The Under Presents
Conceived by Lead Artists Danny Cannizzaro and Samantha Gorman
and created in collaboration with Piehole (Tara Ahmadinejad, Alexandra Panzer, Emilie Soffe, Ben Vigus, Jeff Wood), Carter Lodwick, and Brian Evenson
and created in collaboration with Piehole (Tara Ahmadinejad, Alexandra Panzer, Emilie Soffe, Ben Vigus, Jeff Wood), Carter Lodwick, and Brian Evenson
The Under Presents is a virtual reality experience created by Tender Claws in collaboration with Piehole. It is a multiplayer experience set between two worlds: an absurdist vaudeville stage in an upturned ship (the titular "Under"), and a harrowing survival narrative set inside a time anomaly.
Piehole curated the Under stage, commissioning and co-developing VR acts with brilliant artists from our NYC performance communities, as well as writing and performing some of our own, and working alongside Carter on visual design. We also contributed writing, both in traditional "writers room" format, and using our generative improvisational practice. In addition, Piehole was responsible for casting, motion capture, and voice acting for the game's NPCs (non-player characters). Piehole members originated the game's live actor encounters at Sundance 2019. The Under Presents was released on Oculus Quest in Spring of 2019 and on Steam in April 2020.
Piehole curated the Under stage, commissioning and co-developing VR acts with brilliant artists from our NYC performance communities, as well as writing and performing some of our own, and working alongside Carter on visual design. We also contributed writing, both in traditional "writers room" format, and using our generative improvisational practice. In addition, Piehole was responsible for casting, motion capture, and voice acting for the game's NPCs (non-player characters). Piehole members originated the game's live actor encounters at Sundance 2019. The Under Presents was released on Oculus Quest in Spring of 2019 and on Steam in April 2020.
CREDITS
Written By
Brian Evenson
Samantha Gorman
Piehole
Sound
Steve Green - Sound designer
Jim Fowler - Composer
Internal QA
Cynthia Cantrell
QA
Keyword Studios
Will Anderson- Design/Code/Sound
Sneha Belkhale- Design/Code
Eli Bork- Production Intern
Danny Cannizzaro- Project Lead
Julian Ceipek- Design/Code
Samantha Gorman- Project Lead
Julian Kantor- Design/Code/Technical Art
Jocelyn Kim- Design/Code/Art
Milan Koerner-Safrata Design/Code/Art
Tanya Leal Soto- Producer
Brendan LoBuglio- Design/Code
Carter Lodwick Art Director
Aaron Meyers- Design/Code
Sharon Oh- Art/Animation
Alex Rickett- Design/Code
Katie Yu- Design/Art
Aimee Zhang- Design/Art
Additional Art
Brenda Chen
Neilson Koerner-Safrata
Laurenz Riklin
Lex Rhodes
Additional Code
Tonia Beglari
Jivitesh Dhaliwal
Dave Felton
Stalgia Grigg
Garret Hickey
Chloe Lister
Mitch Mastroni
Concept Art
Amber Ansdell
Kellan Jett
Steven Sugar
Kellsey Tamaru
LIVE CAST:
Brandon Bales
Michael Bates
James Cowan
Whitton Frank
Molly Fite
Genevieve Flati
Dasha Kittredge
Haylee Nichele
Katelyn Schiller
PIEHOLE
Tara Ahmadinejad- Director
Katherine Shelton- Stage Manager
Matthew Henao- Assistant Stage Manager
Elliot B. Quick Molly Zimmelman- Producers
Samantha Kelly- Production Associate
THE UNDER ACTS
“Shasta Geaux Pop” and “Thrusting Exponentially"
written and performed by Ayesha Jordan, with composition by Justin Hicks, costume based on design by Abigail DeVille
“Wet Food”
written and sung by Erin Markey, guitar by Emily Bates, choreography and dance by Emilie Soffe
“Working Song,”
written by Jason Sigal & Lame Drivers, performed by Lame Drivers (Jason Sigal, Joe Posner, Jeff Wood)
“Taking it Slow” and “Set Up to Self Destruct”
written and performed by Sean Spada
“Small”
written and performed by Deepali Gupta
“The Fog”
written by Jahn Sood and performed by Ronald Peet
“Sweaty Eddie”
conceived and performed by Lee Friend Roberts
“Apple Pie Bundy & Friends”
written and performed by Brendan Thomas Crowley
“Helvetica Perpetua & Tina”
written and performed by Alexandra Panzer, with Jeff Wood as Tina
“Sal Sisyhpus”
written and performed by Jeff Wood
“The Sashimi Mimis”
choreographed and performed by Toni Ann DeNoble
MOTION CAPTURE
Eli Bork
Toni Ann De Noble
Blake Haberman
Jonathan Levin
Tanya Leal-Soto
Jonothan Lyons
Katie Melby
Alexandra Panzer
Ben Vigus
Jeff Wood
VOICE ACTING
Ikechukwu Ufomadu - MC
Toni Ann De Noble - Adela
Rena Anakwe - Angela
Hubert Point-Du Jour - Billy
Ron Domingo - Chef
Vichet Chum - Coleman
Alexandra Panzer - Sandy
Emilie Soffe - Sara
Jeb Kreager - Rumph
Ben Vigus - Thew
Martin LaPlatney - Weil
Jeff Wood - Fisherman
OCULUS STUDIOS
Yelena Rachitsky - Executive Producer
Colum Slevin - Executive Producer
Special Thanks
Ichha Arora
Aaron Davies
Jonathan Krussel
Maria Essig
Written By
Brian Evenson
Samantha Gorman
Piehole
Sound
Steve Green - Sound designer
Jim Fowler - Composer
Internal QA
Cynthia Cantrell
QA
Keyword Studios
Will Anderson- Design/Code/Sound
Sneha Belkhale- Design/Code
Eli Bork- Production Intern
Danny Cannizzaro- Project Lead
Julian Ceipek- Design/Code
Samantha Gorman- Project Lead
Julian Kantor- Design/Code/Technical Art
Jocelyn Kim- Design/Code/Art
Milan Koerner-Safrata Design/Code/Art
Tanya Leal Soto- Producer
Brendan LoBuglio- Design/Code
Carter Lodwick Art Director
Aaron Meyers- Design/Code
Sharon Oh- Art/Animation
Alex Rickett- Design/Code
Katie Yu- Design/Art
Aimee Zhang- Design/Art
Additional Art
Brenda Chen
Neilson Koerner-Safrata
Laurenz Riklin
Lex Rhodes
Additional Code
Tonia Beglari
Jivitesh Dhaliwal
Dave Felton
Stalgia Grigg
Garret Hickey
Chloe Lister
Mitch Mastroni
Concept Art
Amber Ansdell
Kellan Jett
Steven Sugar
Kellsey Tamaru
LIVE CAST:
Brandon Bales
Michael Bates
James Cowan
Whitton Frank
Molly Fite
Genevieve Flati
Dasha Kittredge
Haylee Nichele
Katelyn Schiller
PIEHOLE
Tara Ahmadinejad- Director
Katherine Shelton- Stage Manager
Matthew Henao- Assistant Stage Manager
Elliot B. Quick Molly Zimmelman- Producers
Samantha Kelly- Production Associate
THE UNDER ACTS
“Shasta Geaux Pop” and “Thrusting Exponentially"
written and performed by Ayesha Jordan, with composition by Justin Hicks, costume based on design by Abigail DeVille
“Wet Food”
written and sung by Erin Markey, guitar by Emily Bates, choreography and dance by Emilie Soffe
“Working Song,”
written by Jason Sigal & Lame Drivers, performed by Lame Drivers (Jason Sigal, Joe Posner, Jeff Wood)
“Taking it Slow” and “Set Up to Self Destruct”
written and performed by Sean Spada
“Small”
written and performed by Deepali Gupta
“The Fog”
written by Jahn Sood and performed by Ronald Peet
“Sweaty Eddie”
conceived and performed by Lee Friend Roberts
“Apple Pie Bundy & Friends”
written and performed by Brendan Thomas Crowley
“Helvetica Perpetua & Tina”
written and performed by Alexandra Panzer, with Jeff Wood as Tina
“Sal Sisyhpus”
written and performed by Jeff Wood
“The Sashimi Mimis”
choreographed and performed by Toni Ann DeNoble
MOTION CAPTURE
Eli Bork
Toni Ann De Noble
Blake Haberman
Jonathan Levin
Tanya Leal-Soto
Jonothan Lyons
Katie Melby
Alexandra Panzer
Ben Vigus
Jeff Wood
VOICE ACTING
Ikechukwu Ufomadu - MC
Toni Ann De Noble - Adela
Rena Anakwe - Angela
Hubert Point-Du Jour - Billy
Ron Domingo - Chef
Vichet Chum - Coleman
Alexandra Panzer - Sandy
Emilie Soffe - Sara
Jeb Kreager - Rumph
Ben Vigus - Thew
Martin LaPlatney - Weil
Jeff Wood - Fisherman
OCULUS STUDIOS
Yelena Rachitsky - Executive Producer
Colum Slevin - Executive Producer
Special Thanks
Ichha Arora
Aaron Davies
Jonathan Krussel
Maria Essig