Design for Stage
Projects as Part of a Minor in Theater Arts at MIT
EXPERIENCE, INTERACTION, STAGE
As part of my Bachelor's at MIT, I took classes in theater-related design fields to complete a "concentration" program in Theather Arts. Here, I learned about translating written material into lighting, costume, video and performance and conveying emotions and personality through these media.
PERFORMANCE MEDIA
Creating live performances using elements of light, sound, recordings and digital and mechanical manipulation of projections. All projects are in collaboration with Ethan Perrin.
One of my favorite performances we made was a radio play, in which we explored themes of family, nostalgia, and internal reflection and distraction that takes us somewhere else while we are on the phone. Communicating an emotion, longing, and ideas like memories and stream of consciousness purely through sound was an exciting challenge for me. I came up with the concept and found the peripheral sounds and figured out where things go, my partner interviewed his grandmother, the anchor recording, and put it all together in Adobe Premiere.
RADIO PLAY
IMMERSIVE THRILLER
The final project was an immersive thriller-horror story based on the poem “Pursuit” by Sylvia Plath. We translated the idea of being quietly followed, hunted down by a panther into audio, visual and tactile elements to facilitate an unsettling experience.
In a team of two we curated the immersive experience using multiple mirrors to project a walking panther around the room, with programmed spotlights to direct the participants from station to station. One station was a pool of non-newtonian fluid with projected images of flowers the participants were directed to play with, which later turned into dripping oil paint to match the blood and fresh wound content in the poem, as if pouring from above.
Opening station for the final performance. The video is diffracted in a corner of the room using mirrors and a projector. The video is accompanied by a reading of the poem, along with a growling sound that switches between speakers to follow the audience.
LIGHTING DESIGN
Creating light scenes for plays, spaces and events. In preparation, I created moodboards, scene renderings and light plots and programmed lighting designs using the ETC Ion light board.
In a group of 3, we were responsible for the lighting of a performance of a local Boston band called "Occurence". On the left are my moodboards and on the right are photos from the performance.
