PORTFOLIO
Selected theatrical works in original Composition, Sound Design, System Design and Music Production of
MATTHEW SKOPYK
THE INVISIBLE
CATALYST THEATRE
Co-Composer/Music Production/ Sound Design/System Design
This production demanded a multifaceted approach—part music production, part co-composition, and full-spectrum sound design—all working in concert to elevate the storytelling. My compositions aimed to retain a period-evocative quality through classical instrumentation, while layering in synthesized and stylized sound to heighten urgency and emotional gravity. The blend of old and new created a sonic tension that mirrored the show’s themes. Vocal processing played a key role in shaping space, time, and intention—employing reverb, distortion, and pitch manipulation to support both the spoken word and musical theatre performance in real time.
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Calgary (Vertigo Theatre) - 2019
Edmonton (Citadel Theatre) - 2020
Vancouver (The Cultch) - 2022
London (The Grand) - 2024
Edmonton (Eva O Howard) - 2024
Vernon (VDPAC) - 2024
Saskatoon (Persephone Theatre) - 2024
Regina (Darke Hall) - 2024
ROMEO&JULIET
FREEWILL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Composer/Sound Design/System Design
An exploration of elastic underscoring—a dynamic musical approach where the score alternates between propelling the actors’ timing and responding to it in real time. With all performers on microphones, the sound design created a controlled and immersive sonic space that served both narrative and practical needs. Music and sound were carefully sculpted to mask the aural spill of the outdoor setting—Hawrelak Park’s Heritage Amphitheatre, Canada’s largest open-air venue for Shakespeare performance—allowing the production to retain intimacy and clarity despite environmental challenges.
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Edmonton - 2016
HAMLET
FREEWILL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Composer/Sound Design/System Design
A continued investigation into elastic underscoring, this production pushed the technique further—allowing musical phrasing and ambient sound to breathe with the psychological weight of the text. Rather than simply supporting or following the performance, the score became a living presence within the play’s architecture, shaping rhythm and tone with a sense of internal logic. With all performers mic’d, the sound design again addressed the acoustic challenges of the open-air Hawrelak Park Heritage Amphitheatre, but here the sonic palette leaned into minimalism, resonance, and dissonance—reflecting Hamlet’s fractured world while preserving vocal clarity against the environmental noise of Canada’s largest Shakespeare in the Park venue.
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Edmonton - 2018
BLARNEY PRODUCTIONS
Composer/Sound Design/System Design
Part movement, part drama, To Be Moved unfolded as a series of intimate vignettes—each grounded in original compositions that served as emotional and narrative anchors. The music functioned not as background, but as a driving force, shaping the tone, pacing, and physical vocabulary of each scene. From the quiet grief of losing a beloved pet to the redemptive warmth of memory, the score provided a cohesive thread through diverse emotional terrain, guiding both performers and audience through a wordless kind of storytelling.
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Edmonton Fringe 2017
VIGILANTE
CATALYST THEATRE
Music Production/Additional Orchestrations/Music Director (Band)
A ferocious, emotionally charged rock musical driven by urgency and rage. I produced and performed in a 5-piece band that hit with the weight and polish of a modern rock record — all achieved live, with high-quality computer processing and no off-the-shelf crutches (no Mainstage here). Think: Godspeed You! Black Emperor meets …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. A sonic onslaught engineered to serve the intensity of the Donnellys’ brutal legacy.
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Edmonton (Citadel Theatre) - 2015
London (The Grand) - 2017/2019
Saskatoon (Persephone Theatre) - 2017
Ottawa (National Arts Centre) - 2017
Cast Recording - To be released 2024.
THE GARNEAU BLOCK
CITADEL THEATRE
Composer/Sound Design/System Design
A primarily woodwind-driven score gave the production a clumsy, urgent energy — as if the quirky residents of the Garneau Block were performing it themselves from their corner of Edmonton. The instrumentation evoked both the humour and the fragility of a neighbourhood always on the verge of tipping over.
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Edmonton (Citadel Theatre) - 2021
FORTUNE FALLS
CATALYST THEATRE
Music Production/Additional Orchestrations/Sound Design/System Design
A full text/sung musical theatre performance exploring themes of youth through modern, synth-driven melodies layered over trap-inspired beats. The score and sound design operated as a unified system, with extensive experimentation in tempo- and pitch-synced sound effects — creating a fluid, hybridized world where musical motifs and environmental cues intertwined seamlessly. The result was a dreamlike yet urgent sonic atmosphere that underscored the show’s surreal tone and emotional weight.
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Calgary (Alberta Theatre Projects) - 2016
Edmonton (Citadel Theatre) - 2017
Shakespeare's R&J
KILL YOUR TELEVISION
Composer/Sound Design
A bold twist on a classic tale. I created a dynamic soundscape of tonal underscoring and poignant musical composition to guide the audience through an emotionally charged reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s text. The score was designed to foster empathy, using tension and release to mirror the characters’ emotional arcs. Departing from traditional period cues, the sonic world evolved alongside the characters’ journey of rebellion, identity, and forbidden connection — amplifying the production’s raw intensity and modern relevance.
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Edmonton (Theatre Network) - 2018
ON THE VERGE
University of Alberta STUDIO THEATRE
Composer/Sound Design
In this whimsical, time-bending satire, I crafted a dynamic soundscape that mirrored the characters’ journey through uncharted territories and eras. The sound design employed tonal underscoring and poignant musical compositions to evoke empathy and enhance the narrative’s emotional depth. By integrating period-specific motifs with imaginative auditory cues, the soundscape supported the play’s exploration of identity, progress, and the unknown.
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Edmonton (Studio Theatre) - 2018