Interviews: The Sound Designer

Hello All,

Below you'll find the first in a series of interviews with other people working on our production of Ruined. We begin the series with an interview of Chelsea Reba, the Sound Designer of the production. Take a peak at her insightful answers about her process and the creation of the soundscape that is used in the show.

Thanks and Love!!

Chrich

1. So what does a Sound Designer do?

The Sound Designer is in charge of creating the auditory environment of the show. In a show that takes place so far from home, sound is an important reminder to the audience of where we are.

2. What made you want to work on this show?

Generally, the shows we do here are relatively sparce when it comes to sound; meaning that there are just a few sound effects played. After talking to Artisia, I realized that Ruined gave us the opportunity to go in an entirely new direction. This show is going to feature an environmental ambience from the minute that the audience walks to the moment the curtain falls, and that gave me a lot of freedom to tell the story through the sound.

3. What have you found the most difficult part of working on this show?

Such a big undertaking is exciting because it means that we can explore the storytelling in the show, but at the same time having such an emphasis on the sound has proved difficult. There’s the creation of the sounds themselves, then there’s setting the volume levels so they don’t interfere with the action on stage, and on top of that assigning speakers to the sound. Therefore, the more sound there is, the more work there is, but it will all be worth it in the end.

4. What do you see as your piece of the puzzle, or rather your contribution to the production as a whole?

While the show is very realistic, its reality is one so far removed from our own here in Williamsburg. I get the pleasure of transporting the audience and the actors to a place that is halfway across the world. The sound really ties together all the other design elements, from the African drums to the prints on the costumes.

5. What has been your favorite part of working on this show?

I think my favorite will be hearing everything come together and gauging the cast’s reaction to the sound I’ve been working on so diligently. The auditory environment truly adds something irreplaceable to this production and I cannot wait to share that to the cast and crew.