The Cymbeline Project
O! Digital Stage
2022

I served as the composer and sound designer for this 10-episode transmedia adaptation of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline. The piece was conceived by (former) OSF Artistic Director Nataki Garrett and created/directed by (former) OSF Associate Artistic Director and Director of Innovation and Strategy Scarlett Kim. Each episode was shaped and led by a roster of 8 guest artists representing some of the country’s leading playwrights, directors, musicians, and puppeteers. See the production website for full credits.

This piece was created during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The entire team worked primarily remotely, rehearsing and recording across the U.S. and South Korea. Individually shot footage was then mixed into various digital environments, each episode featuring a unique aesthetic. As might be expected, my music and sound was sprawling in its scope, featuring a canon of original songs based on the text that appear in varied arrangements and provide themes for instrumental scoring across the entire series.

I also worked with actors to perform the songs, sometimes in multi-part harmonies coordinated from multiple filming locations. The sound design ranged from abstract and stylized textures to realistic soundscapes to surround music and effects accompanying an episode in 360 Virtual Reality.

For this project I was co-nominated for the 2023 Young-Howze Theatre Award for Outstanding Musical Composition (with Diana Oh, Episode 8 guest artist). The entire production was awarded Show of the Year from Young-Howze.