Macbeth
sound design, composition
Lady Macbeth "out damn spot"
Macbeth lament his sin after murdering King Duncan
Ghost Banquo terrorizes Macbeth
Theme: underground, Dystopian prison, gang violence, mental deterioration.
Sound Goal: I aimed to create soundscapes that highlights the suffocating, high-tensioned atmosphere and the violent nature of the environment. Another goal is to support the characters' arch of moral/mental collapse and maintain the suspense via a more musical approach during long monologues.
“Amen”
"I have done the deed....But wherefore could not I pronounce 'Amen'? I had most need of blessing, and 'Amen' Stuck in my throat."
After murdering the King, Macbeth found his prayer unable to ease his frantic mind. Macbeth is disturbed by "bird chirps," which become prisoners violently shaking their bars as if they are trying to escape. Also ties back to Macbeth's hopeless attempt to escape his sin..
Witch Prophecy
With heavy footsteps from a distance, the sounds of chains and clock swiftly intertwine, indicating the gear of time has began to spin. Layers of winds quickly whirl up and fade in the tv noise (representing the "mist" in the original script). With a hit on the prison bar (the "drum" in the original script), the witches start to speak.
Lady Macbeth’s Blood
"Yet here's a spot.
Out, damned spot! out, I say!......Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him...."
The beating bass indicates the rising anxiety, and the high-pitched piano notes jumping around symbolize her gradually losing her grasp on reality.
Banquo Ghost
Over time, the sinister pattern overlays multiple times with the change of key and speed. As the ghost approaches Macbeth, a string of metallic, almost cry-like shrieks with bells occurs.
*Here, bells are a symbolism of death as many traditional ceremonies related to death in Asia often involves the use of bell. The specific inspiration I took is Taoism pre-burial practice, where the monks are believed to guide the soul of the dead to their resting places with tools such as bells.
Production Team
Director: Philip Thompson
Assistant Director: Tyler Garcia
Stage Manager: Nicole Marie Theep
Lighting Designer: Sonya Wong
Lighting Technician: Isabella Keegan
Costume & Prop: Leah Booth
Sound Designer: Pan-Pan Gou
Photography: Isabella Keegan
Cast: Jesse Bourque, Megan Evans, Crystal Kim, Reshma Meister, Sophia Metcalf, Malik Proctor, Melíza Gutierrez, Leah Booth, Ariella Kvashny,
Notes Behind the Scene
Challenges
- Abstraction
Since the play itself is a rather presentational style of theatre with such high intensity, it is crucial for the sounds to express different abstract idea distinctly. For instance, the ambiences for greed and for anxiety should sound drastically different. To achieve this goal, the ambience for this show have 'clearer music lines and try less to blend in compared to a more representational play.
- Long monologue
With such lengthy monologues and complicated language , it is critical to keep the tension high and engaging by providing a dynamic, continuously moving soundscape.