The Secret Garden

Towards the end of May, I was asked to provide sound reinforcement for a production of The Secret Garden produced by Parlando in the ATL&S Black Box. It proved to be both technically and mentally challenging; running from June 12 - 28, 8 shows a week, 21 in total. The main feature (aside from a cast between the ages of 10 and 22) was a three-screen projection system that occupied close to 2/3 of the Black Box Studio space. These incredible 3D-surrealist projections were used to quickly change scenery, and provided entrances for actors in the gaps between them. All the technical details are after the break.




The audio challenges I faced were numerous. The most pressing issue... the orchestra couldn't fit in the same space as the set and audience. So they were, instead, set-up two rooms over in one of the production spaces. We then mixed down the 17 piece orchestra [Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello I & II, Flute, Horn, Piano, Percussion, Synth] to a 4 channel stereo arrangement which I could manipulate in the space. The biggest challenge was projecting enough of the sound of the orchestra to the actors on stage without blowing audience out of their seats (in a bad way).

The delicate balance of the speakers set up in the space provided many challenges for reinforcement. Our setup consisted of a 2 (stereo) sets of Meyer UPQs, one for environmental sound effects (which I triggered using a program written in MAX/MSP), and the other as the main orchestra reinforcement. I also hung a pair of Meyer UPMs from the ceiling-grid to use as reinforcement for the 5 wireless hairline lavalieres, 3 boundary PCCs, and 2 shotgun mics that were to be used on stage throughout the performance.

The genius idea (thanks to James "Sharpie" McElwee from IATSE#7) of placing a pair of KV2 EX12s underneath the risers that the audience was sitting on really helped make the music come alive. Using the magic of our Mackie ONYX 3280, I would edge in the orchestra through these speakers from below, providing a little extra oomph for certain passages. Balancing all of these speakers and microphones was a mental challenge every evening, and twice a day on the weekends; and after 21 shows, everyone was happy to get away from wireless frequency issues, exploding CO2 tanks, the threading of microphones through small children's hair, and of course the general exhaustion that comes from pulling off a production of this magnitude.

Hats off to Travis LaBerge, David Ayers and Angela Gaylor for this massive undertaking. Special thanks to Keynes Chen (also Dan Graeber and Toby Tenenbaum - assistant musical directors) and his amazing orchestra who provided me with the perfect amount of social distraction during excruciatingly long intermissions. And congratulations to all the actors that did an excellent job, day in and day out.