During the production process of Where Within in March 2024, the director and I conceptualized a special lighting effect to appear at a key emotional moment in the show. The idea was to use “twinkle” lights to subtly symbolize that the main character’s father was still present in her life. This required a practical effect that could be controlled precisely during live performance. I developed a prototype using pixel-mapped string lights controlled by an ESP32 microcontroller. The system was designed to allow wireless operation from the tech booth via an infrared remote. Initial tests showed that the concept was effective and visually impactful. However, due to the production’s tight setup and teardown schedule, there wasn’t sufficient time to safely implement the system for live performances. Although the cue was not used on stage, this project served as an important technical exploration for me, expanding my skills in pixel mapping, microcontroller programming, and wireless control workflows. The next stage of the project will involve replacing infrared control with more robust wireless communication via radio transmission to further improve flexibility and reliability.