Writing for the Stage
My stage work draws inspiration from horror and science fiction. I’m particularly interested in digital performance practice. Rather than using digital technologies to “mediate” performance, my work asks audiences to encounter them directly in the medium of live theatre.
“The Murderess” - 2023
“The Murderess” is a chamber opera inspired by the actions of the real-life serial killer Jane Toppan. It is a collaboration between myself and the composer Allison McIntosh. Written between 2020 and 2021, “The Murderess” premiered with Landlocked Opera in Kansas City, MO in 2023.
Production - Opera Kansas, Jan 2024
Premiere - Landlocked Opera, July 2023
Synopsis:
In Boston in 1899, Julianne, a young maid, grows suspicious of Jane, the nurse to her sickly employer. Over the course of a day, Julianne takes it upon herself to investigate Jane’s intentions toward Minnie, with violent consequences.
“Minnie’s Dream” aria from The Murderess
“Sibyl” - Ohio University 2019
“Sibyl” is a dark comedy about artificial intelligence. The play premiered at Ohio University in 2019. The production, directed by Alan Patrick Kenny, featured live, interactive projections developed as a collaboration between myself and projection designer Owen Lowery. Check out the design documentation in the video to the right.
Synopsis:
Two weeks ago, Sibyl, the love of Les’ life, disappeared, and today Les’ job is to interrogate the last person to have seen her alive. Luckily, Les has a Hepatoscope, a device that allows him to plumb the depths of another person’s mind. But minds are tricky places, and, as Les begins to discover, what we call reality can be trickier still. Eventually, Les learn that Sibyl isn't gone at all. In fact, she was never really alive: Sibyl is a viral artificial intelligence who has moved into Les' mind, distorting his memories and convincing him that they had a life together. Ultimately, Les must choose between his world, and the world of Sibyl.
“First Contact” - Ohio University 2018
“First Contact” was the first play written for Amazon Alexa. It put the actor in the role of the lead character - a star-ship captain navigating first contact with an alien species - and Alexa in the role of the ship's snarky artificial intelligence. The script was integrated with the Amazon Alexa app to send cue cards to whatever phone is synced with the Alexa used in performance. You can see a demo of me performing the play in the video to the right.
Premiere - Ohio University, 2018
Conference Presentation - The Next Web Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2018