About Us

Our mission is to ignite wonder and curiosity in young audiences in order to inspire deep thinking beyond the theater space. We strive to meaningfully engage young people in complex topics. Our shows utilize puppetry, mask and music as powerful and engaging storytelling tools. We are often inspired by the complicated, rich history of our home city, New York.

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE GRAND PISTACHIO HAS BEEN

Read below to learn more about our company members

Board of Directors

Laura Newmark (President) : George Konaris (Treasurer) : Raghav Thapar :

Rachel Sullivan : Liz Parker

Company Founders

Founders Rachel Sullivan and Liz Parker both hold an MA in Applied Theater from CUNY/School of Professional Studies. Combined, they have over thirty years of experience as teaching artists in school, library and museum settings. They are each experienced at directing devised work with a wide variety of community groups.

The duo first begin creating for family audiences with Urban Stages’ outreach department, performing regularly at over 80 NYC public libraries. In 2011, their show Blown Away by Poetry was performed at the New York International Fringe Festival after which it toured to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), The Bushwick Starr, Poet's House and other NYC venues. In the 2015-2016 season, Rachel and Liz were selected for The New Victory Theater's prestigious LabWorks program where they began development of Layer the Walls. The Jim Henson Foundation selected Layer the Walls for a family grant in 2017. Layer the Walls was co-presented in 2018 Off-Broadway as a part of The 14th Street Y Young Audience Series, reaching 1,200 young people. Layer the Walls received funding from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation for support with 2019-2020 touring to reach over 7,000 young people.

RACHEL SULLIVAN: EXECUTIVE & CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Rachel previously co-founded Honest Accomplice Theatre which brings original pieces of theater and media to college campuses and local theaters to begin conversations about gender. Her work with Honest Accomplice has been supported by The Ford Foundation and is utilized The New York City Commission on Human Rights.

LIZ PARKER: CO-CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Liz has previously performed throughout the country with several shows for young audiences including Literature to Life’s one-person stage adaptation of Lois Lowry’s ‘The Giver’, adapted by Elise Thoron.

Grand Pistachio Collaborators

ELISE THORON: DIRECTOR (LTW I & II)

Elise Thoron’s plays have been produced in the United States, Europe, Japan, Cuba: Green Violin, music by Frank London, (Nine Contemporary Jewish Plays); Prozak and the Platypus, music by Jill Sobule (CD/graphic novella); Charlotte: Life? Or Theater? based on paintings by Charlotte Salomon, music by Gary Fagin. Recycling: washi tales with Japanese paper artist, Kyoko Ibe, and traditional Japanese musicians. Her Afro-Cuban Yiddish opera Hatuey: Memory of Fire with Frank London just had its North American premiere at Peak Performances, after a first production at Opera de la Calle in Havana. As Associate Artistic Director at American Place Theatre, Elise co-founded, Literature to Life, a highly successful theater literacy program now in its third decade nationwide. For Lit to Life she adapted and directed Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (also at Book-it Theater in Seattle), Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk, Lowry’s The Giver, and developed County of Kings with Tony award-winning spoken-word poet, Lemon Andersen, which went on to the Public Theater and venues around the world. www.elisethoron.com

SPICA WOBBE: PUPPETRY AND MASK DESIGN (LTW I & II)

Spica Wobbe (Shu-yun Cheng) is a puppetry artist originally from Taiwan. Her work has been seen in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Holland, Germany, Israel, Austria and the U.S. Now based in NYC, she works as a puppetry designer, performer and educator. She established Double Image Theater Lab in 2011 to create cross-cultural productions that explore the world of the past and the present. She is a two time recipient of the Jim Henson Foundation grant and is a 2015 Sandglass Theater New Vision Series Resident Artist. Spica was the featured artist in “Shadow, Light... Hide & Seek Exhibit” at WenShand Theater in Taipei in 2015 and “Heaven of Puppets Exhibit” at Taipei Puppet Museum in 2016.
Spica co-created The Memory Project with Karen Oughtred (2016), storytelling through visual arts, theater and puppetry for culturally diverse older adults. The project received LMCC SU-CASA (2017 - 2020), Creative Learning grants (2017- 2020) and Creative Engagement grant (2021).
You can learn more about her work at http://www.doubleimagetheaterlab.com and about “The Memory Project” at https://www.facebook.com/thememoryproject.storytelling

MARGARET BAUGHMAN: ASSISTANT DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER (LTW I), PRODUCTION MANAGER (LTW II)

Margaret Baughman is a Chicago-based theatre artist and program manager at TikTok. Before the pandemic, directing credits include Oceanborn (Rave Theatre Festival), BURY ME IN MY LEGGINGS (Lady Fest), Ogygia (The Tank), and 24 Words (Steppenwolf - LookOut Series). They have been part of the Layer the Walls and Grand Pistachio team since 2017, following the show from The Tank, the 14th St Y, and on tour. They're thrilled to get to dig into new stories with Layer the Walls II. They are a proud member of Ring of Keys & an alum of The Theatre School at DePaul University. Their full portfolio can be found online: www.MargaretCBaughman.com.

JAY ISAACS: TOURING STAGE MANAGER (LTW I), PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER (LTW II)

Jay Isaacs (they/them) is a New York City-based stage manager and production coordinator. They are an NYC native and have a BS in Psychology & Theater from Union College. They joined the Grand Pistachio team in 2019 as a touring stage manager for LTW 1, as a production associate for virtual content, and is ecstatic to be back with the team as the Production Stage Manager for LTW 2. Selected Stage Manager credits include: The Tempest (Saratoga Shakespeare Company), Chaos Theory (United Solo), GIRL (Winterfest Theater Festival), and the US Open 2020 (USTA World Broadcast).

PEIYI WONG: SET DESIGN (LTW I & II), WRITER (LTW II)

Peiyi is a Brooklyn-based designer and interdisciplinary artist. She designs sets, installation, and costume for performance and film. Selected NY credits: Memoirs of a…Unicorn (NY Live Arts/Collapsable Hole, 2018 Bessie Award for Outstanding Visual Design), some higher glimmer in a landscape of flat (Buran Theater/Collapsable Hole), A Hunger Artist (Sinking Ship/The Tank), Charleses (Glass Bandits/The Tank; 2017 Hewes Design Award nomination), Now is the Time (Abrons Arts/Little Lord), The Tower (HERE Arts/Antimatter Collective), Chekhov’s The Bet (Columbia Stages/lonely painter project). Current and upcoming: The Emperor’s New Clothes and Other Stories by Hans Christian Andersen (NYC Children’s Theater), and with performance collective, the Lonely Painter Project: Beast Thing by Aleshea Harris (Williams College), Mukh Agni (Ars Nova Makers Lab), Rasgos Asiaticos (Soho Rep Lab). MFA, CalArts. www.peiyiameliawong.com.

CAT FISHER: COSTUME DESIGN (LTW I & II)

Cat has designed over 100 shows for theater, dance, film, and television, is a 2008 member of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab, a New York State Council for the Arts awards recipient for design work at Abrons Arts Center, and has been recognized with an Outstanding Costume award, Hamlet Bound and Unbound, 2012 Midtown International Theatre Festival; 2011 Planet Connections Theatre Festival (Costume award, The God Particle); and, nominated for best costume in the 2018 London International Film Festival . Her work has been seen at 59e59th; NYC Fringe Festival and many other NYC Festivals; The Prague Fringe Festival; The Producer's Club; Riverside Theatre, and is often favorably reviewed. Catherine (Cat) has IMDb credits for both acting and design and is a founding member of Honest Accomplice Theatre.

SARAH JOHNSTON: LIGHTING DESIGN (LTW I & II)

Selected credits: The Brobot Johnson Experience (The Bushwick Starr); Squeamish (Theatre Row); Speak Up, Rise Up (The Connelly Theater); Brobot Johnson (The Bushwick Starr); Charleses (The Brick Theater); I’m Bleeding All Over the Place (LaMama - Ellen Stewart Theater); A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (The Night Shift at IRT); Acappella: The Musical(NYMF);Emily Climbs; Daredevil (The Brick Theater); The Harper's Play (JACK); Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo; Happily Ever; Miss Julie (NWT); The Downtown Loop(3LD). Associate Lighting Designer: Moulin Rouge (Boston Colonial); Jagged Little Pill (ART); Saint Joan (MTC); The Little Foxes (The Samuel Friedman Theater, MTC); Joan of Arc: Into the Fire (The Public Theatre); American Psycho(Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre); The Humans (Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, Helen Hayes Theatre; Laura Pels Theatre); Invisible Thread (2econd Stage);10 out of 12 (Soho Rep.); Pretty Filthy (Abrons Arts Center). Associate Creative Director: Drake. Sarah is a graduate of Brooklyn College. www.sarahjohnstonlighting.com

ELIA CHUAQUI: SOUND DESIGN (LTW I)

Elia Chuaqui is an international sound designer and playwright. Most recently she was invited to Ciego de Avila by the Cuban Council of the Arts to sound design for the People’s Scene festival. She has written and sound designed with the experimental Puerto Rican company One-Eighth Theater in Cuba and through their artistic residency at New Ohio Theatre and IRT. She has designed and composed theater and workshops Off-Broadway with companies including, but not limited to, Noor Theatre, Cloud of Fools, INTAR Theatre, New Dramatists and The Clemente. Upcoming playwright and sound design: NUMBNESS: Chapter 2 with One-Eighth Theater.

CAROLINE ENG: SOUND DESIGN (LTW II)

Caroline Eng (she/her) is a sound designer and podcast engineer based in New York. Selected Sound Design credits: Little Women (Theaterworks, UCCS), Three Sisters (Two River Theatre), Belfast Girls (Irish Rep), A Christmas Carol (Trinity Rep), The Late Wedding (Brown University/Trinity Rep), Popcorn Falls (Greater Boston Stage Company), Twelfth Night (Theatreworks, UCCS) Selected Assistant Design credits: Bring Down The House (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Fefu and Her Friends (Theatre For A New Audience) Selected Training: Fordham College At Lincoln Center (NY). Connect at carolineengdesign.com

CARRIE ELLMAN-LARSEN: ARTS Education Consultant

Carrie is a born and raised New Yorker. She studied drama and psychology at NYU where she received her BFA in Drama. She attended the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting for her conservatory training and is proud to be a classically trained actress. Carrie is now a theatre artist specializing in theatre for social change, literacy and curriculum connection through theatre. particularly forum theatre, process drama and interview based/documentary theatre. Carrie received an MA in Applied Theatre from the CUNY School of Professional Studies in 2011. She has been a teaching artist and applied theatre practitioner since 2004, working for arts organizations such as The Theater Development Fund, The Center for Arts Education, Arts Connection, The Museum of the City of New York, People's Theatre Project and The Roundabout Theater Company. Carrie is passionate about the way theater can be used to empower individuals and communities to rehearse and implement change in their lives and engage them to be pioneers in their own learning and growth. Carrie's dream is to travel the world, turning people's stories into theatre. Visit Carrieellmanlarsen.com to learn more about her teaching artist and art education consulting work.

BILLY HIGGINS: MASK DIRECTION (LTW I)

Billy is an actor, movement director, and devising artist. Billy performs in Mary Zimmerman’s Treasure Island, and with the Turkmen State Circus, and Nimble Arts Circus. His ensemble devised play Hell To Pay, has toured through the Western United States and Canada. His piece, Of Pitching & Privateers, toured by traditional sailing ship internationally. Billy directed the Irish national premiere of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged for the Dublin Shakespeare Festival. He has worked with Clowns Without Borders and was a folk singer at the 2015 San Francisco Sea Music Festival. B.F.A. University of Wyoming, M.Ph. Trinity College Dublin, and M.F.A. Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre. www.billy-higgins.com.

SONYA PLENEFISCH: PROPS/ASSISTANT SET DESIGNER (LTW I)

Sonya Plenefisch is a UK trained scenic and props designer & maker based in Brooklyn. In London, they were one of the twelve young up and coming designers whose work was exhibited at the National Theatre for the Linbury Prize for Stage Design 2017. Their most recent NYC productions include Into the Woods in Bay Ridge, The House of Bernarda Alba at the Gene Frankel Theatre, Heist! Off-Broadway at the Players Theatre, Troilus & Cressida at Under St. Marks, and Their Food Tastes Better When They See Us Starving (or, Coriolanus) at the Brick. www.sonyaplenefisch.com

VLADA YANEVA: ORIGINAL MUSIC COMPOSER (LTW I)

Bulgarian pianist and educator Vlada Yaneva has performed throughout the US and Europe. Vlada and her husband, pianist Matthew Harrison, created Masterwork Conversations, a lecture-recital series dedicated to creating a more personal relationship with the audience through an open conversation. This is her fourth puppetry play composition engagement. Previous collaboration includes I Laid an Egg (Double Image Theater Lab). Check out www.MasterworkConversations.com and www.TrioCabrini.com for more information.

DAVID QUINONES: WRITER (LTW II)

David Quiñones is a spoken word poet, educator & creator currently residing in South Florida by way of The Bronx, NYC. He is the son of first-generation Puerto Rican parents and grandson of native Puertorriquenos. He graduated with a degree in Theatre & Africana Studies from Lehigh University and has since performed all over NYC & been in education for over a decade. He is very grateful and proud to be able to bring this story to life and keep the legacy of the Young Lords Party alive.

ZAHYDE PIETRI: ACTOR (LTW II)

Zahydé Pietri is a Puerto Rican actress and artist based in NYC. She has a BA in Drama from the University of Puerto Rico and has trained and been onstage in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Perú and NYC. She used to fight with herself weekly as the sole voice of WWE's Female Division in Spanish on WWE’s RAW and SmackDown. Favorite roles include her work with the after-image, with Julia Cavagna’s Las Pibas Theatre Company, and being mom to Chaplin (her pup, not the acclaimed silent actor/director).