About

Grumpycorp Studios

Grumpycorp Studios is a Seattle-based creative and technical practice working across film, performance, and built environments.

The studio grew out of long-term work in theater, music, engineering, and collaborative making, and is organized around the idea that creative work and technical systems are most effective when developed together rather than separately.

The work spans production infrastructure, production design, fabrication, technical direction, and software systems, all in the service of collaborative endeavors. Some projects take the form of productions or installations; others become tools, workflows, or spaces for creative work.

Phinneywood, the studio’s physical home base, reflects this approach directly: a flexible environment designed to support rehearsal, experimentation, production, performance, teaching, and ongoing practice over time.

The studio operates with an emphasis on intentionality, versatility, and long-term collaboration. The goal is not just to produce finished work, but to build systems and environments that allow good work to continue evolving.

Robin Giese

Robin’s work crosses creative and engineering disciplines, with a focus on balancing complex systems for spontaneity and human experience. Across theater, film, music, and live environments, his work has included feature-scale filmmaking, lighting and technical systems for performance spaces and touring productions, scenic and architectural design, technical direction, and custom infrastructure for creative environments.

In parallel with this work, Robin spent over two decades in software engineering, engineering management, and product management roles across big tech and startups. That experience continues to shape the studio’s approach to systems thinking, workflow design, operational reliability, and the relationship between tools and creative practice.

Sarah Rodriguez Giese

Sarah’s background combines theater, education, directing, and production, with an emphasis on storytelling, collaboration, and creative growth.

She currently co-teaches technical theater at Mercer Island High School, guiding students through scenic construction, lighting, and live production. She also works with Youth Theatre Northwest as a director and outreach educator, helping lead theater programs for children and students across a range of ages and experience levels.

Her involvement in theater began early and continued through her time at Princeton University, where she helped lead student-run productions and summer theater programs, and has since continued across school, community, and professional productions for more than two decades. Sarah’s approach has centered on collaborative environments where people can grow, take creative risks, and make meaningful work together over time.