Million Dollar Quartet
Design Notes
The design invites audiences into Sun Records on the day Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins came together for their legendary jam session. Collaborating with co–scenic designer Efren Delgadillo Jr., director James Moye, and associate director Kim Martin-Cotten, we balanced authenticity with theatricality—capturing both a Memphis studio’s intimacy and the explosive energy of rock ’n’ roll in the making.
The studio environment was detailed and grounded: wood floors, period recording equipment, and control-room windows lined with gold records. At the same time, theatrical elements heightened the impact of the music. Chief among these is an illuminated “SUN” sign—drawn from Elvis’s concert signage—that turns the room into a stage for history, where the everyday suddenly feels iconic.
Our goal was to honor the spirit of collaboration at the heart of the play. The space is shaped to amplify relationships in the room—musicians facing one another, sharing energy, finding rhythm, and pushing boundaries. The set becomes not just a place to perform, but a portrait of how artists influence each other and, together, change the course of American music.
