Portfolio
Jack Ives

Jack Ives
Composer, Director, Performer
As an artist, I aim to constantly maintain a standard of excellence and professionalism in every aspect of the creative process. I strive to synthesize the various artistic mediums and fields in which I find myself, be it writing a cathartic play, composing an emotional piece, directing an experiential production, or performing a complex role, to create meaningful work that emulates the human experience in a way that is both relatable and captivating for the audience. Art provides a unique means of human connection, and my wish is to allow that connection to thrive in ways that open the door to mutual understanding and cooperation.
Theatrical Works
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Written by Jack Ives & Leyla Davis
Original Music by Jack Ives
Directed by Jack Ives & Megan Hardgrave
Technical Direction & Lighting Design - Jamesyn Whitlock
Sound, Costume, & Scenic Design - Jack Ives & Megan Hardgrave
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The Moon
Playwright, Composer, Director
Center Stage Theatre, 2025/2026
Premiered at the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Provocation synthesizing the artwork of Aert Van Der Neer with the Grimms Fairytale The Moon. Further developed to include the psychosocial concepts of Erik Erikson.
This full length play follows four travelers over the course of their lives as they discover that the human choice is not always the heroic choice.
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As directors we chose to developed the play as a physical theatre piece to add dynamic movement that elevated the poetic language of the script and was further highlighted by the compositions underscoring each scene which represent the underlying emotion and exigence of the show.



Original Music and Arrangement by Jack Ives
Lighting Design - Julian Guzman & Carter Miller
Costume Design - Olivia Russell & Megan Hardgrave
Scenic Design - Megan Hardgrave
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The Cry of the Peacock
Director
Center Stage Theatre, 2026
Part of The Storytellers Return Theatre for Social Justice Festival
A theatre for social justice piece centered on social isolation, aiming to leave the audience in a state of uncertainty and invite critical thinking regarding the themes presented in the script.
Centered around the melodic motifs of the traditional Irish folk song "Connemara Cradle Song", the music in "The Cry of the Peacock" encapsulates the eerie atmosphere called for by the script by altering a traditional lullaby via the use of mode modulation and gothic instrumentation.





Directed by Megan Hardgrave
Original Music and Arrangement by Jack Ives
Lighting Design - Jamesyn Whitlock
Costume Design - Angel Cordero Reeves
Scenic Design - Megan Hardgrave & Kylie Rasmussen​


The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Composer, Music Director, Keys
Center Stage Theatre, 2024/2025
Headlining Production of The Storyteller's Collective
Fringe Theatre Festival
Taking inspiration from Dutch culture, the music in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" utilizes recurring motifs and chord progressions to highlight the storytelling nature of the script. It also synthesized traditional European gothic instrumentation with contemporary musical concepts.



Directed by Jack Ives
Original Music by Jack Ives
Lighting Design - Julian Guzman
Costume Design - James Easter
Scenic Design - Bennett Miller​
Where the Wild Things Are
Director, Composer, Music Director, Keys
Center Stage Theatre, 2025/2026
Devised Original Production, Theatre for Young Audiences
Based on the book by Maurice Sendak
"Where the Wild Things Are" offered a fresh and lively retelling of the beloved book while giving homage to the original story and illustrations, and gave the young audience an opportunity to interact with a theatrical environment in a way that was both educational and inviting.
The score included instrumentation and techniques that crafted an environment of play, and developed an atmosphere that engaged the young audience in the storytelling and original source material.





Directed by Jamesyn Whitlock
Original Music by Jack Ives
Lighting Design - Jamesyn Whitlock
Costume Design - Jamesyn Whitlock
Scenic Design - Megan Hardgrave & Jack Ives​


Soundscapes
Assistant Director, Composer, Music Director
Center Stage Theatre, 2025
Part of The Storytellers Return Theatre for Social Justice Festival
Based on anecdotal evidence from synesthetes, the music in "Soundscapes" aimed to properly showcase what a person with chromesthesia might experience as they learn to understand their condition. This includes associating different melodic techniques and instruments with different colors, and accurately representing how those different colors may interact with one another given the context of the pieces.



Directed by Megan Hardgrave
Original Music by Jack Ives & Olivia Russell
Lighting Design - Jamesyn Whitlock
Costume Design - James Easter
Scenic Design - Megan Hardgrave​


The Little Prince
Composer, Guitar
Center Stage Theatre, 2025
Headlining Production of The Storyteller's Collective
Fringe Theatre Festival
The score for "The Little Prince" sought to synthesize the classical connotations of the play with American folk culture by utilizing unique instrumentation and a mixture of classical and contemporary compositional techniques.


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Directed by Megan Hardgrave
Lighting Design - Jamesyn Whitlock
Costume Design - James Easter
Scenic Design - Kate Simmons & Megan Hardgrave​
Peter & the Starcatcher
Music Director, Performer
Center Stage Theatre, 2025
2026 TN Thescon Main Stage Production
As Music Director I analyzed the scorebook and vocal parts in order to effectively and efficiently teach the cast of actors who were not all necessarily well versed in rudimentary music theory or vocal technique.





Alice by Heart
Assistant Music Director, Performer
Center Stage Theatre, 2025
As Assistant Music Director I took on many responsibilities, such as creating rehearsal tracks, to ensure that the cast and pit had all of the resources they needed in order to perform the music efficiently within the context of our specific production.
Directed by Megan Hardgrave
Lighting Design - Jamesyn Whitlock
Costume Design - James Easter
Scenic Design - Lauren Lloyd & Megan Hardgrave​
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It's a Wonderful Life, Radio Play
Composer, Music Director, Piano
Center Stage Theatre, 2024
"It's a Wonderful Life, Radio Play" had a very specific musical underscore in order to properly immerse the audience in the aural experience being presented to them by providing a reflection of what you might encounter while listening to a radio play on the actual radio.
Works in Progress

The Crucible
Composer
Center Stage Theatre, 2026

The Woodsman
Director
Center Stage Theatre, 2026 - 2027
Compositions

The Melody of the Moon
from The Moon

Hommage à une Belle Amitié
personal project