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PORTFOLIO

HEAD OVER HEELS

George Mason University School of Theater
October 27-30 2022
Mainstage Musical

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Production Team:

Director - Erin Driscoll Gardiner

Assistant Director - Annie Graninger

Music Director - Joe Walsh

Choreographer - Stefan Sittig

Stage Manager - Fe Miranda

Dramaturg - Megan Gray Lederman

Scenic Designer - Jonathan Dahm Robertson

Lighting Designer - Heather Reynolds

Props Designer - Martin Bernier

Costume Designer - Jeremy Pritchard

1,001 PLAYS

George Mason University School of Theater
February 10, 2021
International Play Exchange

What is 1,001 Plays?

1,001 Plays is an annual 10-minute play festival presented by George Mason and its Global Partners including universities in Brazil, Canada, China, Kenya, Korea, Peru, and more. This is the first new play exchange of its kind.

Dramaturgy In This Environment -

Dramaturgy is essential in an international play exchange such as this one. As a Dramaturg, I helped actors, directors, and designers that I worked with dive deep into the historical, social, and political context of play coming from different cultures and often different languages. My assistance in these productions enhanced the authenticity of performances, promoted cultural competency, and fostered a space where diverse stories can be respectfully told.

Production Team:

Festival Directors - Kristin Johnsen-Neshati and Nicholas M. Kfoury Horner

Production Director - Esteban Marmolejo-Suarez

FOOTLOOSE

George Mason University School of Theater
October 28-31 2021
Mainstage Musical

Production Team:

Director - Erin Driscoll Gardiner

Assistant Director - Rex Daugherty

Music Director - Joe Walsh

Choreographer - Stefan Sittig

Stage Manager - Addison Picardat

Dramaturg - Megan Gray Lederman

Lighting Designer - Sean Cox

Props Designer - Martin Bernier

Costume Coordinator - Alexandria Hardin

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Cultural Immersion

The Cultural Immersion Faculty Dance Concert was a celebration of "culturally specific dances that come from resilience, fighting for liberation, hard work, labor, protest, ancestral struggle, and perseverance. While we can bask in the joy and fun that many cultural dances have evolved to be, it is essential to reconnect with their authenticity and traditions so that we understand the lived experiences that shaped them."
I had the opportunity to be a dramaturg for two dances:

Sentient Beings (2023)

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Rope (work in progress) (2023)

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Lobby Display

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Pipeline

I recently was the production dramaturg for Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau. This production was presented at Indiana University and was directed by Sam White, founder of Shakespeare in Detroit.

My focus as a dramaturg on this production shifted towards bringing awareness to our primarily white audiences that the subjects in this play affect them too. Also, I wanted to uplift the identities of individuals who are incarcerated, support wider university collaborations and allow for avenues of advocacy.

On this page please find my program note, program insert, dramaturgy packet, production photos, as well as samples from my lobby display and the exhibition I created in collaborated with the IU Prison Arts initiative.

Lobby Exhibition

This exhibition was presented in collaboration with The Indiana University Department of Theatre + Dance’s production of Pipeline and The Indiana University Prison Arts Initiative.

The IUPAI: "Our main goal is to send IU instructors into prisons to teach college-level courses—a fundamentals of visual art class to begin with!"

About Pipeline: "A mother's hopes for her son clash with an educational system rigged against him. With profound compassion and lyricism, Pipeline brings an urgent conversation powerfully to the fore."

Dramaturgy Program Insert

Scroll through the gallery to see samples from the exhibition.

Interactive Lobby Display

Follow this link to the prezi I made as an interactive lobby display! The display is set up as a lesson and literary analysis of "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks one of the plays foundational texts. Click HERE

Production Photos

Dramaturgy Website / Additional Resources

Click HERE

Dramaturgy Packet

Program

Collaborative Production Strategy

Collaborative Production Strategy is a dramaturgical service I offer that unites a production’s artistic vision with its design elements. I work closely with directors and designers to ensure that every creative choice, from set and lighting to sound and costume, supports the storytelling and overall concept of the show. By fostering clear communication, aligning intentions, and facilitating thoughtful collaboration, this service helps productions achieve cohesion, clarity, and impact, allowing the creative team to work together efficiently while elevating the audience’s experience.

Research

First Day Of Rehearsal Presentation

Given the unique situation of doing The Prom, a show about Indiana, in Bloomington, Indiana, I was able to do in depth archival research at the Monroe County Historical Center on Bloomington's own local LGBTQ+ history. Here is a glipse of some of the artifacts I found.

Article from "Fun City!" a counter-culture, underground newspaper in Bloomington, Indiana, during the 1970s. This article, from December 12, 1975 discusses a city council meeting that voted for legal protection for gay individuals. Click to enlarge.
Announcement of the Gay Awareness Conference in Bloomington Indiana. Click to enlarge.
Flyer for the Bloomington Gay Alliance's Gay Dance in 1975. Click to enlarge.
Cover of the Bloomington Beacon, a gay news paper from the 1990s. This paper is from November 1998. Click to enlarge.

Production Photos

Lobby Display

Click images to enlarge.

Exhibit on local lgbtq+ history in Monroe County with research from the Monroe County History Center.

DIY corsage and boutonniere making station. Flowers were cut out on paper featuring Indiana's LGBTQ legislation. Flowers were made in multiple different colors so corsage and boutonnieres could be made to form pride flags.

Prom Court Royalty ballots. Transfer paper was used so that when audience members thought they were submitting their name to be Prom King or Queen, actually what they were doing was singing a petition to cancel the prom. A "note from the dramaturg" appears on the back explaining my intentions here.