Music for MELANCHOLY PLAY
Music for Sarah Ruhl's MELANCHOLY PLAY
"Michael Roth's poignant original score could not possibly be braver, better, or more entertaining." (Backstage)
Three upcoming - Spring 2025 productions - Brown University; Portland, Oregon; and Stanford University
I composed the songs and solo cello score for the 2005 Los Angeles premiere of Sarah Ruhl's MELANCHOLY PLAY -
collaborating with Sarah and the Echo Theatre Company.
Since then, my score has been used for many - over 45 - professional and university productions - including:
Adelaide, Australia-2014, remounted 2015; Belgium; Brown University (2017); Brown University (2025); Chicago; Clark University, Massachusetts;
Colorado; Cornell University; Florida; Georgia; Western Illinois University; DePauw University, Indiana; Kentucky; Maryland Institute of the Arts;
Michigan-Grand Rapids; University of Michigan; Minnesota-St. Olaf; Missouri; Nebraska-2012 & 2015; New Brunswick, Canada (in French);
New Jersey-Rowan & Rider; New York-Columbia & NYU; North Carolina; Empire Theatre Co., North Dakota; Oak Park, Illinois;
Portland, Oregon (2014); Portland, Oregon (2025): Romania; Santa Barbara; Seattle; Singapore; Stanford University;
TEXAS: Fort Worth, Austin and East Plano; Toronto; Virginia Tech; Baraboo, Wisconsin; and WAM Theatre, Mass.
For further information, excerpts from the score, and to obtain permission to use the score for a production,
"Oh, For the Melancholy Tilly," premiered in the LA production (2005), performed by the LA company, used for this trailer, produced for the WAM production (Massachusetts, 2010)
(... special thanks to two great cellists, Caleb Vaughn-Jones and Joseph Mendoes)
Original Los Angeles production (2005)
Clark University production (2013) - click to enlarge
In 2015, I composed the music and sound, nominated for the San Diego Critic's Circle Award,
for the Southern California premiere of Sarah's THE OLDEST BOY at San Diego Rep -
the production featured a Tibetan lullaby sung by two puppeteers, Joyce Lai and Janissa Saracino -
musicians: N. Scott Robinson, Batya Somer, Jennifer Bewerse, and Peter Sprague -
thanks to Tsering Dorjee Bawa and all