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Thursday, March 17, 2022
‘The Play that Goes Wrong’ sound effects are an ages-old art form at Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place
Chicago Sun-Times: Pop vocabulary trivia quiz! From whence does the term “slapstick” originate?
Joseph Anthony Byrd, currently starring as a dead body in one of the slap-happiest slapsticks ever mounted on stage, provides the answer.
5 comments:
Katie Sabel
said...
The Play that Goes Wrong was the first Broadway show I've seen, and it's really interesting to think about all the things that went on behind the scenes in order to pull it off. I think in the past their set design was especially heralded, even to the point of getting a Tony nomination, but the rest of the aspects of production have remained a mystery to me until now. It makes a lot of sense that given how much falling there is in the show, that actors would have kneepads and cushioned clothes. Plus, in the moment the sounds felt so natural that I never would've guessed they were works of Foley. It also makes sense to me that an actor would double as a sound effect producer. The show's timing is quick, and it originated from a theater company that came out of LAMDA. So, it doesn't surprise me that maybe traditions of having a small production wherein they had to do it themselves carried over when the show moved.
I haven't seen The Play That Goes Wrong but I really want to. I adore the hilarity that comes with the play and the addition of live sound effects makes it all so much more hilarious. The skill of live sound effects for radio plays or recordings is an actual art form and so impressive. Live sound effects for a live performance seems so much more involved. It seems like there are so many more things that could go wrong. Making sure that the audience can hear everything and that it is timed perfectly to make it seem believable enough is very impressive. Doubling as the "much-manhandled corpse" is even more impressive. Honestly this seems like such a fun job, and even though I have no desire to ever be on stage I would absolutely love to so this. I would love a chance to do live sound effects in any capacity and if that came with the requirement of performing as a corpse, then so be it.
“The Play That Goes Wrong” is so dynamic, fast paced, and variable, that foley is both completely necessary and incredibly difficult to pull off. It does sound like the single most exciting show to do foley for. The impeccable timing and overexaggerated sound FX are the things that make doing Foley necessary and fun. I love that Byrd is both a performer and technician in this piece. It's another layer of connection in the show, and a real look at how production works in smaller theaters. I can’t tell from this article if there is any awake acting, or if he is actually depicting a corpse for the entire show, but either way, it’s a testament to Byrd’s talent and dedication that he can do both. I’ve never seen “The Play That Goes Wrong,” but I would love to be able to watch it one day, and appreciate the technical finesse in person.
Sadly I have never seen a production of The Play that Goes Wrong, however I am a big fan of the similar play-within-a-play Noises Off, so I can only imagine how hilarious this production is. Creating and properly timing some of the sound effects must be incredibly difficult. It is surprising to learn that the production decided to have someone make body percussive sound effects from offstage which I imagine might help with the making it sound like the effect is originating from offstage. I love watching videos of sound engineers (if that is the right term) creating sound effects for movies using bizarre techniques. At least in those situations, the sound effects can be redone and edited. I wish the article had gone a little more in depth about how the sound cues are called: is it called by the stage manager or is that something Byrd is judging the timing on. Additionally, would Byrd be considered an actor or sound technician?
Wow, as someone who has done foley for a production before, I cannot imagine how absurdly difficult it must be to do foley for this show. When I did foley, I was actually onstage in my own little corner, just watching the action (for context, it was a production of Our Town by Thornton Wilder). It'd certainly be more difficult, I think, getting shoved into a small corner backstage with nothing but a monitor to show you what's going on.
The funniest thing about foley to me is how simple a lot of it is. The beginning of the article asks about "slapstick" and it's incredible that the slapstick is just that - a stick that makes a slapping noise. I've made sound effects out of jingling bottles, tape measurers, coconuts (yes, it was a horse), paper, bead necklaces, etc., and it's amazing just how much stuff can pile up for a show. It's a performance element unto itself, and it demands a lot of attention and focus, not to mention certain objects require a technique to use properly.
5 comments:
The Play that Goes Wrong was the first Broadway show I've seen, and it's really interesting to think about all the things that went on behind the scenes in order to pull it off. I think in the past their set design was especially heralded, even to the point of getting a Tony nomination, but the rest of the aspects of production have remained a mystery to me until now. It makes a lot of sense that given how much falling there is in the show, that actors would have kneepads and cushioned clothes. Plus, in the moment the sounds felt so natural that I never would've guessed they were works of Foley. It also makes sense to me that an actor would double as a sound effect producer. The show's timing is quick, and it originated from a theater company that came out of LAMDA. So, it doesn't surprise me that maybe traditions of having a small production wherein they had to do it themselves carried over when the show moved.
I haven't seen The Play That Goes Wrong but I really want to. I adore the hilarity that comes with the play and the addition of live sound effects makes it all so much more hilarious. The skill of live sound effects for radio plays or recordings is an actual art form and so impressive. Live sound effects for a live performance seems so much more involved. It seems like there are so many more things that could go wrong. Making sure that the audience can hear everything and that it is timed perfectly to make it seem believable enough is very impressive. Doubling as the "much-manhandled corpse" is even more impressive. Honestly this seems like such a fun job, and even though I have no desire to ever be on stage I would absolutely love to so this. I would love a chance to do live sound effects in any capacity and if that came with the requirement of performing as a corpse, then so be it.
“The Play That Goes Wrong” is so dynamic, fast paced, and variable, that foley is both completely necessary and incredibly difficult to pull off. It does sound like the single most exciting show to do foley for. The impeccable timing and overexaggerated sound FX are the things that make doing Foley necessary and fun. I love that Byrd is both a performer and technician in this piece. It's another layer of connection in the show, and a real look at how production works in smaller theaters. I can’t tell from this article if there is any awake acting, or if he is actually depicting a corpse for the entire show, but either way, it’s a testament to Byrd’s talent and dedication that he can do both. I’ve never seen “The Play That Goes Wrong,” but I would love to be able to watch it one day, and appreciate the technical finesse in person.
Sadly I have never seen a production of The Play that Goes Wrong, however I am a big fan of the similar play-within-a-play Noises Off, so I can only imagine how hilarious this production is. Creating and properly timing some of the sound effects must be incredibly difficult. It is surprising to learn that the production decided to have someone make body percussive sound effects from offstage which I imagine might help with the making it sound like the effect is originating from offstage. I love watching videos of sound engineers (if that is the right term) creating sound effects for movies using bizarre techniques. At least in those situations, the sound effects can be redone and edited. I wish the article had gone a little more in depth about how the sound cues are called: is it called by the stage manager or is that something Byrd is judging the timing on. Additionally, would Byrd be considered an actor or sound technician?
Wow, as someone who has done foley for a production before, I cannot imagine how absurdly difficult it must be to do foley for this show. When I did foley, I was actually onstage in my own little corner, just watching the action (for context, it was a production of Our Town by Thornton Wilder). It'd certainly be more difficult, I think, getting shoved into a small corner backstage with nothing but a monitor to show you what's going on.
The funniest thing about foley to me is how simple a lot of it is. The beginning of the article asks about "slapstick" and it's incredible that the slapstick is just that - a stick that makes a slapping noise. I've made sound effects out of jingling bottles, tape measurers, coconuts (yes, it was a horse), paper, bead necklaces, etc., and it's amazing just how much stuff can pile up for a show. It's a performance element unto itself, and it demands a lot of attention and focus, not to mention certain objects require a technique to use properly.
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