Event Title
Creating a Sound Design for Sarah Ruhl's "Dead Man's Cell Phone"
Faculty Sponsor
Tyrone Marshall & Robert Vaughn
Location
Jereld R. Nicholson Library
Date
5-11-2012 3:00 PM
End Date
5-11-2012 4:30 PM
Subject Area
Theatre
Description
Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone is a nonrealistic play about love, longing and basic human connection. In this dark comedy, Ruhl addresses technology as a medium for human connection, while also addressing other topics like illegal organ donation. The sound design of the play had to address isolation and “the ripple effect,” while balancing two genres of music: electronica and smooth jazz. The director wanted to include elements of both musical styles to illustrate the middle ground between traditional music and the electronic trend. The surreal play is a compilation of twelve scenes, with transitions that become an entertaining aspect of the show. The sound design needed to create an environment in which it seemed feasible for one to travel up a cosmic pipeline to spend eternity on a planet with whomever loved one most.
This sound design was a collaborative effort between Technical Director Robert Vaughn and student Laura Haspel.
Recommended Citation
Haspel, Laura K., "Creating a Sound Design for Sarah Ruhl's "Dead Man's Cell Phone"" (2012). Humanities and Creative Projects. Event. Submission 13.
https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/studsymp_cr/2012/all/13
Creating a Sound Design for Sarah Ruhl's "Dead Man's Cell Phone"
Jereld R. Nicholson Library
Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone is a nonrealistic play about love, longing and basic human connection. In this dark comedy, Ruhl addresses technology as a medium for human connection, while also addressing other topics like illegal organ donation. The sound design of the play had to address isolation and “the ripple effect,” while balancing two genres of music: electronica and smooth jazz. The director wanted to include elements of both musical styles to illustrate the middle ground between traditional music and the electronic trend. The surreal play is a compilation of twelve scenes, with transitions that become an entertaining aspect of the show. The sound design needed to create an environment in which it seemed feasible for one to travel up a cosmic pipeline to spend eternity on a planet with whomever loved one most.
This sound design was a collaborative effort between Technical Director Robert Vaughn and student Laura Haspel.
