The Prom
Music by Matthew Sklar
Book by Bob Martin
Sound Designer: Jeremiah Tuner
Director: Don Hill & Daniel Keeling
Stage Manager: Jessie Marie Bender
Costume Designer: Holly Poe Durbin
Lighting Designer: Dan Volonte
Scenic Designer: Betty (Junyuan) Xiong
University of California, Irvine Department of Drama
2023-2024 Season
Artistic Direction
The Prom follows the story of Emma, a high school student, trying to attend her high school prom after being banned for trying to bring her girlfriend. We also follow the Broadway celebrities who fight, for their own personal gain, to get Emma's high school prom reinstated. As a design team, we wanted to represent the contrast between the bright lights and high energy of the Broadway celebrities, and the conservative, lower class nature of the citizens of Indiana.
Drafting Package
Sound Workbook
For our technical design, the biggest goal was building a system that allowed for sound to surround the audience. The characters of the parents are the audience themselves.
Photo credit: Paul Kennedy
The show takes place in multiple different locations both indoor and outdoor; with small crowds and large crowds. I built a surround system that allowed us to build reverbs that would replicate the reflection patterns that each space the scenes took place in.
Rowdy Parents
This was built for the scene when the parents confront the Broadway actors outside of the high school early in the show. The idea was as each Broadway actor left the gymnasium, the crowd would get rowdier and rowdier.
Monster Truck Rally: Crowd
Photo credit: Paul Kennedy
The Broadway actors have the idea to promote Emma being reinstated into the high school prom at a local monster truck rally. The goal was building a sonic environment that represented the size of the crowd and their intensity.
Photo credit: Paul Kennedy
Monster Truck Rally: Boos
Photo credit: Paul Kennedy
After they finish their presentation at the monster truck rally, we realize that the rally audience was not on board.