Earth Data -- An Original Musical (2024)
In collaboration with Caltech, Nasa JPL, and The Getty: Blended Worlds
I spent thirteen -long- months writing, staging, and designing media for 'Earth Data' with Cole Remen (co-writer), Emily Shisko (composer), Brian Brophy (director), and JPL climate science advisors Bradley Gay and Kimberly Rain-Minor.
Writing and Workshopping
We (the creative team) began by hosting and recording workshops populated by Caltech and JPL researchers. We used the improvised characters and the shared musings of 'the players' to craft a cogent and relevant story about the emotional lives of climate scientists in the Anthropocene. We strove to capture the world we live in now, the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the honorable and the corrupt.
Staging
Fueled by the resources that Caltech, JPL, and the Getty afforded us, we staged a full-length musical with 20 cast members and 16 songs. Enveloped by a thirty-two-foot-long LED wall, our players sang, danced, and acted their hearts out amidst immersive images. They delivered a profoundly personal political drama highlighting the impact of money, government, and public opinion on what research gets done and how researchers do it.
ONE -- Science Fiction Short (2024)
Prophetic Story
I was honored to work with the incredibly talented and always humble Freise brothers on their narrative debut. The original script proved to be a shocking piece of science fiction about art and class, winning several awards at film festivals in the US and UK.
Script Supervisor
This was my first time working on a set 'above the line' as a non-performer. I was the brothers' best friend and worst nightmare, telling them again and again, unfortunately, that the take we just cheered for "would not cut."
A Trip To Saint Lewis
The shoot took us to Missouri, the brothers' birthplace. There, we used the crumbling rust-belt infrastructure to create the image of a dystopian nightmare found in the script.
