ABSTRACT
There’s no textbook way to prepare a design or composition for a production. It’s not as easy as saying, “ Take a storm, add some underscoring and scene change music, and you’ll have a wonderful sound design for The Tempest. ” Every production of a play is different, and each production presents a different set of possibilities for the composer and/or designer. At one end of the spectrum, there are straightforward productions containing a handful of realistic effects taken directly from sound libraries. At the other end, there are productions that call for numerous unrealistic effects, each one needing to be created from scratch. This range of needs and diverse approaches is not limited to sound effects. Compositions can call for something as uncomplicated as a solo piano or as involved as an ensemble of experimental instruments. A sound reinforcement job could be as simple as providing one microphone for a mime to covering the needs of a Broadway musical.
