The Machine is an immersive performance piece that challenges your complicity in the (in)justice system. Beyond the engrossing 24-hour news media cycle is a mundane cycle of legal violence. You will be immersed in ‘the machine’ through a traumatizing yet banal murder trial.
The machine churns, whether we look or not. Will you look?
Part of SoftLaunch 2026 at Cleveland Public Theatre
Design of the clock fixture featured in the show
Our concept was ‘wrap’ a realistic-looking gear around the clock to call attention to it, especially during ticking playback.
Originally, Erin and I wanted the clock to move to a new time between some scenes of the pieces, but didn’t have the budget for either a stagehand to do that or to find an automated way to do that.
In future productions, we want to add that as a feature of the show.
My design is based around a stock clock hung on a large gear made of thin wood which is then hung from the ceiling. The time is deliberately set to 2:45 and 58 seconds to evoke feelings of being in school or work and waiting for it to be time to go home, and to symbolize a ‘hanging in the balance’ but with a skewed or biased scale.
Graphic designs for The Machine that I created as part of the shows carefully crafted ‘front matter’.
The first is the program for the show. The second was displayed to tell patrons about the house music we played.
Cast and crew photos – shoutout to these awesome people!
An empty set the day before opening night!
Posing with the set because I’m proud of how it turned out!
Check out more photos of SoftLaunch from closing night
SoftLaunch is a 3 day festival of new plays, immersive theater, and performance art. Held at Cleveland Public Theater once a year, the CPT campus becomes alive with performance, dance, immersive experiences, interactive theater, and art too creative to be put in a box. This is Cleveland’s chance to express itself outside of a traditional theater environment to create works that would otherwise be impossible.
"Join us for this groundbreaking festival that seeks to reinvent what theatre and art can be.
Patrons get to be part of the art as they immerse themselves in installations and intimate performances.
These works burst beyond CPT's theatres into lobbies, hallways, and all corners of the building."
- Cleveland Public Theater
