The nostalgic and emotional sound scape of Today is My Birthday was a joy to design for our team. Lead by Noel, our design of this heartfelt production drew inspiration from a wide range, including oldies radio stations and how we interact with modern technology. Our team designed a Hawaiian landscape that broke out of the stereotypical soundtrack of glossy, whitewashed beaches and dove into the intimate community relationships that shape the lives of Hawaiians.
Emily Chang’s life is falling apart. A nasty breakup and a stalled writing career send her packing from Manhattan back to O‘ahu. But her fantasy of a picture-perfect homecoming collides with reality as she begins to discover how little she really knows about those she loves most—and how difficult it is to let her true self be known to others. Susan Soon He Stanton’s critically-acclaimed play, Today is My Birthday, is a wise and witty comedy about loneliness in the age of connectivity.
Playwright: Susan Soon He Stanton
Director: Mina Morita
Scenic Designer: Bridget Lindsay
Costume Designer: David Mitsch
Lighting Designer: Nicole E. Lang
Sound Designer: Noel Nichols, UptownWorks
Associate Sound Design: Daniela Hart, Bailey Trierweiler
Hair Designer: Matthew Armentrout
Production Dramaturg: Jisun Kim
Technical Director: Dani Mader
Vocal and Dialect Coach: Cynthia Santos DeCure
Movement Coach: Erica Fae
Casting Director: Tara Rubin, C.S.A..
Casting Director: Sujotta Pace, C.S.A
Stage Manager: Kevin Jinghong Zhu
Cast: Atra Asdou, Gabriel Brown, Francis Jue, Emily Kuroda, Chivas Michael, Jeena Yi