Toby Towson
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Toby Towson is a gymnast and dancer, who did a stint as the puppeteer who first performed the larger-than-life Muppet dog "Barkley", starting in A Special Sesame Street Christmas. (Bruce Connelly later took over the role.) Towson has had a career in gymnastics, acrobatics, and dance.
Following a personal friendship with the Henson family, Towson was tapped to model for the building of a new Sesame Street character which would debut for the tenth anniversary season of Sesame Street. At first the costume was going to be an ape-like creature which could do acrobatics, so as a professional gymnast and dancer, Towson was a natural pick. As the costume was created however, the writers decided to make it into a large furry dog whose original name was "Woov-woov", but no one was happy with that name. It was changed to "Barkley" after the first few appearances on the show. Since Towson was comfortable in the costume, and it fit him, Jim offered him a one year contract to be on call for Children's Television Network, and Towson appeared as "Barkley" for several months until Connelly took over.
Towson continued his acrobatic dancing career and directed the Musawwir Gymnastic Dance Company which performed from a home base in Manhattan for ten years, approximately 1976-1986. Towson currently teaches dance for Washington County Public Schools in Hagerstown, Maryland, and coaches gymnastics at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
As of 2003, Towson is living with his wife, Kathryn Talbott, in Boonsboro, Maryland.
See also: List of Sesame Street puppeteers