Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

1. Location: 2/28/19, 6:30pm, Dressing Room in the Playhouse
2. Farthest sounds: actors talking outside, footsteps, doors opening/closing
3. Medium sounds: SM over the intercom, costumes rustling on rack, air system humming
4. Closest sounds: Richard III speaking in chair next to me, music playing, makeup being applied to face, costume zipping up, door opening
5. Sound level is high, there’s a lot of energy within the room
6. One word description: tech
7. Three essential sounds: makeup being applied, SM over intercom, costume rustling on rack

1. Location:  Black Box Dressing Room, 7pm on Thursday, 4/14/15
2. Farthest sounds: Boys talking in the green room, toilet flushing, hangers clunking, laughter from the green room
3. Sounds in Medium Range: Loud pop music, loud talking and laughing, hair straightener beeping, snap chat stories
4. Closest sounds: Make up brush bristle sounds, opening and closing of make up containers, Alexa’s phone buzzing, tapping of make up brushes
5. Amount of sound:  Large amount
6. Descriptive word: Sparkling
7. Three Important Sounds: Loud pop music, Hangers Clunking, Opening and Closing of make up containers

March 4, 7pm, Adams Playhouse dressing room

1) Farthest sounds: People (Sampson?) yelling orders upstairs from the stage. Sam Kamelhar handling the long chain on the ladder leading to the trapdoor.

2) Medium range: Laughter in the neighboring dressing room. Jean being interviewed for the Chronicle outside the door. The sink running, or a toilet flushing.

3) Dressing room banter. Tom spraying his hair white, and Jordan unzipping/unbuttoning his street clothes to get into costumes. The clanging of the gold jewelry I wear for Richard. Clothes hangers being pushed aside on the rack.

Sound level remains pretty consistent and buzzing. It has the energy of excited people trying to not give over to nerves.

One-word description: Buzzing.

Three sounds: Orders from upstairs, hairspray, handling of clothing

Here is the field recording to match my journal entry of the girl’s dressing room.

1. Girl’s Dressing Room, NAB, Thursday, April 3, 2014, 7:27 pm.

2. Identify the sounds furthest from you: Faint music coming from the row of mirrors furthest from ours, we’re the first one when you enter the dressing room. The toilet flushes in the bathroom.

3. Identify the sounds at a medium range: Creepy Don Juan intro music coming from the intercom speaker across from our row of dressing tables. Rachel announces 15 minutes to warm-ups.

4. Identify the sounds closest to you: I’m playing Dave Matthews Band while Rita, Laura Walsh, Laura Erle, Deanna, and Kelli Spellman talk about our hair, makeup, boobs, boys, and the show. Hair spray and the sound of makeup covers hitting the table.

5. General sound activity and level: the level is loud and the activity is chaotic as sixteen girls scramble to get ready for open dress.

6. Word to describe sound environment: Chaotic.

7. Three sounds that complete sound environment:
– Don Juan intro music from intercom.
– Talking at the back of the dressing room.
– Music and talking in my row.