Collaborator Bios
Marsian De Lellis (Writer, Performer, Creator) is an interdisciplinary artist who combines sculpture, objects, installation, performance and handmade spectacles to memorialize obsessional lives. Their work celebrates stories of unconventional people whose private manias become public fodder for tabloids and reality television. MarsianDeLellis.com
Michele Spears (Director) is a director/choreographer, performer, theatre producer, and arts educator. She has worked in traditional theatre genres, dance, cabaret, opera, puppetry arts, film, television, and new media – but is most attracted to projects that can’t be easily categorized. She is a founding member of Impro Theatre where she performs, directs, and teaches, as well as an associate artist with the LA Gay Men’s Chorus where she choreographs. Originally from Kentucky, she is an alum of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and the Directors Lab West, and now lives in Los Angeles with her pack.
michelespears.com
Andrew Schmedake (Lighting designer) is a lighting designer for theater, dance and live events. His career has ranged from opera and ballet to cruise ships, haunted houses and immersive theater. Presently, Andrew lives in Los Angeles and lectures at UC Santa Barbara. He earned his MFA in Lighting Design from Carnegie Mellon University. schmedakelightingdesign.com
Becca Kessin (Sound Designer) is a sound designer working in Los Angeles and regionally since 2006. Theatre is her life’s great passion, particularly new play development. She teaches Sound Design at California State University, Fullerton. Seeing her students flourish in their chosen field brings her great joy.. rebeccakessin.com
Kajal Ardestani (Stage Manager) – is a Los Angeles based Stage Manager that studied stage management at California Institute of the Arts. Her professional career spans over 10 years, including Resident Stage Manager for children’s theater company Magic Mirror Theater as well as The Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry. She is overwhelmed with excitement and joy to be working with such a talented cast and crew!
Lupe Lucero (Production Assistant) was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her professional theatre work involves Teatro Jornalero, Independent Shakespeare Co., Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, Company of Angels, La Colectiva Chorizo y Maguey, The Latino Theatre Company, Las Ramonas, The Getty Villa – Theatre Lab, and The Antaeus Company.
Christine Papalexis (Lead Soft Fabricator) has been performing and making puppets and costumes since discovering her love of puppetry at Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Los Angeles. Hand puppets were next, followed by cable, animatronic and hydraulic puppets for movies, television, videos and commercials. She recently completed her directorial debut with a short marionette film, “Amaterasu”, based on a Japanese folk tale. Christinepapalexis.com
Grant Baciocco (Sound Effects) is a creator and puppeteer who works regularly with The Jim Henson Company. His puppetry credits include work on The Muppets, Wet Hot American Summer, Last Week Tonight and the current incarnation of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 on Netflix where he plays M. Waverly and is the lead puppeteer on Crow. Grant was inducted into the Podcasting Hall of Fame in 2018. MrGrant.com
Kelly Stuart (photo documentation) is a photographer working in L.A. and NYC, whose work has been seen in the New York Times, and other publications. She specializes in theatre and dance photography. She is currently working on a book of street dance juxtaposed with police and surveillance culture in New York City.
Alex U. Griffin (video documentation) is a cinematographer and photographer based in the Los Angeles area, with services worldwide. Alex is also a puppeteer active in the puppet community; a film coordinator for Handmade Puppet Dreams, Vice President of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry and President of the Puppeteers of America.
Automata is a Los Angeles nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation, incubation, and presentation of experimental puppet theater, experimental film, and other contemporary art practices centered on ideas of artifice and performing objects. Automata is dedicated to creating and nurturing work that is engaged in cutting edge performance, media/art practices, and in deep conversation with our contemporary culture of simulation and mimicry (digital, robotic and otherwise), while still embracing the aura of the handmade and hand-operated.