Hi welcome

Hi I'm Austin, but people also call me Sauce, Saucetin, Saucey, or some variation ever since my little brother struggled to pronounce my name as a kid.I grew up in Memphis and moved to Chicago for school where I studied dramaturgy and American Sign Language.I made this website to show off my cool projects and connect with other people doing their own things. I have professional experience in dramaturgy, directing, acting, writing, social media, and merchandise. I'm on a mission to try out every possible skill, so I would love to collaborate with you and learn something new.I also like rock climbing, knitting, stringed instruments, puzzles, and trying out different art forms. Brown is my favorite color, Ravel is my favorite composer, and Tanooki Mario is my go-to for Mario Kart. I am also very passionate about grammar.Anyway, let's be friends or work together on something cool. I'm happy to teach you an instrument or how to make a scarf.

sex/work

Dramaturgy
NewWorks@TheWorks 2026This production was the world premier of the play after it won the 2024/2025 NewWorks@TheWorks playwriting competition, so I was excited to explore the possibilities of the production as the dramaturg. It is set around modern day and mentioned current events, so much of my research was about the references made by the playwright to recent happenings in the news. I also designed and printed some of the documents used onstage since the audience was able to walk through the set with the tennis court style staging.Dramaturgy packet overview

@itsjusthalo

Transcending

Writing/Acting
DCASE IAP Grant Fall 2023A few good friends of mine and I got together to devise and put on a show funded by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events about the "future of gender." Over a few months we researched the past and future of gender, sharing our insights. We devised a play about our experiences with gender and how things might change. In October we put on performances (complete with handmade pins) at a local Chicago art gallery.Show programCheck out some of the script under writing

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Roving Violin
Playhouse on the Square 2023My track for this production covered the violin parts as well as being part of the ensemble, so I got to work at playing violin while also "performing." I had never sang/danced while playing before, so this was a fun challenge. Check out some production videos below:The Abduction from backstageBalaga from the audience

Christmas Carol

Music Direction
Arlington Community Theatre 2025This production was part of Arlington Community Theatre's focus on youth theatre education, so our main priorities were teaching kids about performance and putting on a show. As the music director, I organized and adapted classic holiday cards for the children to perform. I also wanted them to learn about foley and sound design, so I taught and conducted live sound effects from them for the show. I don't have much to show for my work, but I did get creative with including lots of foley.

Small Mouth Sounds

Assistant Direction + Dramaturgy
New Moon Theatre 2023This was one of my first directing roles, so I was very excited to flex those muscles. For the dramaturgy I studied yoga and East Asian spiritual practices in order to not only display them in a respectful way but also to showcase how to "not" follow them respectfully for some of the characters. I brought a lot of my research into my direction and played with more movement than past works due to the silent nature of the play.Dramaturgy resources for castShow program

Hannah Johnstone Photography

HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

Dramaturgy
Columbia College Chicago Fall 2024As a dramaturg for this production, I delved into research on 1960s hippie culture, the Vietnam War, and the history of Hair productions in order to aid the team in creating this show for modern audiences. Our director set the show during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, so I connected with the Chicago History Museum to collaborate with us and share their knowledge on the riots of the time. I also helped to host a talkback with the audience about the show and its historical context. Check out some of our work below.Dramaturgy PacketDramaturgy Website

Antigone (or And Still She Must Rise Up)

Dramaturgy
Germantown Community Theatre 2024This show is a modern adaptation of Antigone that discusses effects of COVID as well as how media can empower activists and aid in their causes. Throughout the process I wanted to provide resources both on modern issues as well as Greek theatre, specifically Antigone. The production was educational, so it was important to me to be a reliable resource.Dramaturgy packetDramaturgy resources for cast and crewShow program

Sean Moore Photography

How the Light Gets In

Dramaturgy
Columbia College Chicago 2023This play was very character driven, so I categorized my research around them and their circumstances. I got to compile resources on Japanese architecture, youth homelessness, breast cancer, origami, and Japanese gardens. I ended up reaching out to cancer nurses and Japanese language teachers in order to refine the information I was sharing to the team and make sure it was as accurate as possibleDramaturgy excerpts

Meeting Points

Production Assistant
The Theatre School DePaul UniversityI initially joined this production to sit in and observe, but I was lucky enough to get to swing among different roles throughout the process. It was especially exciting since it was a new work, and I could watch the script develop and see how new plays are workshopped. It also gave me my first opportunity at calling a show as an SM! I don't have much to show for my work on the production, but I did have to take endless line notes as the script was changing.

Statue of King Neptune by Paul DiPasquale

GALATEA, or Whatever You Be

DramaturgyThis is a modern adaptation of a play from 1585 set in Ancient Greece, so my research was very expansive across history. The script discusses gender, climate crises, and humans' power over fate, so it was very relevant to modern audiences.Dramaturgy packetDramaturgy overview

The Droll {Or, a Stage-Play about the END of Theatre}

Dramaturgy + Production design
Lightswitch Theatre Company 2022This production had a very small team, so I started doing just research and ended up working some production design for lighting and costumes. The script takes place in a fictional Puritan England where theatre is being outlawed, so I tried to provide information on the history of the arts in Puritan England as well as the story's relevance today. A major struggle was the heightened language of the script, so my glossary was very beneficial.Design and dramaturgy excerpts

What to Bring to Inpatient

An anecdotal zine I made by hand about preparing to check into inpatient.Check out the full PDF
You can also buy a copy at Quimby's!

Transcending

A few good friends of mine and I got together to devise and put on a show funded by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events about the "future of gender." Over a few months we researched the past and future of gender, sharing our insights. We then devised a play about our experiences with gender and how things might change.Check out some of the script sections that I wrote

198 Days

A 10-minute play featuring a woman and a great white shark inspired by various stories of Kate Chopin, Céline Sciamma, and Virginia Woolf.
2 characters
Approx 10 minutesContact me for access to the script.

Woman by the Seaside, 19th century

Willem van de Poll, 1932

If You Work It

A one-act play featuring two women in rehab bonding over their desire to heal while trying to figure out their new lives.
5 characters
Approx 45 minutesContact me for access to the script.

Having Heterosexual Sex

A 10-minute play about having T4T sex. Not much happens.
2 characters
Approx 10 minutesContact me for access to the script.

Crochet crowns!!!!

$12 / each (+ shipping)
I’ll make you a crown! Unless specified it will be a gold yellow with a tag on the inside. You can Venmo @austinrdev or contact me for other options or questionsTo purchase, fill out a form here
Please note that add-ons might cost extra

Commissions

Did you find something you like or have an idea for a project? Let’s chat and we can figure out the details!
Contact me here or check out some past projects