Stages of Me
Devised Piece Directed by
Dr. Philip McAdoo & David Taylor Little
Embedded Files
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Creative Team
Ball State University DOTD
DOMA AR217
April 17th - 26th, 2024
Directors: David Taylor Little &
Dr. Philip McAdoo
Asst. Director: Brandon Young
Stage Manager: Allison Kressler
Asst. Stage Managers: Morgan Butler,
Sam Zivkovich
Scenic Design/TD: John Rawlings
Costume Design: Aurora Cox
Hair/Makeup Design: Robert Dirden
Lighting Design: Lydia Taylor
Lead Electrician: Lydia Taylor
Sound Design: Colby Anderson
Audio Engineer: Colby Anderson
StagesEngineeringFINAL.pdfEngineering Packet
About & Design Concept
No one else will ever know what it is like to be me, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try. While we may all have much in common, at the end of the day each of us is unique, and it is in these differences, specifically how we choose to leverage those differences for the good of everyone, that we can be both true to ourselves and uplifting to others. At the very core of Stages of Me is an emphasis on the individual and their ability to overcome many different challenges in our modern society. The throughline between these is most evidently each person's ability to embrace their identity, share it with others, and help them to do the same, uplifting others by first uplifting themselves.
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In this piece, I will use sound to aid the performers in their individual storytelling as well as use it as a throughline that helps connect each piece to each other. My goal is to create an aural world that supports and expands upon each stage that also aligns with each performer's unique identity. The cast will be largely involved in the sound design throughout the entire process.
To accomplish this, I plan on using a combination of music and sound effects to create a robust soundscape throughout the performance. The cast will have a large and direct influence on the music selection, both during and before the show. I plan to use a PA system configured to allow for immersive audio, however basic that may be considering the constraints of the space. This will allow me to pan music and sound effects around the audience to create movement and enhance the realism of certain moments. I plan to use sounds such as a heartbeat or wind to create a recurring aural motif that can be modified to suit certain moments while still remaining identifiable. I would like to incorporate the cast’s real-life stories and experiences directly into the piece by using recorded messages of them addressing their past or future selves, loved ones, etc. Furthermore, the directors have requested a title-like voiceover/transition to bookend each stage. I plan to combine sound effects, music, and recorded quotes to create the final result.
Keep in mind that this is a devised piece, and as such these elements are subject to change, though the concept as a whole will remain as close to stated as possible. The piece is about the lived experiences of the cast and company and will change to reflect that as needed.
Stage 2 Car Sequence v2.mp4Stage 2: Car Vignette
Stage 2 was structured as a game show, with groups of contestants presenting (3) different vignettes to represent their definitions of family.
In the first of these, a family is in a car on a road trip. Throughout the piece, I used several soundscapes to enhance the realism of the scene and help shape the idea that it was a memory. Music was used to represent shared family memories in addition to silence to distinguish breaks in time during the (2) monologues.
This clip is a mixdown of several moments as described above:
Radio tuning into a monologue with music underscoring
Car crash sequence into a night soundscape
Car start sequence into a road soundscape
Stage 2: Family Conflict
The final vignette of Stage 2 focused on the difference between familial relationships and friendships, highlighting the reality that family isn’t always caring and accepting.
This piece was structured more abstractly than the rest, using light to reflect the emotional state of the children. As their arguments form a cacophony of screaming, they bump into one another and the lights return, showing that they have found a supporting community. I accompanied moments of darkness with a low, rumbling drone, which was stopped and punctuated by a breaker sound as the lights came up.
This example is a mixdown of the moments described above:
Drone underscoring
Breaker on (Lights up)
Breaker off/power down (Lights out)
Reversed cymbal and heartbeat
Stage 2 Drone v2.mp4Stage 5 Transition v2.mp4Title Sequences
Each Stage was prefaced by a title sequence that included the name of the title, music, and quotes, with all the voiceover being recorded by the cast.
My goal for each of these transitions was to aid in clearly establishing the structure of the show, introduce the theme of the stage, and provide a sense of connection between stages in my choice of quotes.
In this shortened example, you will hear:
A recurring heartbeat
A collage of the entire cast reading the stage number
A single cast member reading the stage name
Music and accompanying quotes, all of which panned around the room
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