Friendship is at the core of Ghost Quartet, and not just our production. The show was created by four friends—Dave Malloy, Gelsey Bell, Brent Arnold, and Brittain Ashford—who were playing cards and drinking whiskey when they decided it would be fun to make some art together. The show itself is centered around relationships, and though not all of them are positive, the ways in which the characters relate to each other—and the ways in which they are ultimately all the same—is what ties the many overlapping stories together. Our rendition of Ghost Quartet certainly centered friendship, not only in the content of the show but the experience of our rehearsals, in which we spent countless hours learning and drilling the music, but also bursting spontaneously into “wild improvisations” and bursts of laughter. I’ve never known a group to so strongly embody “work hard, play hard,” and it was an absolute joy to spend seven weeks with this music and my dear “four friends.”

Directed by Sam Howell Petersen, Music Directed by Andrew Lee

Written by Dave Malloy

Stanford Theater Laboratory

A devised piece about tech culture and innovation, 106 is named after the infamous introductory computer science course at Stanford, CS 106A. Throughout the rehearsal process I experienced the full range of human emotions. From frustrations and fears as we struggled to cast, to the satisfaction of making a rehearsal schedule and being able to stick to it, to leaving rehearsal less stressed-out by Stanford life than I had been when I entered the room. It was a truly beautiful experience. And while I was adamant about taking a process-oriented approach in which we’d prioritize learning and having fun during our six weeks of rehearsal over the perfection of a performance that would be over after one weekend, I was truly proud of what my team had been able to create, and the fact that I’d been able to guide it into existence.

Directed by Sam Howell Petersen

Devised with Aiyana Washington, Sophia Wang, and Peter Li

Stanford Capstone Project

A modern take on a Shakespearean classic, this rendition of Julius Caesar took place five years in the future, and sought to expose the humane side of these complex historical characters. Produced in collaboration with Stanford's COLLEGE (Civic, Liberal, and Global Education) Program.

Roles: Calphurnia, Soldier, Public

Directed by Michael Rau

Written by William Shakespeare

Stanford Department of Theater and Performance Studies

In the aftermath of a horrific incident, four college students reunite for a single night at an Airbnb in their hometown. This choose-your-own-adventure play utilized complicated sound design coding alongside an original app to guide the audience through the story each night.

Written by Gracie Goheen

Ram's Head Theatrical Society

A site-specific staging of Ruby Rae Spiegel's Dry Land, a play about abortion, female friendship, and resiliency, and what happens in one high school locker room after everybody's left.

Directed by Katie Dragone

Written by Ruby Rae Spiegel

Stanford Theater Laboratory

A fantastical and experimental take on the life of Marie Antoinette, complete with cake, guillotine, and a talking sheep.

Roles: Sheep, Fersen

Directed by Evie Johnson

Written by David Adjimi

Stanford Theater Laboratory

An original musical written by Penny Caywood and the University of Utah Youth Theatre Conservatory, Death of the American Teenager followed high school students throughout the experience of a school lockdown. The show was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019.

Directed by Penny Caywood

Written by Penny Caywood with the University of Utah Youth Theatre Conservatory