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 

Work in Progress

I am currently developing puppetry performance pieces using these vulture puppet characters. In the first video, I am pictured auditioning with one vulture. I am interested in this blend of puppetry and dance.

In the second video, I am rehearsing a solo piece developed at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center's National Puppetry Conference in 2019.  

These are puzzle pieces to a larger idea I'm interested in developing.  Exploring such symbolism of the vultures as figures of Mother Earth, Sky Burial, and Reincarnation, these puppets will activate to illustrate a story, wordlessly, with music accompaniment. 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. The vultures perform a ritual themselves in completing our circle of life, consuming our dead. I am modifying and adapting bird skull masks from Birdland and the Anthropocene into vulture puppets to make six total vulture characters. 

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. 

Cohesion Theatre Company and Asian Pasifika Arts Collective (APAC)
Written By: Katelynn Kenny
Directed By: Cara Hinh 

In Collaboration with  Asian Pasifika Arts Collective (APAC), Cohesion Theatre produced Tornkid, the story of a child torn between two identities. Unable to express their emotions, Tornkid gets frustrated and rips themselves in two. Their "Other Half" steals their voice and descends into a mystical land based on Pacific Island mythology. Tornkid pursues their other half to try and win their voice back, meeting some puppet characters along the way.

As the scenery and puppetry designer for this piece, I worked closely with the director and design team to steer our creative direciton and artistic expression. To me, everything in this show is magical and animated - the scenery itself was puppeteered as a wave crashing upon the stage, unfurling before the audience's eyes. 

Masks By: Tara Cariaso
Costumes By: Elizabeth Ung
Scenic Painters: Sam Callanta, Ahn Caintic, Megan Suder 
Photos By: Catrece Ann Ramento Tipon
https://baltimoreapac.org 

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 

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

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 so 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. 

Single Carrot Theatre
Written By: Ben Iver
Directed By: Kellie McCleary

This world of hand-dyed gauze created an environment and creature's of a woman's dreams. All puppets were constructed with embroidery hoops, chicken wire, and gauze. The dog puppet is a favorite among my friends. 

This is a collection of scenic painting designs I have made. I am interested in building my reputation as a floor painter. To me, the floor is all you need in order to define a space and evoke an environment. 

I am also interested in geometry and using math in cobination with painting to create these designs. I would like to someday develop the curriculum for a scenic painting math class to show children the depth of connections between subjects.