Cabaret
Director: Kristen Beth Williams
Position: Sound Designer
A1: Meara Kronsperger
Location: NMU Forest Roberts Theater
Date: Fall 2024
Cabaret Design Statement
The sound design for Cabaret will be realistic and natural with the focus on supporting immersion. I intend to design the system to be as natural and transparent as possible through the use of the precedence effect and tuning. Actors will be amplified using wireless microphones mounted primarily on the cheek using custom ear mounts as it is required for better gain before feedback. In terms of music, the pit will be on stage and will use mostly clip-on instrument mics and wireless options to aid in immersion. Sound effects are primarily realistic and localized. Overall the design is meant to be simultaneously invisible and transformative—supporting the narrative while expanding the audience's perceptual experience.
Research
As a German Minor, I was already quite familiar with the setting of Berlin in the early 30s, so I mainly spent most of my time researching Christopher Isherwood and Goodbye to Berlin. After getting a sense of where Cabaret as a story orginates from, I then went more in-depth with certain sound effects, e.g. types of telephones of that period, common door materials, etc.
Paperwork
Cabaret Speaker Ground Plan
Cabaret Speaker Section Plan
Cabaret System Block Diagram
Cabaret Pit Layout
Cabaret RF Plot
Cabaret SFX Cue Sheet
Cabaret RF Bible
Cabaret IO
Cabaret Equipment List
Cabaret QLAB
Cabaret Delay Calculations
(Click on Documents to Expand)
SFX Examples
Additional Photos
Building the on stage mic used by Sally, Emcee, and Fraulein Kost
I wanted the XLR to be completely hidden for both a cleaner look and to make it easier for the actors. So the cable was ran through the stand and out a drilled hole where it was re-terminated. On the other side, it was connected to a Shure Axient ADX1M transmitter through an XLR to LEMO adapter and stored in the base of the mic stand.
Photos by me
