Prairie Dawn

Prairie Dawn is a Muppet character on the PBS/HBO children's television show Sesame Street. She is known for writing and directing school pageants featuring her friends, mostly Ernie, Bert, Herry, Grover, and Cookie Monster, for which she also plays the piano.

Prairie first appeared on the show in season 2, developing a personality as an Anything Muppet, and eventually gaining a name. Her earliest known appearance was during the song "Surprise!" as part of a crowd that surprises Herbert Birdsfoot in a cutaway scene. She's called Penelope in a sketch with Sherlock Hemlock and appears unnamed in a sketch about DANGER with Gordon, preparing to play baseball, sorting shoes with Herry Monster, and inviting monsters to dinner. A penchant for speaking elaborately emerged in these sketches and was present in two of her first named appearances, both in Street scenes in Episode 0252 and Episode 0260.

Before Fran Brill's retirement in September 2014, her final onscreen performances as Prairie included the framing scenes for the video Monster Manners, a Season 45 sketch, and the special The Cookie Thief. In the latter, Prairie's last spoken line is "I think it may be time for me to retire!" Stephanie D'Abruzzo took over the character starting with Season 46, with her first aired Prairie performances being a central role in the Orange is the New Black parody, as well as a promo promoting the show's move to HBO. D'Abruzzo previously voiced Prairie for her first two lines in Jerry Nelson: A 65th Birthday Celebration.