The Luminous Dead - A Stage Adaptation

In 2019, while Producing Artistic Director of Know Theatre of Cincinnati, I read Caitlin Starling's novel The Luminous Dead and thought, "This could make a really compelling, inventive stage show."

 

In early 2020 I pitched Caitlin an adaptation proposal!

 

Flash forward to 2025 where I've returned to life as a freelance, independent artist. I saw a call for Artist Residency applications at The Voxel and I thought, "What a perfect place to finally develop that stage adaptation of The Luminous Dead."

 

So I emailed Caitlin, esssentially, "Um, hi, I know it's been 5 years, but........."

 

And she and her agent gave me approval to go for it!

And then the Voxel gave me a Residency to make the show!

 

 

The story of a perilous exploration of an extraterrestrial cave becomes a piece of highly physical, science-fiction horror theatre that explores world building through projections, audio immersion, and rough theatrical magic.

 

This is the kind of theatre that relies on technology AND imagination. So we've assembled a team of trusted creative collaborators, some of the most inventive designers working in small professional theatre, to make it happen.

 

 

As a playwright, director, and designer I've tackled science fiction and adaptation before, perhaps most notably in my science fiction musical The Light Chasers(inspired by the album Light Chasers by Cloud Cult), created with much of the same production team for The Luminous Dead. As a team, we have hundreds of shows of experience, including dozens of shows made together, productions that range from the intimate to the epic.

 

 

It will have performances June 2-7, 2026 at The Voxel!