Arizona Repertory Theatre, Fall 2015
Cabaret by Kander, Ebb, and Masteroff as directed by Danny Gurwin with scenic design by M Erdman, costume design by Leah Foley, lighting design by Josh Hemmo, and sound design by John Millerd.
The song is a recording of the show's orchestra for the final scene when they "play" the final tune but are revealed to not actually be in the pit any longer. This was achieved by recording the individual instruments directly from the console and playing them back via QLab, setting up a reveal that emphasized the destruction of the world of the show.
Hangar Theatre Wedge, Summer 2017
The Room by Harold Pinter as directed by Michael Alvarez with scenic design by Lindsey Purvis, costume design by Mfon-Abasi Obong, lighting design by Amanda Valdez, and sound design by John Millerd.
This is the end of a song added by the director to the show, performed by the cast with recorded accompaniment by me, the sound designer. The transition back into the play demonstrates the interweaving of recorded and actual voices, as well as the encompassing nature of the sound design.
Arizona Repertory Theatre, Spring 2016
A promo clip created by the technical support team at Arizona Repertory Theatre of their production of The Tempest by William Shakespeare. The video showcases various visual elements and scenes in the show, and is scored by a recording of a song used in the show: “Full Fathom Five.” The production was directed by Brent Gibbs with scenic design by And Pratt, costume design by Patrick Holt, lighting design by Eve Bandi, and sound design by John Millerd.
The song was composed by actor Keenan Larson, with arrangement and recording by me, the sound designer. The production wove musical drones with live singing and reverb effects (created with wireless microphones) to create an expansive soundscape that captured the menace and wonder of the magical world in The Tempest.
Hangar Theatre Kiddstuff, Summer 2017
...Way Out West by as directed by Michael Alvarez with scenic design by Lindsey Purvis, costume design by Mfon-Abasi Obong, lighting design by Amanda Valdez, and sound design by John Millerd.
The production featured an addition to the script of an alien planet frame story (which we named Peloria) in order to comment on the problematic portrayal of characters in the text. The show featured several musical additions, all tied sonically to the “bubble world” of Peloria. Additionally, the “narrator” Pelorians had a pitch shift effect applied live in order to enhance their fun, alien qualities. The scene depicted is a "horse parade" during the introduction to the Pony Express story. The production was met with praise for its design cohesion as well as its fun, light nature that appealed to the audience of children.
Hangar Theatre Kiddstuff, Summer 2017
A clip from Furry Tails with a Twist by Jennifer Hickok DeFratis as directed by Gabe Weissman with scenic design by Lindsey Purvis, costume design by Mfon-Abasi Obong, lighting design by Amanda Valdez, and sound design by John Millerd. The show is a comically mistaken retelling of several classic fairy tales.
In this scene, the actress Rachel is playing Grumbledump, a trash-loving pig who lives under a bridge that harasses three trolls as they cross (note the changing of roles and mixed up characters). The vocal effect was done live, and the scene demonstrates the use of comedic sound cues, in this case a fart, that landed extremely well with both the adults and children in the audience.
University of Arizona TAR419 Sound Design, Spring 2015
A portion of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio play by Douglas Adams recorded as a final project for a TAR419 Sound Design class under the instruction of Matt Marcus. The project was recorded and edited by Marcus Myler and John Millerd with vocal work done by actors in the Arizona Repertory Theatre company.
Featured in this section are Dave Hentz as Arthur Dent, Chris Okawa as Ford Prefect, and Jeanne Torres as the voice of the shipboard computer, Eddie. Arthur and Ford have just been rescued by the Heart of Gold, and are going through various changes as they return to normal probability.
University of Arizona TAR420 Light Design, Fall 2015
My Light-A-Song project from the University of Arizona’s TAR420 Light Design class taught by Deanna Fitzgerald. The project was to design a midi-controlled light show to a specific song.
My song, Tom Sawyer by Rush, was performed in part live on an electronic drum set by Garrett Seaton. The electronic drum set was also set up through midi to control the ETC Ion lighting console directly to trigger lighting effects synchronized to the live performance of the drummer. Additionally, I programed the lighting effects through midi time code to add extra effects to enhance the overall impact of the performance.