“Avenue Q” is not the average “Sesame Street” show. The musical features puppets as some of the actors in this stage production. The set reminds you of “Sesame Street”, but the music and language will make sure you knew otherwise.

The Fresno City College theater department presents “Avenue Q”, directed by instructor Chuck Erven. The musical is set to open on Oct. 3 in the FCC theater at 7:30 p.m.

The production is a display of masterful collaboration — set design by Chris Boltz, costumes by Debra Erven, music by Mike Dana and dance by Cristal Tiscareno.

Chris Boltz, set designer and FCC instructor said this is the “biggest show I have done in six years.” He said there are lots of people working on it, lots of volunteers such as a live band and lots of stuff going on in putting  the set together.

The set for “Avenue Q” is fairly large. Boltz said it is set “in the poorer areas of New York City [in] the “Avenue Q” district.”

Fitting the bright colorful building — a three storied building  in a 20 foot area. All areas of the building are accessible to the actors and their puppets.

Multiple things are going on with this set construction. There will be billboard projection screen as well as some windows that will also have projection screens on them so they display different things at any time. Parts of the set are also moveable.

The items for the puppets were a little more complicated to get done. From furniture that can, according to Boltz, “go from either 6 inches too small to 6 inches too big” to something as simple as a book. Boltz said that on a puppet show, “You try to make things as light as possible, so that the puppet can hold it.”

Debra Erven, theater instructor and costume designer for “Avenue Q” said that most of her work was about outfitting the puppets.

“The staff does not really have any costumes,” she said, but “the puppets have costume changes.”

To make the transition easier, there are multiple interchangeable puppets of the same character, Erven explained. When a costume needs to be changed, there is a change of puppets rather than of clothing. Another dressed puppet replaces whichever is already on stage.

Others outside of the theater department are collaborating to make this production a success.

Mika Dana, instructor and music director for “Avenue Q”, said the music is varied and has “rock, R&B, and pop influences.

The play will feature a “five piece band”  — a guitar, two keyboards, a sax, bass, and drums.  Dana said he will play the guitar.

“It’s really hilarious,” Dana said about the play. “Adult content for sure.”

Dance instructor, Cristal Tiscareno, was selected to choreograph the musical’s dance numbers for puppets. “It wasn’t your normal choreography,” Tiscareno said.

Tiscareno said she is excited to be part of a musical with different collaborators.

“I’ve never seen the show,” said Tiscareno, who was challenged to create a choreography for the actors.

“I had to keep in mind, not only are they singing, but they’re puppeteers,” said Tiscareno. “I tried to keep it simple with a few jazz movements in it.”