Sound

We have designed this site in order to assist theatre students and young theatrical companies in their quest to put on the best productions possible. It is a practical site, taking into consideration the features of a production that create the ambiance and location in which the play takes place. In this particular section, we are going to talk about sound, from learning to fill a theatre with noise to amplifying a small sound that wouldn't wake a baby still in cloth diapers.

If you have ever sat towards the rear of the audience at a production and lost a lot of the mood because the actors' voices were just not reaching far enough back, you know exactly how important sound can be. One mistake that a lot of people make with sound and theatre is assuming that the use of numerous wired objects can solve any sound issue. We live in the age of computers, after all, and anything is possible. It's hard not to think that the latest device can solve all our audio woes. If you have large speakers in your North Toronto real estate, for example, and get great sound throughout your home, you may think that the same principle applies to a theatre space.

However, to see where the true nature of sound lies, it is a good idea to look at a little bit of production history. Not too long ago, not one piece of electronic sound equipment had been invented. Even the microphone, that most basic piece of sound technology today, did not make its debut until the later 19th century. The first microphones for the purposes of broadcasting were not fully developed until the 1920s. It's amazing how much technology has developed in the last century, with most people now toting iPhone pouches full of sound devices on them every day.

What does that mean, as far as our exploration of the importance of sound? Well, think Shakespeare. The most renowned playwright in Western history made his name during a time when the invention of wired sound equipment was almost three centuries in the future. While Shakespeare wrote the plays, it was production companies that brought them to life. Even that long ago, the success of a play would have been dependent on the quality of sound that the audience could hear. If no one was able to hear his eloquent text in the first performances of his work to give life to his creations, it would be unlikely that people would be still leaving their townhouse, Mississauga to Madrid, to still enjoy performances of his work.

And you don't want to be quick to dismiss the parallels either. For example, you might think that the earlier productions took place in smaller venues, which would have made the task of good sound a little bit easier. However, theatres and other production houses were quite large back in Shakespeare's day; The Rose was considered a small theatre, and it sat 2000 people. The opera houses of France and Italy would seat many more. (Actually, operas today still boast of having no amplified sound.) In a world filled with fast food and online printing services, we assume that everything's bigger now. But, that's just not the case with theatre sizes!

The point of this historical lesson is that good sound production does not start with electronic equipment. Quite the opposite; good electronic equipment should only be used to bolster solid sound principles. In order to come up with a good sound for a theatre production, it is important to take into consideration first of all basic elements such as projection and acoustics.

Of course, today we don't have to count on natural sound methods alone to create a good atmosphere for a production, precisely because we are living in an age of invention. Still, the use of basic sound principles will enable any equipment you purchase to function at its peak; knowing how sound works can also mean a lot of money saved, in terms of how much equipment you actually need. Sound doesn't need to just be to amplify voices either. Just go down to a place like Grand Harbour, Toronto and listen to all of the sounds that are produced there. All of those can be brought into a theatre production, enriching the stage atmosphere.