Fay Ray

Fay Ray (1984-1995) was the Weimaraner dog most often used by photographer/filmmaker William Wegman in segments on Sesame Street.
Wegman, who had had success with his dog Man Ray from the 1970s until Man Ray's death in 1982, bought Fay, then known as "Cinnamon Girl", as a puppy in 1985. Wegman first began photographing Fay in 1986, and she made her screen debut in Wegman's 1986 short Dog Baseball.
In November 1987, Wegman was contacted by Sesame Street producer Arlene Sherman, who invited him to supply short films for the series. Fay was the natural choice to star. Wegman, in voice-over, would narrate and give instructions, and Fay would demonstrate everything from math skills to letter concepts. Beginning in 1992, Fay was joined by her three pups, all born in 1989: Batty (aka Battina), Crooky, and Chundo. The following year introduced a number of sketches based on fairy tales and rhymes, and also introduced the "Farmer McFay" series (amongst the first in which the dogs' heads were posed over a man's arms and body, usually assistants Jason Burch or Andrea Beeman). Other segments, such as "ABC," let the dogs be dogs.
The dogs also starred in a series of Sesame Street sponsored videos, both compiling earlier sketches and new material, notably Alphabet Soup (1995) and Fay's Twelve Days of Christmas (1995). In the latter, Fay, in a wig and posed over an apron clad model, poses as a loving mother preparing Christmas meals and presents for her family.
In late spring of 1995, Fay suddenly contracted leukemia, and passed away at the age of 11 on June 7. Her children, however, have continued to appear on Sesame Street. Fay's grandson Chip was a later addition to the menagerie.
==Sketch Segments==
===Original films===
Picture 	Description 	 	
 	Subtraction (4 Balls) 
Fay demonstrates subtraction by removing 4 balls.	 	
 	Clockwise 
Fay moves clockwise and ticks, until an alarm rounds.	 	
 	One of These Things 
One of these balls is not like the other.	 	
 	Subtraction (3 Balls) 
Fay Ray subtracts 3 balls from a table.	 	
 	Addition (4 Balls) 
Fay demonstrates addition by placing 4 balls on a table.	 	
 	Walkman 
Fay listens to a Walkman.	 	
 	Addition (3 Balls) 
Fay demonstrates addition by placing 3 balls on a table.	 	
 	On Top 
Fay gets on top of a box.	 	
 	Subtraction (1 Ball) 
Fay demonstrates subtraction by removing blue balls from a table.	 	
 	On and Off 
Fay gets on and off a rug.	 	
 	Animal Disguises 
Aping earlier photographs of Man Ray, Fay disguises herself as various animals, including a ladybug, a moose, a green elephant, and a frog. Two girls, in voice-over, refer to the latter as "Kermit the Dog."
Image:Fay3.jpg|"It looks like a zebra with chicken pox."
Image:Fay.Greenelephant.jpg|
Image:Fay4.jpg|"It's Kermit the Dog!"	 	
 	Over and Under 
Fay demonstrates "over" and "under."	 	
 	On and Under 
Fay gets on and under a rug.	 	
 	Left to Right 
Fay Ray's head moves across the floor from left to right. Two segments later, her head moves from right to left.	 	
 	Near 
Fay rolls balls near the camera.	 	
 	Near and Far 
Fay Ray moves from far to near the camera.	 	
Farmer McFay
A series of shorts in which Fay, posed in overalls over Jason Burch's arms, demonstrated numbers using fruits and vegetables from her crop, with Chundo playing her son. A subset of the series, The McDoubles, had Fay's female pups Batty and Crooky dressed in overalls joined at the waist.	Farmer McFay
A series of shorts in which Fay, posed in overalls over Jason Burch's arms, demonstrated numbers using fruits and vegetables from her crop, with Chundo playing her son. A subset of the series, The McDoubles, had Fay's female pups Batty and Crooky dressed in overalls joined at the waist.	Farmer McFay
A series of shorts in which Fay, posed in overalls over Jason Burch's arms, demonstrated numbers using fruits and vegetables from her crop, with Chundo playing her son. A subset of the series, The McDoubles, had Fay's female pups Batty and Crooky dressed in overalls joined at the waist.	Farmer McFay
A series of shorts in which Fay, posed in overalls over Jason Burch's arms, demonstrated numbers using fruits and vegetables from her crop, with Chundo playing her son. A subset of the series, The McDoubles, had Fay's female pups Batty and Crooky dressed in overalls joined at the waist.
Picture 	Description 	 	
 	Farmer McFay: 3 
Farmer McFay has 3 fruits.	 	
 	Farmer McFay: Green Apples 
Farmer McFay subtracts green apples from 5 to 3 to 1 and is bothered by a fly.	 	
 	The McDoubles: Helping 
The McDouble twins know how to help each other.	 	
 	Farmer McFay: 5 
Farmer McFay is tired because she only slept for 5 hours.	 	
 	Farmer McFay: Subtraction 	 	
 	The McDoubles: 2 
The McDoubles twins display pairs of things.	 	
 	The McDoubles: Counting to 10 
The McDoubles count to 10 with their fingers.	 	
 	Farmer McFay: Lemons 
Farmer McFay juggles 3 lemons, then two.	 	
 	Farmer McFay: 40 
Farmer McFay counts 40 fruits from the season's bumper crop.	 	
 	Farmer McFay: 6 
Farmer McFay counts six lemons and limes.	 	
 	Farmer McFay: 4 
Farmer McFay counts a bumper crop of 4 fruits.	 	
Nursery Rhymes
Various nursery rhymes and fairy tales enacted by the dogs.	Nursery Rhymes
Various nursery rhymes and fairy tales enacted by the dogs.	Nursery Rhymes
Various nursery rhymes and fairy tales enacted by the dogs.	Nursery Rhymes
Various nursery rhymes and fairy tales enacted by the dogs.
Picture 	Description 	 	
 	Goldilocks 
The dogs re-enact the classic tale, with Crooky in a wig as Goldilocks, and the other three as the bears.	 	
 	Old King Cole 
Chundo as Old King Cole.	 	
 	Little Miss Muffet 
Crooky, in a wig as Little Miss Muffet, deals with a spider.	 	
 	Little Jack Horner 
The nursery rhyme is recited with some help from the dogs.	 	
 	Jack and Jill 	 	
 	Pat-a-Cake 	 	
 	Little Bo Peep 
Batty as Little Bo Peep, seeking her sheep (three parts).	 	
 	Old Mother Hubbard 	 	
 	Jack Sprat 
Jack Sprat and his wife eating a meal	 	
 	Jack Be Nimble 	 	
 	The Ten O'Clock Scholar 	 	
 	Rub-a-Dub-Dub 
The dogs reenact the nursery rhyme.
Note: This sketch is accompanied by slow, classical music; however, on the home video release, the music has fast-paced vaudeville music.	 	
 	To market, to market 
The dogs play out the nursery rhyme.	 	
 	Cock-a-Doodle-Doo 	 	
 	Jack-a-Nory 	 	
The Alphabet
Segments where the dogs form the letters of the alphabet. Beginning in season 28, most of the segments would include footage from Wegman's own video, Alphabet Soup, which featured the dogs displaying various words beginning with a letter.	The Alphabet
Segments where the dogs form the letters of the alphabet. Beginning in season 28, most of the segments would include footage from Wegman's own video, Alphabet Soup, which featured the dogs displaying various words beginning with a letter.	The Alphabet
Segments where the dogs form the letters of the alphabet. Beginning in season 28, most of the segments would include footage from Wegman's own video, Alphabet Soup, which featured the dogs displaying various words beginning with a letter.	The Alphabet
Segments where the dogs form the letters of the alphabet. Beginning in season 28, most of the segments would include footage from Wegman's own video, Alphabet Soup, which featured the dogs displaying various words beginning with a letter.
Picture 	Description 	 	
 	Dog Alphabet 
The dogs form all the letters of the alphabet.	 	
 	A 
The dogs form an A. 	 	
 	A 
The dogs form an A, for artist and art, and an airplane.	 	
 	B 
The dogs form the letter B, and Fay Ray balances a boat on her head.	 	
 	E 
The dogs form a letter E. 	 	
 	H 
The dogs form an H. 	 	
 	J 
The dogs form a J. 	 	
 	J - Jester 
The dogs make a J and dress as a jester.	 	
 	K 
The dogs form a K, as in King.	 	
 	L 
The dogs form an L. 	 	
 	M 
The dogs form an M. 	 	
 	M - Milk 
The dogs form the letter M for the word milk, which Chundo sips a glass of.	 	
 	P 
The dogs form a P. 	 	
 	T 
The dogs form a T. 	 	
 	Train 
The dogs form a T, which is for train.	 	
 	V 
The dogs form the letter V, for violin and valentine.	 	
 	W 
The dogs form a W. 	 	
 	X 
The dogs form an X, and Fay Ray gets an X-ray.	 	
The People in Your Neighborhood	The People in Your Neighborhood	The People in Your Neighborhood	The People in Your Neighborhood
Picture 	Description 	 	
 	Waiter 
The dogs show what a waiter's job is like.	 	
 	Auto Mechanic 
The dogs demonstrate the job of an auto mechanic.	 	
 	Truck Driver 
The dogs show what a truck driver does in the construction field.	 	
 	Hairdresser 
The dogs show the job of a hairdresser.	 	
 	Painter 
The dogs portray a house painter.	 	
 	Fisherman 
The dogs show what a fisherman does.	 	
 	Tailor 
The dogs inhabit a clothing boutique.	 	
 	Conductor 
The dogs show an orchestra conductor and a pianist.	 	
Miscellaneous 	Miscellaneous 	Miscellaneous 	Miscellaneous
Picture 	Description 	 	
 	Sleeping 
Fay, Battina and Chundo are really sound sleepers - neither an alarm, nor a jackhammer, nor an elephant will wake them up.	 	
 	Next To 
The dogs get next to each other in pictures.	 	
 	Sliding Dogs 
The dogs slide past each other, counting to 3.	 	
 	One of These Things (1st version) 
One dog (a terrier) is not like the others.	 	
 	One of These Things (2nd version) 
One dog (a poodle) is not like the others.	 	
 	Dog Numbers: 1 to 9 
Similar to the above, the dogs form the numbers 1-9.	 	
 	Dog Numbers: 1 to 8 
The dogs form the numbers 1-8.	 	
 	3 
The dogs show the number 3 in a variety of poses.	 	
 	ON 
The dogs form the word ON. 	 	
 	Popcorn 
The dogs cook popcorn in three different ways.	 	
 	Eye Exam 
Dr. Peeve, portrayed by one of the dogs, gives an eye examination to a canine patient.	 	
 	Peanut Butter Sandwich 
The dogs make a peanut butter sandwich.	 	
 	Making a Sandwich 
The dogs make their own peanut butter and jelly sandwich.	 	
 	Baking a Cake 
The dogs bake a pineapple cake.	 	
 	Doctor 
The dogs act out a visit to the doctor's office.	 	
 	Baseball 
The dogs get their exercise by playing baseball.	 	
 	Rowboat 
Batty and Crooky row a rowboat.	 	
 	Painting 
Battina poses for a painting.	 	
 	Musical Instruments 
The dogs play various instruments.	 	
 	Clay 
The dogs make things out of clay.	 	
 	6 
The dogs rides canoes to illustrate the number 6.	 	
 	1 
Batty and Crooky stack wooden blocks to form the number 1.In subsequent appearances, a computer-animated 1 appeared over the stack.	 	
 	Stop and Go 
The dogs show stop and go during a race.	 	
 	4 
The dogs sit in 4 theater chairs.	 	
 	In and Out 
The dogs show in and out with a swimming pool.	 	
center 	2 
Two dogs. 	 	
 	Mud Pies 
The dogs make 4 mud pies.	 	
 	4 Cups of Fruit Punch 
A dog makes 4 cups of fruit punch.	 	
==Credits==
*Director: William Wegman
*Assistant Director: Andrea Beeman
*Cameraman: Alan Cohen
*Lights: Edgar Gil
*Arm Models: Jason Burch, Andrea Beeman
==Videos==
Image:Video.wegman-goose.jpg|William Wegman's Mother Goose|link=William Wegman's Mother Goose
==References==
*Wegman, William. Fay. New York: Hyperion Books, 1999.
__NOWYSIWYG__
Category:Sesame Street Cast
Category:Sesame Street Live-Action Sketches
Category:Live Animals