Curated by Kate Field, with assistance from Caroline Beyer

As a scenic designer, my job is to create the world of the play. The world of Hype Man is one that we are all familiar with: the confusion, chaos, and grief after the loss of a community member, and the uncertainty of whether speaking out about something you believe in will mean that you lose everything you’ve worked for.

Each character in the story fights with the labels that others place on them, regardless of if they are true or not. Jerrod is only mentioned in the play because of his death- our characters didn’t know him personally. “The Record of Our Lives” exhibit introduces us to eight people who are also typically remembered because of the natures of their deaths. If you google their names, typically one of the first results is the Wikipedia page titled “The Killing of [insert name here].”

In an effort to rehumanize them as actual people rather than events, I along with my Assistant Scenic Designer, Caroline Beyer, researched and reached out to as many families as possible to ask what their favorite colors and songs were. Music is an integral part of Hype Man, but also to each of us. I encourage you to read the stories of our record holders below and listen fully to the playlist of their favorite songs, even if some of the music isn’t your style.

These songs brought joy to our record holders, and I hope you remember them in this way too, even as you learn about the end of their lives. We are so grateful to the families who responded to us with gracious support of our project. Shine on.