The transformative production of Oscar Wilde's novella, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which opened on March 27 at the Music Box Theatre, has been nominated for 6 Tony Awards, including Marg Horwell (scenic) and David Bergman (video,) who collaborated on Scenic Design, and Clemence Williams for Sound Design. This bold new interpretation of Wilde's work is "so revolutionary, remarkable and dazzling, you'll think you're gazing into theatre's future," according to The Washington Post. PRG is proud to support this show on Broadway with audio, video, and scenic automation.

In Director Kip Williams's adaptation, Emmy-winning actress Sarah Snook portrays all 26 characters in the show, including Dorian Gray. She is supported by five actors who make up the live camera crew. The dynamic interplay between live video, pre-produced content and even cell phone-based visual effects dissolve the boundaries of traditional storytelling. Rather than a physical representation of a portrait on stage, audiences immerse in an evolving image with which the actress interacts.

Video Engineer Asher Robinson explained, “There are five broadcast-quality cameras and five camera phones that are used to capture all the action onstage for display on the LED screens. The production treats the camera operators very much like a dance ensemble in a musical – their staging is choreographed and rehearsed thoroughly.”

One significant challenge for the show was incorporating the immense amount of prerecorded material, about 90 minutes of content. Bergman explained, “We experimented with in-camera special effects like set extensions. All the imagery had to be created and composited in the studio with the actress added into the shot during the live performance.”

Robinson explained, “Compositing the scenes in the disguise d3 media server gave the creative team the ability to pre-visualize the show while the actors learned the positioning and camera shots.”

“For this reason, the entire show is built into the disguise ecosystem rather than a more broadcast-oriented technology stack. The intricate layering, keying, timing, and cueing really required a single environment in which to build each moment. Bringing the camera feeds into the same environment as the pre-records was the key piece of the puzzle, allowing them to be composited properly.”

Robinson said, “PRG was an important collaborator with us. Since this show doesn’t fit the existing Broadway mold, it was vital to have PRG’s team standing by through the whole process, ready to make quick pivots. We were also able to leverage their expertise outside of Broadway in cameras, wireless transmission systems for sports broadcast and so on.”

While the physical scenery was originally provided by UK-based TR2, PRG made modifications for the New York run. They also supplied the automation system for the five LED screens, creating not only the motion effects but also the header bars and support systems.

Troy Atkinson, PRG Engineering and Operations General Manager, explained, “Since the show is so dependent on live video, signal latency was a huge concern. Absolute Motion, the automation company for the original production in Sydney, had come up with some clever ways of dealing with the cable management for the screens. We built on what they had done, designing a cable management “cassette” system with the fewest connections possible and no data lines going through commutators, which we would typically use when moving screens up and down.” The cassettes are a delicate balance between counterweight and low-friction redirection of electrical and signal cables, allowing many electrical conductors to be controlled in a tight space and to deploy during vertical movement.

A traveler-track system is used to move the screens horizontally. Atkinson added, “The screens weigh over 630 lbs and travel at 2.5 feet per second. That combination of mass and speed can cause a swing effect, so we introduced “anti-sway” software to our Stage Command System.”

Clemence Williams’ sound design contributed to the immersive world, clearly delivering Snook's live dialogue while incorporating all the pre-records and sound effects. The comprehensive design process took into account the theatre's acoustics, the sound sources used and the need for seamless transitions between live and prerecorded content.

Sound Consultant Jason Crystal, who worked closely with Williams, explained, " We were going back and forth between live vocal and prerecorded content, coming via our disguise and Qlab systems, in a way that is completely seamless.”

The design included subwoofers and other sources to make the sound feel expansive while keeping Snook’s voice clear and centered. The PA system needed to be powerful enough to produce significant volume for both playback and live moments, and a wide dynamic range was essential.

Special care was taken in processing the microphone audio to ensure consistency between Snook’s live and prerecorded voices. This involved fine-tuning the equalization, dynamics and the entire signal chain. The production uses a DiGiCo SD10 sound console, which offers powerful built-in tools for shaping sound and managing transitions, along with all digital Sennheiser body mics with SK 6212 transmitters.

"The more tools included in the signal chain, the better since the team needed to replicate not only a believable live voice but, at times, also one that could sound larger than life," said Crystal.

“We first heard about the show from Lead Producer Henry Tisch, who encouraged us to see it in the West End, and arranged a backstage tour to help us understand the creative intent. So, we weren’t starting from ground zero when it moved to Broadway and we could better respond to the logistical challenges that come with using that much wireless in the middle of Times Square!” said Alex Donnelly, PRG’s VP and General Manager, Broadway. “I am deeply proud of our work on this and am grateful to everyone on the design and production teams for their collaboration.”

The Picture of Dorian Gray is playing a limited engagement at the Music Box Theatre through June 29, 2025.