Deceptive Cadence at Miami University of Ohio

Last Spring, Dr. Harvey Thurmer, a Violin Professor at Miami, came to my office with an idea about climate change, fake news, and Russian composers. We conceived of a joint performance between the theatre department and the music department. We received generous support from The Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies to develop and perform the piece. 

Dr. Thurmer contributed musical selections from the Russian composers the work centered on: Prokofiev, Shchedrin, Stravinksy and Shostakovich. I was able to work with my graduate students Mackenzie Kirkman and Kelley Feeman to develop the script as a dramaturgical project focusing on documentary sources from the four composers and the women in their lives. My Dramaturgy course provided additional research support for the play. We were also able to hire Projection Designer Joe Spinogatti to design the important visual elements that helped to meld the worlds of music and spoken word together. 

The piece premiered on September 14th, 2018  on the Gates-Abegglen Stage featuring the Oxford String Quartet and Miami Alum Low Chyh Shen on Piano, and acting by Theatre Department undergradute students, under my direction.

Some press on the piece:
http://miamioh.edu/cca/news/2018/08/deceptive-cadence.html
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