Susan Linn

Susan Linn is an award-winning ventriloquist, a psychologist, author, world-renowned expert on creative play, and the impact of tech and commercial marketing on children. Her astonishing career has taken her from the set of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood to the front page of the New York Times. Through it all, Audrey Duck, her ageless avian sidekick, has provided cheeky, occasionally neurotic, always truthful commentary. 

Susan is internationally known for her use of puppets as therapeutic tools for children. She pioneered this work at Children's Hospital Boston and the Children’s AIDS Program, where she used puppets to help children cope with illness, hospitalization, death, loss and other life challenges. Susan and her puppets appeared in several episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. She has written and performed in a number of award-winning video programs designed to help children cope with issues ranging from death and loss, racism and other bigotries, and most recently, various stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With Fred Rogers’ production company, she created the acclaimed educational video series Different and the Same: Helping Children Identify and Prevent Prejudice. Different and the Same has been used in classrooms in all 50 states and won numerous awards, including the two top prizes from the International Communication Film and Video Competition and the Media Award from the Association of Multicultural Educators. 

Among other honors, Susan received an UNIMA-USA citation for excellence, a special award for puppet therapy from Puppeteers of America; A Champion of Freedom Award from the Electronic Privacy Information Center; The Creative Leadership Award from the Puppet Showplace Theater; The Fred Rogers Integrity Award from Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association for her work on behalf of children.  She is a proud NEFA grant recipient.

Now, in performances for adults, Susan ponders mortality and grapples with the world’s uncertain future, while Audrey is convinced their dynamic duo will last forever. Together they unravel their tangled past and tackle important questions of life, death, art, and the universe. Part stand-up comedy, part philosophical musing on the human condition, each performance is the hilarious, honest, and deeply edifying evening of entertainment you didn’t know you needed.