9 to 5: The Musical
Company: West Virginia University, School of Theatre and Dance
Date: April 10-13, 2025
Venue: Lyell B Clay Theatre
Venue Type: Proscenium
This was my first experience designing projections for a theatrical production, and I had the opportunity to work on 9 to 5: The Musical. For the show's visual backdrop, I curated public domain footage from the internet that represented Los Angeles. Since authentic footage of LA from the late 1970s proved difficult to locate, I sourced material that prominently featured the Biltmore Building—a historic structure built in the early 1900s. Despite its age, the Biltmore is surrounded by other buildings with similarly vintage architecture, which helped maintain the aesthetic consistency I was aiming for. I also made a deliberate choice to incorporate movement into the projections to keep the visuals dynamic and engaging. My overall goal was to ensure that the projected imagery blended seamlessly into the physical set and felt like an authentic part of the world we were creating onstage.
For the show's dream sequences, I worked closely with Maguire Glass in a collaborative process. Maguire provided hand-drawn backgrounds for each of the sequences, while I brought them to life using TouchDesigner by adding motion and effects. These dream segments included a variety of visual styles—ranging from a moody film noir atmosphere to Judy’s whimsical dream, Violet’s fairytale sequence, and another scene with a wild west aesthetic.
In the opening scene, I designed a montage of street signs, creatively combining elements from both West Virginia and downtown Los Angeles. This mix served to create a unique and stylized visual language that reflected the tone of the production while offering a nod to both local and urban elements.
The technical setup for the projections involved a rear projection screen and two high-quality projectors, ensuring that the visuals were crisp, vibrant, and immersive throughout the performance.
Director: Robyne Parrish
Technical Director: Steven Neuenschwander
Scenic Designer: Jess Ford
Assistant Scenic Designer: Daney Brookover, Maguire Glass
Projections Designer: Samuel Felinton
Projections Mentor: Tammy Honesty, Jamie Whoolery
Dead & Gone
Company: West Virginia Public Theatre & Broadway Licensing
Date: April 24-27, 2025
Venue: Antoinette Falbo Theatre
Venue Type: Black Box
This particular project was much simpler in scope compared to others I’ve worked on. My main task was to create projections that indicated the time and how close it was to the start of the service in the play Dead and Gone.
Even though the content was minimal, I still wanted to bring a thoughtful and creative approach to the design. I focused on making the projected text appear as though it had been physically painted onto the back wall, rather than just being a standard projection. To achieve this, I paid close attention to font choice, texture, and color blending to create a more organic and integrated look that complemented the set design.
The technical setup was straightforward: Jamie Whoolery used a single projector aimed at the back wall of the Antoinette Falbo Theatre. Despite its simplicity, this subtle design element played an important role in setting the tone and atmosphere for the production.
Director: Faith King
Technical Director: Abby Bender
Scenic Designer: Faith King
Projections Designer: Samuel Felinton