Designing Million Dollar Quartet at South Coast Repertory was about capturing both the intimacy of a recording studio and the energy of a cultural turning point. The set, created in collaboration with co-scenic designer Efren Delgadillo Jr., director James Moye, and associate director Kim Martin-Cotten, grounds the action in Sam Phillips’s Sun Records studio while heightening the theatricality of the music itself.

The illuminated “SUN” sign, inspired by Elvis Presley’s concert signage, anchors the design as both a historical reference and a beacon of rock ’n’ roll. Around it, the details of the studio — wood floors, gold records, and instruments ready to play — create a space where audiences can feel the immediacy of collaboration. The design celebrates the moment when four musicians came together, pushing one another toward a sound that would change American music forever.