The Original Music of Redwood
A world premiere like Redwood deserves some world premiere music. Derek A. Graham, composer and assistant sound designer for Redwood, created an original score for Brittany K. Allen's sharp, compassionate comedy about DNA, dancing, and dark truths. By turns electric, haunting, and joyful, Graham's music enriches a world of hip hop dance choruses, ancestral ghosts, and modern characters wrestling with the traumatic legacy of American racism.
Graham also went on to write another song, Bloodlines, inspired by the show. You can listen to both below.
Please note: some of this music contains mature language.
Redwood Soundtrack
"Bloodline" (song inspired by Redwood)
Graham is a sound designer, composer, and audio engineer based in North Carolina. Born and raised in Queens, New Yok, Derek holds a M.F.A. in Sound Design from Ohio University. His sound design works include: Your Healing is Killing Me and Bewilderness (PlayMakers Repertory Company: PRC2 Series); The Passion of Teresa Rae King, A Raisin in the Sun, and Beautiful Star (Triad Stage); Believe in Cleveland (Karamu House); and An Octoroon (Dobama Theatre). Derek has recently co-founded a multi-media design company with his wife, Jessica called Life by Design Media & Productions. He also works with Vibehouse405 as the head mix engineer for recording artists in the North Carolina triad area under the moniker Rekadon.
More about Redwood:
Reviews of Redwood
"Hilarious, meaningful, and grounded ... felt incredibly new and refreshing." - Audience Comment
Live Sketch Artists for Redwood
We invited local comic artists to a dress rehearsal of Redwood to sketch their impressions of the show. Check out the results!
Our Tangled Roots: An interview with Redwood playwright and performer Brittany K. Allen
In Redwood, Brittany K. Allen uses her signature playfulness, verve, and bold theatricality to scale the branches of our shared American lineage. Here, she digs into the genesis of her new play — our 28th world premiere to date and the very first selected by Artistic Director Marissa Wolf.
Current & Upcoming
Art Exhibit: ¡Soy Yo! by Mika Martinez
¡Soy Yo!, is a multi-media project, created by Mika Martinez, that examines and celebrates Latinx identity featuring more than 50 portraits of the Hispanic/Latino community in Portland.
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Art Exhibit: Garam Garam Chai by Yusra Siddiqui
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Shakespeare’s tragedy about the war hero Coriolanus and the fight between the elite and the deprived masses will be fueled by a dynamic female and non-binary ensemble with a muscular, movement-focused staging.
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
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