Convincing You That the Farts and Burps of Shrek are Real
Listen! No, really listen. Take a few seconds to hear everything around you. No matter where you are, you will always hear something. A far away train, the refrigerator running, the children yelling at each other in the next room. Now breathe, and take a sip of your coffee. Now imagine that those children have magically disappeared! Even in the complete absence of ambient sounds, you will be able to hear your breathing, heart beat, creaks and groans of your aging joints; your own body at work!
You've probably never thought in such detail about sound and its applications, but sound is of great concern in live theatre. Every production relies on sound to convey its story, but each is compelling in how it uniquely uses sound to advance its story.
Some uses of sound are more obvious. The use of voice and speech in theatre is as old as the craft itself. The story and emotion is conveyed through the conversations of the characters. Just like in everyday conversations, the words only tell part of the story. Along with body language, the tone of the speech provides the bulk of the information about the message. And with the advent of electronic microphones and sound production equipment, the tone of the message is much easier to convey and theatre spaces have grown and changed to match the new sound profile.
Music is a more recent (but still ancient!) addition to the theatre soundscape. For the majority of the history of theatre, a live orchestra was the only option to add music to a production. Most older theatres were constructed with the needs of live musicians in mind, so it is the locations that are modeled on classical symphony halls that produce the most immersive soundscapes. Recently, pre-recorded tracks have become available and are an option to make theatre more accessible and easier to produce. Music in theatre can be divided further into instrumentals, vocals, and accompaniment. Each can stand alone (and sound great when listening to soundtracks in the privacy of your morning commute). But it is the combination of all three, along with dialogue and great acting, that really ties the production together.
In addition to architectural, historic, and aesthetic reasons, so many incredible old theatre spaces have not been seriously remodeled or updated for more than 100 years because the construction materials and shape of the theatre have created an almost perfect soundscape. Without the building techniques implemented over hundreds of years in theatre construction, the sound would be distorted by heavy echoes and reverb as the sound bounces discordantly around the space. The simple ancient outdoor amphitheaters placed the audience as close to the actors as possible by seating them in a half-circle or ellipse, eliminating the need for more complicated sound design. However, as crowd sizes and technology increased, better planning was required to completely immerse the audience. Close your eyes and imagine your favorite theatre: some classic theatre on Broadway or downtown Chicago, or even the Kay Green theatre at LCC (which I'm picturing, as I have spent so much of my life there). Picture the curves of the walls and balconies that help the sound travel naturally around the entire theatre. You may even remember the acoustic sails or sound-absorbing panels (like in KVTA's Black Box Theatre) that help to direct sounds in certain spaces. Even things as simple as tiered seating, the proscenium arch, and the location of the orchestra pit help direct sound to your ears. These are the things that make the physical space of a theatre memorable and even have a practical purpose that you may have never considered!
After taking all of this into account, you can see why interruptions and interjections of sound would be so distracting. Sometimes, sound from the audience is welcome, like laughter or applause in response to a particularly moving moment. Sometimes, it's unavoidable, like creaking of chairs or a sudden cough. However, sometimes, it is an easily avoidable distraction like the constant chit-chatters or the dreaded cell phone ring! Don't be that person!
So we have briefly reviewed the importance of sound in theatre so that I can tell you that YPT's production of Shrek JR, the Musical at LCC's theatre sounds amazing! Take a few seconds during this show to appreciate how the architecture and construction of the theatre adds to your experience (curves and concrete!). Then take the rest of the show to treat your ears to the amazing vocal performances by our young performers.
Tickets for YPT's Shrek JR, the Musical, directed by Beth Sutter and Paula Sutter, are available at www.kvta.org for March 15 & 16 at LCC. Come out and hear Pinocchio, the Gingerbread Man, the Three Little Pigs, the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Bears, Ugly Duckling, the Three Blind Mice, Peter Pan, the Wicked Witch, Fiona, Donkey, and the big gross guy himself laughing, yelling, singing, belching, farting, and making many other gross and entertaining sounds for your entertainment. Your ears will thank you!
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