Romeo and Juliet

By: William Shakespeare

Role: Sound Designer

Wagner College Theatre

Venue: Stage One, Wagner College

Staten Island, New York City, NY

Director: Mickey Tannenbaum

Technical Director: Jareb Goldston

Stage Manager: Harley Cooper

Production Team:

Scenic Designer: Aiyana Torres

Costume Designer: Selina Amargo

Lighting Designer: Micah Hale

Props Master: Sierra Firday

job description

Built a soundscape for this production by composing instrumentals, complex QLab programming, recording sound effects, pre and post-production of voice-over work, and balancing sound within the space.

reflection

Within the theatrical space there are 4 speakers, which cannot be removed, changed in position, or within the timeframe of this production, repaired. The current setup was made when the space was in a proscenium style. This leaves two extremely powerful speakers in unconventional positioning in comparison to the audience. The other two speakers are significantly weaker, with one of them currently having a completely unusable woofer. My goal with this piece was to have sound very mobile and directional within the space, which posed challenges in the current setup. When the programming and design was complete, it was absolutely the most rewarding feeling to know that working hard through this challenging setup, paid off in a beautifully designed show that I am personally very proud of.

Concept statement

The three big themes that should be communicated within the sound scapes:

  1. As mentioned in the first production meeting, the impact of pacing.

  2. The cohesiveness through David Bowie songs and styling.

  3. Non-diegetic sounds that tie both 1 and 2 together, to aid and support an audience's perception of the piece.

  4. The implementation of samplings from Phillip Glass “Heroes Symphony” 1996.

The world and story of this play are laid out within the prologue. This leaves audiences already knowing what is to come and what to expect. Many already come in with prior knowledge and emotions toward certain scenes and major plot points. Building a soundscape designed around hard-hitting beats would craft a world where sound isn’t provided to distract, but rather aid in the emotional storytelling and fueling a lasting emotional impact on the audience.