Works for Stage
The Odd Fellow
I love designing elaborate treasure hunt adventures, and in this storytelling performance, I explore—with the audience—why this unusual hobby fascinates me. At the start of the show, I warn the audience that, in about 25 minutes, we will be interrupted by two people who have been following a treasure hunt I created. These two guests believe they are coming to a secret society meeting. The audience is invited to play along as members of this secret society.
I <3 U
This is a half-improvised musical about online dating. In this two-person show, a few audience volunteers have answered a few simple questions about themselves and had a photo taken before curtain. Once the show begins, a singing narrator emerges and introduces Brandon (me) who has reluctantly entered the world of dating apps. The first half of the show involves the audience helping me decide between the three volunteers, whose photos and information have now been made into dating profiles projected on stage. Before the intermission, the audience, picks the best (or most entertaining) match. The second act of the play depicts our blossoming relationship complete with first date, a one year anniversary, our first fight, and an improvised balcony serenade to win back my beloved.
Lessons
This is a devised piece that I co-created with five student writers. In this play with music, the main character is a music teacher and each of the students she teaches is dealing with unique but overlapping issues.
Pages of War
A play commissioned by Cleveland, TN's history museum. The play was meant to transform the civil war diary of Clevelander Myra Inman into a play for school-aged kids. I created a 40 minute play in which Myra's 1863 diary somehow gets connected to Laura's blog in 2013 and they are able to communicate across 150 year gap.
Welcome to Justice
A full-length play about a small town with a secret. (My favorite subgenre)
Academic Writing
Immersion and Participation in Punchdrunk’s Theatrical Works by Carina E.I. Westling - A review
A review of a academic book about the British immersive theater company Punchdrunk. My review appeared in the journal of Theater Design & Technology.
The Method Gun by The Rude Mechanicals - A review
A review of one of the most powerful works of theater I've ever seen. Published in the Texas Theater Journal.
Postmodern Piazzas: Commedia dell’arte as a model in contemporary non-theatre disciplines
A paper presented at the Contemporary Drama Conference in LA.
Memory, Identity, and Farce in Carnival Mirrors:
A Director’s Approach to David Lindsay-Abaire’s Fuddy Meers
My graduate thesis published at Baylor University.