The Action of The Play

What happens when you get your wish and finally get a “happily ever after?” Giants come down to destroy everything perfect about your world! Plus, a little bit of witchcraft may make things a little more difficult to correct the mistakes your parent’s left for you. Tie it all together and that’s what everyone’s favorite childhood story characters are dealing with in this musical from Steven Sondheim.

2. Thematic Conclusion

Don’t put all of your trust into the world’s most alluring desires, instead, focus on what really matters, family, friends, and teamwork. Together giant obstacles are able to be overcome.

3. Production Objectives (From the Director: Walter Elder)

A. Design sound that will enhance the text of the script from onstage actors.

B. Prepare an audience to become captivated into the comedic elements of the show as well as the sensual ones. .

C. Underline the theme of the production, which is to enhance the fixing of familial issues, and the comedy in trying to fix everyone’s stories.

D. Work closely with other designers to enhance the comedic moments

E. Use microphones to add not distract

G. Work closely with the Music Director as to create delicacies in the music, and to greatly enhance each piece of music, and each moment onstage. .

4. Design Objectives (From the Designer: Justin Schmitz)

A. Create separate worlds that can completely mix at specific times, and also stand alone.

B. Use microphones effectively by adding effect into the Giant’s lines and by making all voices on stage seem natural and un-aided by microphones.

C. Create effects and cues that will attract the audience further into the story of the show, and to not become a distraction that pulls audiences out of the moment.

D. Create new and unfamiliar effects, by distortion and processing effects in the design studio.

5. Translation of the Design Objectives into Audio Terms

A. Composed Music- Must enhance each moment selected for use, through intervals used in composition, dynamics, tempos, and instruments.

B. Effects- Need to be pertinent to each cue, and translate correctly to audiences, so they are easily identifiable or extremely confusing for homes crashing, and giants stepping through the forest.

C. Speaker Placement- Must place audio in the heat of moments and/or create the next scene, moment, action in play, by locating speakers near actions that take place onstage or adding speakers in the rafters of the theatre the sound structure and movement of sound in the theatre space becomes much more effective for cue playback.

D. Levels- Must support and underscore live voice must not detract from actions onstage other than noted by director, must be at a proper loudness for all audience members, which is possible for hard of hearing persons through the use of the listening mate technology in our theatre.

E. Scene Change Music- must be agreed upon in production meetings, and will cover live sounds from onstage action, while keeping the pace of the show up and moving forward.

F. Microphones- will help to support actors’ singing and dialogue roles. Microphones will be left on for dialogue as to not become a distraction with the voice being enhanced for singing; it will also enhance speaking roles as well.

6. How to Accomplish Design Objectives

To accomplish all design objectives there must be careful consideration of each individual moment and sound selection to create the world of this production and for audience and cast alike. The imagery that has been researched and shared with the director, and sound advisor will aid in the overall completion of the design and will assist in production ideas, by setting up the forest, town, and other locations through out the show. It will enhance each aspect of the play especially the music in which Sondheim is exquisitely famous. The design will be an overall enhancement and backbone to this production.