Theatermaker | Ella Sodam Yoon

ECHO: A MUSICAL QUEST
Book, Lyrics, Additional Music by Deniz Demirkurt
Co-book, Music by Ella Sodam Yoon

ECHO: A MUSICAL QUEST is a video game musical that is inspired by the Greek mythology of Echo, a mountain nymph who was cursed by Hera to only be able to repeat the last words someone says to her. Our game explores what happens to Echo after she’s been cursed, and follows her as she embarks on a journey to find her voice again.

Developments:
New Work, New Voices (2025 Finalist)
The Evolution Festival (2024 – Staged reading)
Spark Theatre Festival (2023 – Staged reading)

AFTER THAT DAY (30-minute musical screenplay)
Script, Music, Lyrics by Ella Sodam Yoon

Additional lyrics by Deniz Demirkurt
Dramaturgy: Makena Metz

Synopsis:
ANNA, a self-taught prodigy music composer, suffers from schizophrenia and alien hand syndrome. With a lyricist IRENE who is better known as ANNA’s mom, they quickly gain fame due to the viral concept of mother and daughter collaboration. However, one day when ANNA turns 10, she claims the presence of monsters living in her hand. The voices she hears manipulate her, convincing that someone might kill her. The narrative alternates between ANNA’s perspective and her parents,’ shedding light on the complexities of living with mental illness and expectation from the crowd.

Awards and Nominations

WRPN Woman’s International Film Festival
2024 Scriptwriting Winner: Bronze Award
Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival
2024 Finalist (April): Best Original Script
2024 Honorable Mention (April): Best Original Score
Absurd Film Festival
2024 February-March Award: Best Absurd Script
The Women’s Independent Film & Television Festival
2024 Finalist: Short Script
Red Flight Pictures Screenplay Awards
2024 Semi-Finalist: Drama Short Script

KOKO AND THE LOST PHOENIX
Book, Lyrics by Lalit Sritara
Music by Ella Sodam Yoon

A new musical adapted from an award-winning Thai novel written by Wongwela.

KOKO AND THE LOST PHOENIX is a 75-minute family musical about a brave young girl’s journey to find her missing phoenix friend, Mumu. As Koko travels through the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow, she meets creatures struggling with trauma, depression and anxiety. Through mindfulness and empathy, Koko helps them heal — and discovers her own inner strength along the way.

Inspired by a beloved Thai novel and rooted in Zen Buddhist principles, this heartfelt story uses fantasy and music to spark conversations about mental health with young audiences in an accessible, meaningful way. At a time when so many young people feel disconnected or overwhelmed, this musical invites audiences into a world where feelings are honored and healing is possible — all through the eyes of a brave young girl.

BLIND NOT DEAD: The Nameless Lord
Book, Music, Lyrics by Ella Sodam Yoon

Blind Not Dead is an immersive musical led by a blind female protagonist, Irae. Exhausted by a society that shuts her out, Irae confronts a mysterious alchemist who promises to restore her eyesight on one condition: travel back in time and fulfill his mission. (finding the real name of Nameless lord)
When she wakes up in ancient Korea, she discovers a marketplace where disabled people offer their disabilities as valuable services. Soon, she realizes these villagers are not from the past but travelers from her own time, manipulated by the same alchemist. Irae fights to return home, but the villagers refuse; the past offers them a dignity they never received in the modern world. Yet, the alchemist’s promises are a sugarcoated trap. His mission is impossible to be fulfilled and ultimately he consumes the villagers. Now Irae must decide: dismantle the alchemist’s oppressive system or respect the villagers’ right to stay in the world where they finally feel they belong.