Meet Molly Cox of Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Highland Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Cox.

Molly, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I saw my first Bob Baker performance years ago during a visit to Los Angeles and was struck by the imagination and wonder that existed within this unassuming building on the border of DTLA.

After a move from New York to LA, I revisited Bob Baker in the Theater’s new location in Highland Park and over ice cream cups, talked with the staff about how I could best help BBMT as it adjusted to its new home and recent 501c3 nonprofit status.

Watching the dedication of everyone involved with the Theater and becoming a part of this organization whose main mission is to provide joy and instill wonder in the world has been incredibly rewarding. And I’m honored to spend my working days continuing Bob Baker’s legacy of fostering imagination and creativity in all aspects of life and art.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I officially came on board with BBMT in September 2019. After the Highland Park home of BBMT had its grand opening in November, only four months passed before Covid closed all normal operations.

Since then, it’s been a constant pivot. We rapidly made moves to digitize a 57 years old company, initiated an “At Home Happiness” program to provide free entertainment, informative PSAs, and educational activities to families under quarantine, and began offering Zoom performances for the first time. In September, we removed all of the Theater seats and installed new infrastructure that allowed us to welcome the public back into the building (at 5% capacity with Covid safety protocols firmly in place) for Bob Baker’s “Peek-a-Boo Stroll Thru”.

Apart from the digital innovations, there’s been a resurgence in traditional BBMT operations such as building window displays and making commercial puppets that are fabricated in-house publicly available for the first time in decades.

Every week holds new challenges, whether in establishing a new business model or trying to keep up with a myriad of tasks with a skeleton staff. Despite all of BBMT’s pandemic pivots, the Theater is still, on average, losing $30,000 per month and every working day is spent trying to crunch the numbers in different directions. With the launch of BBMT’s very dire fundraising campaign in November 2020, we were met with a truly awe-inspiring outpouring of support from the Bob Baker community. Aside from tremendous donations, shared stories, testimonials, and precious childhood memories from generations of Angelenos have affirmed the fact that thousands of people from around the world are as dedicated to BBMT’s survival as the staff is.

Bob Baker Marionette Theater – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Bob Baker Marionette Theater has been a touchpoint for joy, wonder, and imagination in Los Angeles since 1963.

It is so rare to find a company that exists purely to bring happiness to others, and the sincerity of that intention shines through every day in every action. BBMT is a beautiful conglomeration of art, history, culture, and community care and has been for generations.

A blessing and curse of working for this organization is that there is no shortage of inspiration and possibility. There’s never enough time to highlight all the beautiful bits that are contained within the walls of BBMT.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The most affirming and proudest moment of my career with Bob Baker has been the huge success of our recent #KeepImaginationAlive fundraising campaign. The outpouring of support and the fact that we raised more than $300,000 in three weeks really validated that the work that I’m doing in support of BBMT is hugely important and essential for the community.

This theater reminds people of what it feels like to experience wonder. I’ve spoken with adults after the show who have told me that their faces hurt from smiling, and others who have cried from the intensity of emotions they’ve felt while watching the performance. The artistry and personalities of the Bob Baker puppet family are truly incredible — and it’s amazing to watch children (of all ages) experience them.

Contact Info:

• Address: Bob Baker Marionette Theater
  4949 York Blvd.
  Los Angeles, CA
  90042
• Website: www.bobbakermarionettetheater.com
• Phone: 213-250-9995
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @bobbakermarionettes
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/BobBakerMarionetteTheater/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBMTofficial

Image Credit:
Lisa Whiteman

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