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friday, november 18, 1977
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Photographs by Ted Kirk
Romper Room rea
The camera focuses on the colorful desk surrounded by six miniature chairs. Mr.
Music awaits his cue in the soium booth and Miss Linda slides into place behind her
Magic Mirror.
The floor director signals a two-second warning and the cameras start to roll as Miss
Linda welcomes all her little friends out in TV-land to another Romper Room session.
But cut the camera, move off stage and what remains of the happy, smiling, ever
enthusiastic Miss Linda? A happy, smiling, ever-enthusiastic Linda Phipps.
It may seem to defy the laws of sweetness, but Linda Phipps-Miss Linda of Romper
Room fame-is basically the same person both on and off camera.
Even though the 33-year-old star of KOLN-TV's daily children's feature says she
separates work from her private Ufe ("I never take work home; that's a separate part of
my life"), effervescent Miss Linda qualities cannot help but carry over into Linda's
private life.
"When I go to the grocery store, that's my favorite place, because I see a lot of my
little friends," Linda said.
Perhaps the only place where the Miss Linda image is left behind in the make-believe
world of the Do-Bee is at the Phipps' farm outside Lincoln. There, she is simply "mom"
to five-year-old Jeff and two-year-old Sally, although her husband teasingly calls her
'Miss linda.'
'Interaction between the children
varies from subdued co-existence
to mayhem. 9
"If somebody calls me 'Miss Linda, it simply goes over his (Jeffs) head," Linda said.
"I don't have the patience at home that I have here," Linda explained from the
cluttered surroundings of the basement office she shares with Leta Powell Drake, better
known as Kalamity Kate.
The mal setting at home is far removed from the indoor confines of Romper Room.
The outdoor farm atmosphere brings out a whole new aspect of raising children. Linda
said she doesn't work with categorized teaching methods, as she does at Romper Room.
Instead , she relies on more spontaneous learning experiences.
Linda the mother and Linda the Romper Room star separate every morning when
Linda leaves her two children in the care of a babysitter while she drives into town
to film the show. She's back home by noon, the taping, daily mail and preparation
for the next day's show all completed.
Going to work is like coming home to the eight-year Romper Room veteran.
The people she works with are "just great," Linda says, but rivaling her praise for her
co-workers are the real Romper Room starsthe four- and five-year-olds attending the
hour-long school.
"My job is so simple," Linda said, smiling. "The kids help a lot-they make it fun.
At that age they're so easy to please."
The bright lights and cameras distract the children during their first day of filming,
' Linda said, but it's short-lived.
"I'm amazed, by the second day it's no problem."
Romper Room tots are on the show for two weeks, in order to cover a range of ac
tivities, Linda said. At the end of their two-week stint,-thj children are graduated, com
plete with diplomas signed by Mr. Do-Bee.
Two weeks ago, Romper Room switched from a live broadcast format to taped
shows. That ended the show's 13-year history of live broadcasting and removed it from
the ranks of the last five television stations in the nation still showing the syndicated
program live.
"During that time (live broadcasting), a lot of funny things are said and you can't
stop, you've got to go on," Linda said.
Romper Room bloopers could create another television show in themselves.
Linda recalled one episode when she and the children were discussing house cleaning.
One child's innocent comment about bugs in his house was enough to turn his mom
green, linda said, explaining that in such cases she usually steers the conversation into
other, less embarrassing topics.
Romper Room and Miss Linda have weathered many fiu seasons where the show's
playroom has doubled as an impromptu bathroom. The children got sick on the set.
T!irC 5 mos flwfofe ow on television, Linda said, adding that the show's
mood depends on the children's whims. Interaction between the children varies from
subdued co-existence to mayhem. Embarrassing or complacent, the show goes on.
K,iL0t eve" lnnocnt Romper Room is exempt from the unpleasant ries of Ufe. Even
broadcasts ' " E00d UtU! shoU,a ever slipped 0Ut dU"ng
rTlie ultimate surfaced last Tuesday," Linda said. We were rhyming truck
nVejustwenton. .
iJf.5tMiSt!ff Hnfth S,ccncs ePisodcl at Rnper Room wise from Unda's
love for animals. She explained that the show has at least one live animal on each week.
, uuTVum6it if you in ahorse or cow, you have to clean
cTrd! , LindVsaid ,nvanab,y' a Siting farm animal has left some sort of calling
Anfc & oThe ft CipPeannCe n RmpCf Rm and nW he
linto!
One episode. Linda introduced the children to a live boa constrictor. While the