Theatrical Design
Scenes from the Odyssey
Credits
Written by: Mary Zimmerman
Directed by: Kenneth Sawyer
Sound Design by: Willow Edge
Lighting Design by: Jade Wolff
Scenic Design by: Sydney Fabis
Costume Design by: Maddy Englesmann
USC’s 2022 production of Scenes from the Odyssey was particularly focused on exploring the theme of finding your way home. We used Judy Garland’s iconic role in the 1939 film Wizard of Oz as a creative vehicle for telling the story, interweaving elements of a vintage film set, Wizard of Oz imagery and music, and Bernard Herrmann’s compositions to create a new telling of the classic epic.
This included the addition of a prologue to establish the setting of our creative vehicle, and several opportunities to use unconventional production techniques for the show.
To the Left: A QLab Demonstration of the SFX in context of two scenes
The first scene is Menelaus describing his encounter with Proteus as it's acted out as a flashback
The second scene is Odysseus' descent into the Underworld to seek Tiresias and encounters a few other spirits along the way
Comedy of Errors
Credits
Written by: William Shakespeare
Directed by: Edgar Landa
Sound Designed by: Willow Edge
Composed by: Kiko Torres-Velasco
Lighting Designed by: Joe Shea
Costume Designed by: Crystal Son
Comedy of Errors is a classic farce by Shakespeare. It follows two pairs of twins: twin Antipholuses and twin Dromios. They were separated at a young age by a shipwreck, but when they end up in the same town hijinks ensue from the mixup.
Our production of Comedy of Errors was on Zoom, lending itself well to the Vaudeville style of comedy to go with the farcical nature of the show. Sound designing it was particularly fun with ragtime music and cartoonish sound effects.
I brought Kiko in to record several minutes of freestyle ragtime to create different transitions between scenes based on mood and content.
Into the Woods
Credits
Playwright: Stephen Sondheim
Music Director: Anthony Lucca
Director: Kenneth Sawyer
Sound Designer: Willow Edge
Lighting Designer: Yajayra Franco
Scenic Designer: Sydney Fabis
Costume Designer: Sophia Grose
Stage Manager: Tina Archer
To the Right: A mix of the multitrack recording of Giants in the Sky from a performance night.
Fun Fact: Our design team was very collaborative; in a design meeting brainstorm, I suggested the cow be a road-case, and from that our incredible scenic designer made our fan-favorite Milky White.
To the Left: A video featuring numerous of the sound highlights of this production of Into the Woods including the giantess, the wolf, and more!
USC SDA’s 2022 production of Into the Woods integrated music tour/concert aesthetics into its visual design elements, creating a P!nk twist to the Sondheim classic.
Unfortunately, due to a personnel shortage, I had no assistant designer, so created all of the following paperwork available below: VCA Cueing, speaker plots, a signal flow, an I/O, pit mic’ing design, and a complex effect design including over 200 cues. The above video is my mix from the multitrack recordings of the pit and vocal mics during a live performance.
The design centered around bringing the audience into the world, especially with such an abstract set; using ambiences to connote location changes and immerse the audience. The Giantess entered through the audience, moving through the surround speakers and utilizing the subs to create the illusion of a Giant approaching and departing.
Digital signal processing allowed effects to highlight specific moments in the show, including using delay to create a mystical moment of callback, and ethereal crickets. Outboard compressors and dynamic EQs helped shape the design, particularly the band’s warm, bold sound.
Body of Faith
Credits
Playwright: Luis Alfaro
Director: Stephanie Shroyer
Sound Designer: Willow Edge
Ast. Sound Designer / Mixer: Renata Finamore
Lighting Designer: Yajayra Franco
Scenic Designer: Jesus Hurtado
Stage Manager: Sofia D'Annunzio
Body of Faith is an examination of the interplay between faith and sexuality, the dynamics between your spirit and your physique. USC’s 2021 production of Body of Faith was a unique production. The playwright, Luis Alfaro, worked with us to adapt his 2007 script to include modern LGBTQ+ stories and experiences.
Working with him to weave stories of pride from the 80s with stories from today created a production of Body of Faith unlike anyone has ever done before. In this surreal space telling stories from different bodies, voices, and eras, sound designing was full of exciting moments.
