And another show I wish I had posted before it closed: You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! at @companyoneboston
This play managed to (1) deftly span the climate crisis, the struggle and grief of terminal illness, self-discovery and actualization, queerness and family dynamics, and more (2) while fluidly bridging the personal and the cosmic; the grounded and the surreal (3) all with humor, beauty, irreverence, care, and intention. It was a wild and beautiful ride!
It was lovely to return after so long to @companyoneboston where I did my first professional sound design ever back in the day! And a special shout-out to my incredible audio team Katie Kuan-Yu Chen and Atalanta Carrig-Braun!!
You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World!
Featuring: Kai Clifton, Jade Guerra, Michael Tow, Alex Alexander, Nicholas Papayoanou, and Anjie Parker
Playwright: Keiko Green
Director: Shawn LaCount
Dramaturg: Jessie Baxter
Assistant Director: Kimstelle Merisma
Stage Manager: Chris Daly
Assistant Stage Manager: Melanie Litwin
Assistant Stage Manager: Lily Barnes
Scenic Designer: Danielle DeLaFuente
Costume Designer: Emily Woods Hogue
Wardrobe Supervisor: Athena Parkman
Lighting Designer: Elmer Martinez
Sound Designer: Arshan Gailus
Audio Engineer: Katie Kuan-Yu Chen
Sound Board Operator: Atalanta Carrig-Braun
Projections Designer: Nitsan Scharf
Projections Technician: Grace Kroeger
Props Designer: Kelly Smith
Intimacy Director: Ayshia Mackie-Stephenson
Dialect Coach: Lee Nishri-Howitt
Drag Consultant: Neon Calypso
Creative Producer & Casting Director: Josh Glenn-Kayden
Production Manager: Liam Horne
Technical Director: Andrew March
Master Electrician: Jo Williams
Photos by: Annielly Camargo @anni.elly
Finally catching up on posting, so please indulge me sharing a couple shows that have already closed. First up, I had the honor of creating an original musical score and sound design for Zabel in Exile at @playwrightsbpt
It’s not every day that I get to work on SWANA stories let alone a specifically Armenian one! It was so meaningful to create music from the heart on this one - letting all the layers of ancestry, spirit, connection, and storytelling blend and blossom. And with such a wonderful group of co-creators!
Zabel in Exile
Featuring: Sarah Corey, Anelga Hajjar, Robert Najarian, June Baboian, Grace Experience, and Danny Bryck
Playwright: R.N. Sandberg
Director: Megan Sandberg-Zakian
Stage Manager: Jenna Worden
Assistant Director: Nikta Sabouri
Scenic Design: Marina Sartori
Properties Artisan and Coordinator: Courtney Licata
Lighting Design: Brian Lilienthal
Costume Design: Miranda Guirleo
Sound Design and Composer: Arshan Gailus
Voice and Speech Coach: Christine Hamel
Movement Coach and Choreographer: Nailah Randall-Bellinger
Paint Charge: Nina Cote
Production Assistant: Natalie Dion
Wardrobe Assistant: Claire Mitchell
Photos by: Scornavacca Photography
I’m so thrilled to have the chance to contribute a new song to Miracle on Comm. Ave 9!!
Miracle on Comm. Ave is an annual compilation put together by @squallpsycho420 where all sales benefit @childsplaycharity , a charity working to improve patient experience of children in hospitals through video games and play.
Go get the compilation on Bandcamp (link in my bio)! A wide range of cool tunes (+ some poetry) by awesome people and it all goes to help kids!
~
Bonus fun fact: this is the first song with lyrics/vocals that I have made in a looooooooooonngg time (like, a really long time) and it was made just for this compilation!
Special bonus shoutout: to @yourfriendsinhell for being the thread that connected me to this project! (And they have a rockin’ track on the comp!)
And extra bonus art credit: to @donotreadcomics who made the amazing compilation cover art that I yoinked for this post
SPOTLIGHT on 2 Variety Show artists:
Arshan and...Arshan!
This thoughtful, playful innovator is sharing TWO short interactive theatre pieces this Friday, Nov. 21st!
Get your tickets to double your Arshan fun ASAP!
Friday November 21st I'm performing at the From-Home Fest Variety Show!
I'll be doing not one, but TWO of my weird (complimentary), interactive online performance pieces - Tangents and SPACE! And I know the other artists involved are all incredible so it’s sure to be a fun time!
Tickets for the Variety Show are on a sliding scale and the sales go towards paying the artists of 3rd annual From-Home Fest (yay for paying artists!!)
November 21st, 8:30pm-9:30pm EST online
Link in bio or checkout @fromhomefest for more info
Continuing to love these art prompts from @cirquesaw (see my previous post for more details).
As an artist interested in all sorts of mediums, genres, and styles, I sometimes struggle deciding what things to share with whom. Worrying that any one thing will define me in someone’s mind. Worrying I’ll get boxed in or misunderstood.
I’ve noticed the prompts have been a way to try to let go of this, to make something where there is no time to do anything other than just see what flows in the moment and then to share that with others. A kind of vulnerability in sharing knowing that, of course, this is only one little part of me and that, of course, each view is incomplete. And within that, an acceptance of multiplicity and wholeness without self-partitioning and fracture? (Uh oh, the MFA-talk is creeping in 😂 lemme know if you want to see my thesis 😁)
The wonderful folx of @cirquesaw have a daily art prompt on their discord server where the intention is to make something, anything, in response to the prompt in no more than 1 hour start to finish (I think most of my responses have taken me around 30 minutes or so). Here are a few of the things I’ve made over the past weeks.
It’s been a lovely opportunity to make and share things at a time when most of my larger projects are in very early, amorphous stages. It’s been a chance for some quick artistic gratification and community while those bigger processes slowly take their time.
I’ve also found the prompts and time constraints can really help me achieve a place of flow - there’s no time to second guess so it just is what it is. And that flow (even with quick, messy processes) leads to some really fun and interesting places. Or maybe it’s *because* of the quick, messy processes 🤔 maybe in playing in the mess, we can find new things that our structured, rational mind would overlook 🦄
(also if you like theater, cooperative games, weird interactive art, remote performance, really cool creative thinkers, or all of the above, be sure to check out @cirquesaw !!!)
Photo dump from the past month or so. Partly to share and partly to remind myself of some of the meaningful things I’ve been up to:
1. Random selfie on the way to Comm Shakes on the Boston Common (with @joe.juknievich )
2. This cat continuing to be a diva (love her 😻)
3. A weekend of Beyond Goddard retreat and refocusing with these lovely people ( @spiraltri , @ellieellieellieeeeee , @albertquesadabernaus , @joe.juknievich , @mar_muses , and others )
4. This cat is also a diva
5. Being in this beautiful place with dear friends who I met in person for the first time ever ( @ravenkbecker , @almatierrarte , @thorvergoth )
6. This absolutely stunning magical place
7. Found a fairy house
8. First time having a professional manicure (kinda loved this one)
9. Some of my art in another one of @knuckle_sando 's awesome zines
10. Reminding myself of all the exciting collaborations I have in the pipeline 🥰
It was an honor to work on Her Portmanteau, the fourth play in the 9-play Ufot Family Cycle by Mfoniso Udofia produced by Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective. A powerful, deep play about family, belonging, memory, and connection in a multi-generational and trans-cultural context. And such an amazing team of people!
Running until April 20th. Link in bio.
Produced by: Central Square Theater @centralsqtheater & Front Porch Arts Collective @thefrontporcharts
Written by: Mfoniso Udofia @mfudofia
Directed by: Tasia A Jones @tasiaajones_director
Featuring: Patrice Jean-Baptiste @pppppatrice , Jade A. Guerra @entityjade , Lorraine Victoria Kanyike @lorrainevictoria.kanyike
Scenic Design: Shelley Barish
Costume Design: Chloe Moore
Lighting Design: Eduardo M. Ramirez
Original Music and Sound Design: Arshan Gailus
Props Design: Julia Wonkka
Stage Manager: Lauren J. Burke
Assistant Stage Managers: Lexi Ashraf and Rebecca Straniere
Dramaturg: Elijah Estolano Punzal
Production Photos: Maggie Hall
Was a pleasure to work on this beautiful piece with this beautiful team! A powerful show and such a joy to work on SWANA/MENA stories!
Only a few more peformances, including MENASA community night on Thursday 3/6. (discount code MENASA for menasa folx for that show!)
Links in bio for tickets *and* for a sample of the music I created and performed for this magical, epic, touching, and powerful story.
At @playwrightsbpt Boston Playwrights' Theatere
Written by @isabellesanatdarstevens Isabelle Fereshteh Sanatdar Stevens
Directed by @niknikasab Nikta Sabouri
Featuring: @minounan Minou Pourshariati, @dannythebryck Danny Bryck
Scenic Designer: @cleobrooks.png Cleo Brooks
Lighting Designer: @g.powicki Grant Powicki
Original Music and Sound Designer: Arshan Gailus
Costume Designer: @inamuragirl Jez Insalaco
Properties Designer: Courtney Licata
Production Stage Manager: @j_worden Jenna Worden
Production Assistant: Gabby Franklin
Photos: Benjamin Rose Photography
#swanatheatre #menatheater #menasatheater #newplays
