Constellations
by Nick Payne
Directed by Christopher Alleman

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Lake Dillon Theatre Company
Studio Theatre
 November 23rd, 2018 - December 16th, 2018
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Scenic Design: Jared Grohs
Costume Design: Nikki Harrison
Lighting Designer: Vance McKenzie
Sound Design and Original Music: Brandon Reed
 ​Photos taken courtesy of Christopher Alleman

About The Play

Constellations asks the question, "what if life exists in a multiverse?, A set of parallel existences that contain infinitely different possible futures. Every possible event that could happen, does happen, in one universe or another. And if two lovers meet - and are drawn together in every version of these possibilities - every possible happy ending and heartbreak that could happen to them, will.

Marianne, a physicist, and Roland, a beekeeper, meet at a party. They hit it off, and go for a drink. Or perhaps they don’t. They go home together, or maybe they go their separate ways. Perhaps Marianne is engaged to someone else, perhaps Roland is. Maybe she breaks his heart, maybe he breaks hers. Perhaps they come together and their love story can finally take root and grow, or perhaps it will be tragically cut short.

The Sound Design


​Multiverse Theory

As our audience meet Roland and Marianne, an introductory underscore sneaks in to convey a light-hearted atmosphere. Quickly, do we learn that this play takes place in multiple universes each with their own outcome. A swell and cinematic bump is played so that the audience recognizes this as we are shifting universes. We go through several different versions of the first scene before moving forward in time to the next set of universes.


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Words.

Throughout the play, there are several scenes that serve as a sort of foreshadow to a future plot point. Marianne is struggling to remember words as we slowly discover that she has an illness that may result in her death in one alternate universe. The foreshadow ends with us jumping into the next set of parallel universes.


​Coming To Terms

After witnessing the final multiverse of what could potentially be the end of Roland and Marianne's relationship, we are sent through one last time vortex. This time the underscoring, is shifted with the transitional sound into one last piece of bed music that gives a feeling of uncertainty. The constellations around them begin to flash and strobe as we finally appear on the other side into our final scene.


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End of Show

After witnessing many different outcomes and possibilities, the audience is left with a final scene that gives a more hopeful outcome for both Roland and Marianne. The constellations around them begin to twinkle out to one final light bulb. As they hold hands a final resolving chord takes us into blackout.