work
Dracula
Sound Designer/Composer
In this thrilling new adaptation that bounces between horror and humor, playwright Kate Hamill confronts the sexism in Bram Stoker’s original work. By upending the familiar tropes of damsels in distress and dashing villains, Hamill reimagines the vampire classic as a full-throated feminist battle cry driving a gleeful stake through the heart of toxic masculinity.
Directed by: Jasmine B. Gunter.
Scenic Design: Hannah Clark.
Costume Design: Lia Wallfish.
Lighting Design: Avi Sheehan.
Duchess of Malfi
Sound Designer/Composer
The Duchess of Malfi (originally published as The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy) is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. Published in 1623, the play is loosely based on events that occurred between 1508 and 1513 surrounding Giovanna d'Aragona, Duchess of Amalfi (d. 1511), whose father, Enrico d'Aragona, Marquis of Gerace, was an illegitimate son of Ferdinand I of Naples. As in the play, she secretly married Antonio Beccadelli di Bologna after the death of her first husband Alfonso I Piccolomini, Duke of Amalfi. The play begins as a love story, when the Duchess marries beneath her class, and ends as a nightmarish tragedy as her two brothers undertake their revenge, destroying themselves in the process.
Directed by: Michelle Gibbs.
Scenic Design: Curtis Trout.
Costume Design: Beau Hamilton.
Lighting Design: Michael Rathbun.
Measure for Measure
Sound Designer/Composer
Directed by: Peter Andersen.
Scenic Design: Mike Salazar.
Costume Design: Taylor Pfenning.
Lighting Design: Jonathan Dove.
Categorized by scholars as one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays,” neither neat comedy nor tragedy, audiences will be captivated by the way this play explores themes of power, class dynamics, and justice through a modern and inclusive lens.
A Town Called Progress (World Premiere)
Sound Designer
On a dusty road between Backwards and Conspiratorial lies a town called Progress; where Ida, the mayor, hopes to create a utopia where the women are on top. Only – the water pump doesn’t work, the tumbleweeds have eyes, and the new citizens have other notions. Vivian wants to make a baby, Slim wants to make money, and Weed is up for anything as long as there is bacon. Chicago playwright Trina Kakacek’s modern day fable explores the stories we tell ourselves about gender, economics, and family in this world premiere comedy.
Music by: Twilight Stealers
Mandolin/ Vocals: Mitzi Lebensorge
Banjo: Ellen Shepard
Fiddle/Guitar/Vocals: Mary Tabatowsk
Recorded and Mixed by: Emily Hayman
Directed by: Anna C Bahow.
Written by: Trina Kakacek.
Scenic Design: Jeremiah Barr.
Costume Design: Rachel M. Sypniewski.
Lighting Design: Karen Wallace.
The County Fair is coming, and the grand prize in the talent competition is a trampoline! Duck wants that prize, but with Farmer Brown watching around every corner, how will he hold singing and dancing rehearsals for Cow, Pig and Ewe? Hop aboard Farmer Brown’s truck and travel to the fair with this hit musical about sharing your talents and reaching for your dreams.
Dooby Dooby Moo
Sound Designer
Design Concept:
The director was inspired by 70s styled TV shows. The show begins with Duck turning on the "TV" and surfing through channels until we land on the first song, "Farmer Brown's Farm."
The sound design was full of punctuations to heighten and exaggerate actions. For example, percussive accents were used to follow Farmer Brown around as he was suspiciously watching the animals.
Directed by: Heather Currie.
Adapted by: James E. Grote.
Music by: George Howe.
Scenic Design: Liz Hadden.
Costume Design: Aly Renee Amidei.
Lighting Design: Diane D. Fairchild.
Puppet Design: Noah Ginex.
Men on Boats
Sound Designer/Composer
This “off-the-canyon-walls funny” (Variety) voyage takes audiences on a rollicking ride through the Grand Canyon. Men on Boats hilariously retells the (mostly) true story of an 1869 expedition down the Colorado River. Between belly laughs lies a satirical interrogation of masculinity, colonialism and rugged individualism.
Photos By: Nikkita Parsons
Directed by: Dr. Michelle Gibbs. Costume/Props Design: Mars Mulvin.
Scenic Design: Curtis C. Trout. Lighting Design: Price Johnston.
Design Concept:
Music played a large role in the design, to help emotionally tell the story by enhancing the scenes on the rapids and conveying moments of tension, dread and beauty, as well as helping with transitions.
I created a main theme that was introduced in the beginning and then used throughout the show for the scenes on the rapids. Themes were also created for certain characters to help create associations for the audience.
The director wanted music that was sweeping and captured the grandness of the adventure. Therefore I used more traditional orchestral instruments, strings, timpani, flute, English horn, etc.
Squirrel Girl Goes to College
Sound Designer/Composer
Doreen arrives at Empire State University to make new friends - and protect them from super villains - by keeping her superhero identity a secret. But when a beloved computer science professor suddenly disappears, can Doreen trust her friends with her inner squirrel so she can save the day?
Photo by: Michael Brosilow. Costume Design by: Grace Gilbreath. Scenic Design by: Kat Hasanov. Lighting Design by: Brian Gallagher.
Design Concept:
For this show it was important to us to capture the comic book aesthetic as well as the high energy and comedic feel of cartoons. For sound that meant utilizing sonic hits and punctuations for the one-liners and action-filled scenes. This also included composing upbeat transitions and a catchy theme song with driving percussion and brassy synths.
A Love Play
Sound Designer/Composer
A LOVE PLAY, a collection of moments quilted together, is a story about willow trees and armpit smells and little birds and two lovers. A tender musing on time and trust and relationships, it asks if love can still exist in a world that is intrinsically painful?
Design Process:
A Love Play was produced in the Fall of 2020 admist the lockdown. The dialogue was recorded entirely over Zoom and designer/director collaboration also occurred completely remotely.
I began with editing the dialogue and writing the underscoring, while the videographer captured the video. With a series of back and forth edits we sent to each other and video meetings, we determined the pacing and final cut.
Written by: Saskia Bakker. Directed by: Stephanie LeBolt.
Cinematography and Editing by: Zoe Gray Mazza.
NEWSBREAK: An Escape Room
Sound Designer
Newsbreak is a two-person, socially distant escape room. Each person is in a separate "room," the living room or the office. These two rooms are divided by a center wall that is designed with hidden compartments, windows, and passageways to allow the players to share props from one room to another if the need arises.
"Newsbreak puts you and a partner in the driver's seat as you race against the clock to find the information that will give you the journalistic breakthrough that will launch your career."
An important aspect of this project was timing and simplicity of running the game experience. The time limit to successfully escape the space was 45min and the experience started with one click. The QLab ran automatically with the hints and events being pre-programmed as well as firing the lighting cues with OSC. The experience would automatically lead into the "Fail" cue or stop with the click of the "Success" cue.
Marie Antoinette
Sound Designer
Marie Antoinette is the theatrical and stylistic retelling of the life and final days of Marie Antoinette. Although this show was never able to be fully realized, due to the pandemic, the designs we able to become formed and developed by the creative team. The director wanted to approach this show through a contemporary lens. We focused on to parallels of famous women today and the criticism that comes with being a figure in pop culture.
To support the gesture towards popular women influencers, the music choices were all female artists, specifically within the pop/electropop genre.
As we move through the play we see Marie's mask and "perfect life" being stripped away and become more blurred and raw. This is reflected in the music choices as well as the manipulation of the tracks and the added complex soundscapes.
Odds and Ends - compilation of compositions
Below are examples of mimicry of composers, original music, and sound for animation.
