Project
The Dilemma Drama
ABOUT
"Code Grey: The Dilemma Drama" is an immersive desktop theatre experience that places participants inside a hurricane-stricken hospital, where they must confront the ethical dilemmas faced by medical professionals during a crisis. The work invites audiences to ponder, debate, and understand the complexities of life-and-death decision-making in medical crises while reflecting on the bonds of care and trust between doctors and patients.
Role
Designer
SKILL
Result
The project was presented at the NYU IDM Annual Exhibition of 2024. During the 3-hour exhibition, over 100 visitors attended, and the work received over 200 likes and shares on social media.
YEAR
2024
Design Background
In August 2005, Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans faced catastrophic collapse during Hurricane Katrina as floodwaters and widespread power failures overwhelmed the facility. Stranded with about 250 patients and facing insufficient resources, some staff administered controversial lethal uses of sedatives on critically ill patients. This led to intense controversy after Dr. Anna Pou and two nurses were linked to the deaths of four patients, resulting in their arrest on charges of hastening patient deaths, although they were ultimately acquitted of all charges after a decade. Set against a backdrop of devastation, scarcity, and high stakes, "Code Grey: The Dilemma Drama" recreates the intensity of this real-world medical crisis through immersive storytelling and sensory design to help audiences emotionally engage with the moral dilemmas faced by healthcare professionals during disaster.
Production Process
The production focuses on two pivotal dilemmas: managing Do-Not-Resuscitate (D.N.R.) orders during emergency evacuation and providing adequate care with scarce resources, exemplified by the real case of Lifecare patient Emmett Everett.
In the fall of 2023, inspired by my Introduction to Medical Humanities course, I developed a prototype for an interactive narrative website. In this experience, the user assumes the role of a doctor in the crisis and navigates a series of difficult choices. Each decision directly influences the storyline, leading to multiple distinct endings. Link to the interactive website.
For my senior year capstone project, I am continuing to explore various media to build a more immersive experience that places the audience directly into the characters' challenging circumstances. Through theatrical dioramas integrated with projection mapping, the work explores both the mental journey of medical professionals making moral decisions—faith, struggle, anger, and guilt—and the bodily and psychological experiences of patients trapped in extreme circumstances.
Audience Review
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The use of a physical diorama and projection brought this story to life. They way it lets you explore and experience things we don’t normally get to experience first hand really brings the subject and medical ethics to light - how important it is but also how despite its presence, there remain many grey areas that logic fails to cover.
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Can’t get over the shadow aesthetics. I would pay 30 dollars to watch a show like this.
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What a great idea and even better execution. The in depth color choices and style make this seem professionally done and the actual research and representation of the events is very well done.