppetry Conference, and was a contributor for the book "Puppets and Television."

She worked on the web-produced puppet films for Sammy Snail, and in 2004 she received a grant from The Jim Henson Foundation for a production called Aging, produced with Larry Siegel through Tricinium Limited in Keene, New Hampshire.

Nikki Tilroe died on September 1, 2005 at her home in Derry, New Hampshire, after battling liver and kidney ailments. She elected to discontinue medical treatment two weeks before her death, citing that her body was dying, and that it was time to go on to the next adventure. Tilroe's final days were filled with calls and visits from friends and fellow puppeteers. [1][2] A scholarship fund has been set up in her honor, with fundraising programs held in January 2006. [3]