Work in Progress

I am currently developing storylines and character relationships with these vulture puppets. My goal is to devise a piece with my ensemble that blends puppetry, martial arts, and ritual performance. 

 

Submersive Productions 

See Also: is a devised, immersive theatrical experience taking place at the George Peabody Library in Baltimore City. As a performer, I played the character of a Suffragette who lead the audience in a march around the space based off the game "Simon Says." As a fabrication Artist, I constructed book arts and a flying book puppet to add to the magic of the world we created within the library. 

Photos By Kintz
Photos By: Glenn Ricci
Costumes By: Deana Brill 

Full Title: H.T. Darling's Incredible Musaeum: Treasures of New Galapagos, Acquisitions from the Perisphere 
Submersive Productions 
Directed and Created By: Lisi Stoessel, Susan Stroupe, Glenn Ricci 

I was a contributing artist and puppeteer for this fully immersive theatre experience. The explorer, H.T. Darling has traveled to another planet called New Galapagos to obtain 'alien' creatures to collect and put on display in 'his' museum. Many specimen characters were puppets, and as a puppeteer, I developed the characters and moments between actors, while also improvising puppetry with audiences in direct interactions. I enjoy spontaneous, improvisational puppetry because it feels so playful and in the moment. My contributions to the Musaeum were: the Ice Picker Bird and her three Nestlings, Bird Moth, Polar Barong, Goddess Mask, and Hydra Snail. All are adapted to the environment on New Galapagos and play into the mythology of the peoples of that planet. Inventing creatures for another world was an exciting artistic exploration, and our team collaborated well to create a unique, out-of-this-world experience. 

Performed by: “The Flock”
Common Yellowthroat – E’tonia Ford
Downy Woodpecker – Lisi Stoessel
Mountain Quail – Lynne Parks
Belted Kingfisher – Jess Rassp
Carolina Parakeet – Kristen Faber
Summer Tanager – Claire Wayner

Birdland and the Anthropocene curated by Lynne Parks at the Peale Musaeum, Baltimore, Maryland. This performance was part of Opening and Closing nights of the exhibition that focused on human impact on bird populations. 

I am interested in the power of ritual performance and how our perception of the world conveys responsibility for upholding a place on this planet in relationship with all creatures.

This piece is meant to embody the looming possibility of extinction. Six distinct birds come together to form a Flock that celebrates their vibrancy and life in this world.  However, one in the group is already extinct, and they are the first to fall.  The others may follow… 

My goal in making these costumes is to mimic the shimmering and multifaceted effect of feathers through layering fabric textures.  Each bird is distinct in their character and coloring, and their vibrancy is the focal point.  In contrast, the skull mask paired with the costume evokes the symbol of extinction. Once the mask is worn, the bird is lost to time.  

Photos By: Glenn Ricci and Randall Cornowich

Cohesion Theatre Company
Written By: Robert Kauzlaric
Directed By: Melissa LaMartina

This 7'6" tall Creature Puppet was operated by one actor and as many as six. Constructed from reed, muslin, burlap, coffee filters, and LED lights, this puppet was a particularly challenging in engineering because one-actor pupeteered solo for the first third of the show. Its bulk and positioning on the actor needed to align well enough to go up and down stairs onstage, and we took several attempts at rebuilding the legs.  "Frankie" is also a lantern puppet, and in the show, as the Creature killed characters, they were added as puppeteers, and they also illuminated a new body part on the limb they were operating. These lanterns were key to the storytelling, and when the puppet first awakens, Victoria lights up its heart. 

Cocollaborator: Chris Reuther 
Photos By: Shealyn Jae 

Submersive Productions
Directed By: Lisi Stoessel and Yuko Kaseki 

This was an immersive, wordless movement piece performed at the Baltimore War Memorial. I was in the Core Ensemble of ten with the large ensemble reaching over 30 members. Our dramaturgical research focused on crowd dynamics, displacement, the refugee crisis, natural disaster and weather patterns, and militaristic processing. Through the leadership of visiting Butoh Artist, Yuko Kaseki, we inhabited the physicality of elements, animals, extreme tension, isolated shaking, marching, and creating a tsunami. The masks in this show were used rather minimally, but provided great impact in stripping away our identities.

All maks were made based off the design of Lisi Stoessel. We (Me, Lisi Stoessel, Tara Cariaso, Ursula Marcum) sculpted in clay, cast in plaster, and poured 8 masks each to total 32 maks for the ensemble. 

Photos By: Glenn Ricci

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
Directed By: Isabelle Anderson

I fabricated this Bear Puppet and trained three puppeteers in its operation. The stage direction "exit, persued by a bear." is iconic. I put over 100 hours into this bear because of my process. I start with a chicken wire frame in the size scale I'm looking for. Then, I use tin foil to make a rough sculpture of features, such as the teeth, nose, and eyes. I seal the tin foil sculpture with tape and wood glue - and now I have the proper size and fit that will work for the frame. I could proceed here and use the tinfoil-tape sculpture as a finished product, but I take a few steps further. I lay oil-based clay over the tinfoil-tape structure and sculpt more detail. Then, once the clay sculpture is complete, I decoupage in coffee filters to make a positive mold. I pull the coffee filters off the sculpture and seal it with glue, then gesso, and then it's ready to integrate into the chicken wire frame. I layer in the fabric textures, paint the features and seal with a gloss medium that gives the appearance of wetness. These details are accentuated by stage lights and add an extra hint of magic for me.