Richard III
Sound designer and composer
University of Evansville — Shanklin Theatre
The concept for the sound design of this play began with the director asking me to listen to an album by Steve Reich, he commented on the interplay of rhythm and the slow evolution of the music, stating that he wanted something very similar, but with a bit more room to tell the story. I immediately played a piece by John Adams and we both agreed it was the right sound.
Every moment of the play was underscored with different "themes" so to speak. Working between the styles of minimalism and post-minimalism to create dynamic thematic material that never took away from moments of the production. Here are a few samples of some of the more "active" pieces which acted as transitions between scenes.
Please also look at my SoundCloud page for the show's bows music. This music was the result of a fair bit of conversation and took several tries to really nail in the final product. The goal was to keep in the same world as the play, but trying to break that mold at the same time to show the hope that Richmond brings to England after Richard's death.
The Winter of Our Discontent was the opening piece to the production. The piece continued under Richard's monologue and the mix of instruments changed on different cues throughout the scene. The line in the glockenspiel is meant to reflect Richard's ever-present, calculating, psychopathy that drives him toward the throne.
Give Me Thy Hand was the piece that brought the show into intermission. It began playing under Richard's monologue as he asks Buckingham to give him his hand. This is the culmination of Richard's plan and, as such, called for a dissonant resolution as the audience has finished witnessing Richard's rise to power.