ORIGINAL WORKS
sheridan's writing & composing
RED & BLACK
What is Red & Black?
Red & Black is a contemporary musical exploring the ever-increasing struggles facing young people in present-day America. Using a collage structure, Red & Black juxtaposes work created in ensemble explorations with the journey of Julian, a Black boy whose mother was murdered by the police. He navigates the world around him, which is the world around us; his story in orbit
with all of ours. The piece was previously developed with two separate youth ensembles who contributed theatrical explorations based on their personal experiences, centering the complexities of community and intersectionality. Sheridan Merrick and Nick Hatcher are the co-conceivers and book writers of Red & Black, with Sheridan also acting as lead composer with David Thomas, with additional musical contributions by Birdy Lynn, Hallie Nowicki, and Jared Chichester.
Red & Black was developed in the 2020 Polyphone Festival of New Musicals, Theatre On the Verge's 2024 New Musical Festival, and MusiCoLab's 2024 A Closer Look spotlight series. It was a semi-finalist for the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center's New Musical Theatre Conference, and received the Corzo Center Impact grant.
PROJECT SUNSHINE
What is Project Sunshine?
An episodic, iterative, immersive theatre experience, Project Sunshine brings audience participants into the Shambhala community, a contemporary Buddhist lineage dedicated to creating enlightened society. Over the course of five fictionalized classes and community events, participants areimmersed into the magic of this community…as well as its complications. Audience participants will have the option of joining as themselves or LARP-ing (Live Action Role-Playing) as a character they’re sent in advance, and will become active co-authors of the story as it unravels.
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Project Sunshine was produced at The Perch Music & Arts Workshop in fall of 2023 in partnership with WOAR - Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence. It was a recipient of the Leeway Center Art & Change grant.
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Photo by Jamie Talamo.