The Wharton Center Original Producation – Sally: A Solo Play, will run from February 19–21, on the Pasant Stage.  Written by MSU Alumni Sandra Seaton, the role of Sally is performed by Sabrina Sloan and with direction by Hannah Ryan. This powerfully moving, one-woman drama is set at Monticello in the days leading up to Thomas Jefferson’s death. 

This world premiere is led by powerhouses Seaton and Ryan and supported by an equally impressive creative team bringing Sally to life. Among them are two members of the Michigan State University community, leading the way in projection and scenic design. 

Alison Dobbins serves as projection designer for Sally and is a Professor of Integrated Media Performance Design in the MSU Department of Theatre. Kirk Domer is Sally’s scenic designer, as well as Interim Chairperson and Professor of Scene Design in the MSU Department of Theatre. 

Both designers have collaborated with Sandra Seaton in the past and are excited to engage with her and new creative partners on this production. Here’s a closer look into their creative process on Sally: A Solo Play. 

How did you first become involved in this project? 

Alison: I have had the privilege of working with Sandra Seaton on projects in the past.  I have always greatly admired this play and in the past Sandra has attended my Intro and Advanced Projection Design courses (at MSU) to talk to the students about her process and about the play.  I am very excited to see it fully produced. 

Kirk: Eric Olmscheid connected with me in summer 2025 to see if I was interested in scene designing the show, and I was!  

Can you describe your role in the production and what that work looks like day to day? 

Alison: As projection designer, I am primarily communicating where we are at any given moment in time.  This is a memory play that shifts from the past to the present and from place to place.  Some locations are more about the emotion felt in the space, and some are more grounded in a physical world.   

Kirk: As the scene designer, I created a series of 3-D renderings in collaboration with the Director and the rest of the design team. Once approved, it was drafted and sent out to bid at several different scene shops to construct the scenery. This process took place between August 2025 and will continue until the production opens. 

What has the collaborative process been like for this production? 

Alison: This is an amazing talented team.  Hannah Ryan, the director, has a very strong vision for the play and it has been an absolute delight to work with her and all the other designers. 

Kirk: It has been a traditional design process with design and production meetings, revision as we found the world of the play, and I look forward to seeing how the technical process unravels. 

How does working on a new work differ from working on a more established play? 

Alison: New works are constantly in flux.  Locations, order of scenes, intent, inflection, etc. all changes from rehearsal to rehearsal and from one day of tech to the next.  It is incredibly exciting to be part of something that is being formed for the first time. 

Kirk: A lot of the work I have designed recently has been new work.  I always look forward to new work, as the creative teams’ contributions to the evolution of the play are powerful and have an enduring impact on future iterations of the work. 

Why should folks come to see this work? 

Alison: Sandra Seaton is a nationally renowned playwright; Hannah Ryan is a Broadway director and Sabrina Sloan a Broadway actress.  This trio of amazing talent brings the very important story of Sally Hemings to East Lansing.  The story is full of complexity, hard choices, and unresolved conflicts that the founders of this country left for the rest of us to solve. You won't want to miss it.   

Kirk: You should come to see a new work, an inspiring story, and be a part of something that is bound to have a lasting impact on theatrical storytelling. You can expect to see a new view of a historical person and rethink her past experience as you may have only seen from one point of view. 

 

Wharton Center is proud to share this story and collaborate with such an extraordinary creative team. Don’t miss your chance to witness this world premiere February 19–21 at the Pasant Theatre. Tickets on sale now. 

Full Creative Team for Sally: A Solo Play 

• Scenic Design: Kirk Domer, Interim Chairperson and Professor of Scene Design (MSU Department of Theatre), and Director of Arts, Cultural Management, & Museum Studies (MSU College of Arts & Letters) 

• Projection Design: Alison Dobbins, Professor of Integrated Media Performance Design, MSU Department of Theatre 

• Lighting Design: Rachael Blackwell, Lighting & Projections Director, Alliance Theatre 

• Costume Design: Niiamar Felder, Costume & Fashion Designer 

• Hair and Makeup: Earon Chew Nealey, Wig, Hair & Makeup Designer 

• Audio: Troy Boyd, Head House Audio Engineer, Wharton Center 

• Props: Michelle Raymond 

• Production Stage Manager: Courtney Sue Mulford