Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

1- March 3, 9:40am, LIRR train from Mineola to Penn

2- High pitched humming in the background due to the heating system at the other end of the car, other train-like mechanisms make soft noises off and on.

3- The sounds of the train moving on track creates a hypnotic lull, an announcement is made regarding the next station and that patrons should watch the gap between the train and the platform,  the doors ding and slide open with a groan

4- The person in the seat in front of me coughs occasionally and ruffles the papers of their newspaper; when the doors open, a large gaggle of high school girls with a chaperone, talking and laughing loudly – clearly on a field trip of some kind. They discuss a woman they saw on the train another time who decided to appear in public topless in high pitched voices, talking over each other and finishing each other’s sentences.

5- The sound level and activity begin at a low and are abruptly shifted to a high sound level and activity

6- Interrupted

7- The background humming, the clacking of the train tracks, and before: the shuffling of the newspaper, after: the loud chatter and laughter