ELLIE M. PLOURDE
CO-FOUNDER & CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
ELLIE is a NY based Jewish actor, theatre producer, and casting director. Her performance work spans regional and indie theatre, Off and Off-Off Broadway, commercials, voiceovers, and independent film. She studied theater at The University of the Arts and is a graduate of the Terry Knickerbocker Studio Conservatory. She spent a decade in Philadelphia performing in eight world premieres that deepened her love of bold, collaborative storytelling.
Ellie began producing and directing in 2015 with This Is Not About 9/11 by Sarah Van Auken, which enjoyed sold-out runs at the Philadelphia SoLow Festival and NYC’s NuBox Theatre. She continues to co-produce all MOS productions.
As a casting professional, Ellie is passionate about connecting extraordinary talent across generations and backgrounds. She views casting as creative matchmaking—bringing together artists whose voices and lived experiences make stories feel both fresh and deeply human. Recent film casting credits include The Eye, by Joshua Elias Palmer, Two Waiters, starring Connie Shi and Stephen Adly Guirgis, We Know It Was You, by comedian and filmmaker Delaney Flanagan, and The Crown by JD Ferdinand.
Driven to break down industry barriers, Ellie founded the Making Our Space showcase to challenge the overpriced, for-profit model and create authentic connections between actors and industry professionals. After three successful showcases, it evolved into Making Our Space Theatre Co., a platform for ensemble-driven, inclusive, and accessible indie theatre—where cost doesn’t dictate quality, and community is at the heart of the work.
SOPHIA CASTUERA
CO-FOUNDER & CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Sophia Castuera is an actor, filmmaker, and producer based in Brooklyn, NY. Producing credits include: august at twenty-two (also Director), doing fine (also supporting actor), VOCE (also Director and actor), and the upcoming Good Choices (also director and actor).
Sophia is passionate about community-building. Though she lives in a city overflowing with artists, the experience can be quite isolating and lonesome, especially being surrounded by big-budget projects, expensive workshops, and showcase opportunities, and the sometimes ugly competitiveness many say "just comes with this industry." It doesn't have to be this way. Sophia is thrilled to be on the producing team for Making Our Space because of the organization's goal to offer a low-cost showcase opportunity, as well as a chance to build community with fellow actors and artists who genuinely want to be there for each other and lift each other up. There is room for all of us, and we have the power and the right to make our own space, with some help from our friends.
ELI MAZURSKY
CO-FOUNDER & CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Eli Mazursky is an actor/writer/producer based in Brooklyn. He attended Boston University’s School of Theatre with a concentration in acting. He also attended the 2-year acting program at the William Esper Studio upon arriving in NY. He’s worked as an Art Director and Production Supervisor for film (including Somewhere in Queens for dir. Ray Romano, Three Women for Showtime) and commercial projects (including Google, Dodge, and Zara). He has a passion for the collaborative nature of storytelling through theater and film. Eli has dreamed for a long time of being part of an organization that creates affordable opportunities for actors to learn and showcase their talent. He strongly believes Making Our Space has the power to create a home for a formidable community of storytellers in NYC.
SPENCER WHALE
DIRECTOR OF NEW WORKS
Spencer Whale is a Brooklyn-based director and playwright focused on developing subversive new works and unearthing fresh, queer readings of classics. Recent projects include Making Our Space Theatre Co.’s inaugural production of Bathsheba Doran’s Kin and the premiere of Justin Halle’s end-of-days comedy Vile Isle at the Tank. Spencer made his Broadway debut last year as Assistant Director on Lempicka, directed by Rachel Chavkin. He received his MFA in Directing from Columbia University, where productions included his original play Cuck, Cuck, Bull; Justin Halle’s Vile Isle and Cowgirl; The Two Noble Kinsmen; and Vanya: An Active Analysis Workshop. He studied under Anne Bogart, whom he assisted on SITI Company’s farewell tour revival of The Medium. His training in new play development includes stints as Directing Fellow at Manhattan Theatre Club and Directing and Producing Fellow at City Theatre, where he helmed the Young Playwrights Festival, led developmental workshops, and assistant directed productions including Nomad Motel (NNPN Rolling World Premiere), A Funny Thing Happened…, and The Guard. Other favorite productions include Sam Morrison’s Hello, Daddy! for Dixon Place’s HOT! Festival; LUNGS, Fun Home, Big Fish, and Quentin Crisp: The Last Word in Pittsburgh; and Titus Andronicus and subculture at Cornell. Spencer has also worked with the Pittsburgh Public, Quantum, Kinetic, and Hangar Theaters. He is a patented inventor and inductee into the National Gallery for America’s Young Inventors.
GIANNA COLLIER
DIRECTOR OF BRAND & AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
Gianna Collier is an actor and producer based in New York, NY. She attended NYU, receiving her BA in Cinema Studies from the Tisch School of the Arts before completing the 2-year acting program at Terry Knickerbocker Studio. She has appeared in several commercial projects for major brands including Champion and Zarbees Naturals, and was featured in Seventeen and Teen Vogue for her LGBTQ+ advocacy work with GLAAD. Her most recent credit includes the indie feature film Junction, directed by Bryan Greenberg.
Gianna has always been passionate about indie storytelling, and her work off-screen includes event operations for film festivals such as Sundance and Tribeca. She co-organized The Museum of Modern Art’s 2018 DocFortnight film festival. Ever since she participated in the inaugural showcase, she knew that Making Our Space was a unique opportunity to create art and foster community for artists, by artists.
Aside from acting, Gianna’s talents run the gamut from film photography and writing to poetry and competitive rowing.
ATHENA NICKOLE
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Athena Nickole is an actor, filmmaker, artist, and author based in New York, NY. Originally from Boston, MA, she attended DePaul University in Chicago, where she received her BFA in acting. While in Chicago, Athena starred in the play EVERYBODY, a unique production where actors' roles are chosen at random nightly. Athena’s most recent onstage credits include the role of Alice in 21 SHILLINGS at Piper Theatre in NYC.
Offstage, Athena writes, directs, and stars in original short films exploring memory, queer identity, disability, and the evolving digital landscape, which she shares on her TikTok (@athenz) and Instagram (@athenanickole). Throughout her career in social media, Athena has collaborated with several major brands in multiple capacities, including social media management, film editing, content creation, modeling, and artistic direction for Haverhill, ReFoundNYC, EnRoute, and most recently Farmhands Productions.
Athena has been featured several times in RUFF AROUND reading from her upcoming poetry collection WORDS TO PUT ROCKS IN YOUR POCKETS TO. You can read Athena’s work in her Substack publication, FRUIT LEATHER.
Athena is passionate about work that centers fresh, underrepresented voices across identity and ability. She believes strongly that theatre must be a place accessible to and for all people, which is why Athena is incredibly excited to be joining the brilliant team at Making Our Space.
JOSHUA PIPER
LITERARY MANAGER
Joshua Taylor Piper is a playwright and actor who recently graduated from Wagner College in Spring 2024 with a BA in Theatre Performance. He is now attending Pace to get his MFA in Playwriting. He’s very excited to take on the role of Literary Manager with Making Our Space Theatre Co.! His plays have been performed at the Wild Project, The Tank, The Secret Theatre, The Atlantic Acting School, Pace University, and Wagner College. Most recently his play Café Americano was seen at the Wild Project for the Fresh Fruit LGBTQ+ Festival. His play To The Moon And Back was previously published in Volume 35 of the Pirandello Society of America’s Journal. A monologue of his has been published in some scripts’ “Monologues by LGBTQIA+ Writers for LGBTQIA+ Actors”.
SHAY MCWEENEY
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Shay McWeeney is an actor from San Francisco, California, living in Astoria, New York. She graduated from Point Park University with a BFA in Acting and an Applied Music Minor where her favorite roles included Imogen in Much Ado About Nothing and Sally Applewhite/ Mary in It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Before undergrad, she also studied at The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, California in the Summer Training Congress, San Francisco Semester Program, Young Conservatory, and Studio. You may have seen her in Seance in the Black Cat's Back Room in The Secret Theatre's Short Play Festival or in Witches Brew at Producer's Club. Beyond acting, she enjoys taking classes at The Freeman Studio, singing and playing guitar, and collaborating with fellow artists. Shay believes that storytelling's power lies in its ability to immerse audiences in emotions, relationships, and contexts outside their daily experiences, fostering empathy and potentially driving change. She also loves chocolate, sleeping, and farm animal videos.
Want to join our company?
We’d love to hear from you.
If you’re passionate about building artistic community and think you could be a great addition to our team, send us an email—we’re always excited to connect with new collaborators.
We’re currently seeking:
-Grant Writer
-Marketing Director
If one of these roles speaks to you, or if you have a skill you think we need, reach out to makingourspace@gmail.com