Sound Design
Nat is a composer and sound designer interested in the intersections of technology and sound.
I have worked in theatre for around 7 years, doing sound design for a variety of productions including Shakespeare’s R&J, Cabaret, Riot Antigone, and Pippin. As a sound engineer, I have worked with Exile Theatre, 1812 Production, the Bearded Ladies, New Century Theatre Company in Seattle and the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusets, among others.
I have significant experience with:
- QLab
- Logic Pro
- Vectorworks
- Yamaha QL/CL Series
- Allen & Heath QU Series
Fucking A Written by Suzan-Lori Parks and Directed by Collin Spangler
Location: Frear Ensemble Theater at Lang Performing Arts Center, Swarthmore College, PA
CW: Descriptions below contain mention of self harm.
I was the sound designer for Fucking A in Fall 2019. I have collected a few of the sounds I used in this design below.
Throughout Fucking A, the cast breaks into songs, jarring the audience out of the harsh cruelty of the play and into almost-comedic musical moments. These simple songs were accompanied by a live pianist. I took themes and melodies from these songs and reworked them, recording music for use in transitions. Layered with ocean waves, one example of these transitions is below.
Throughout the play, church bells indicate the passage of time and the evolution of the show. I adjusted the bells to match the feel of the show at each point. Three examples are below, one from early in the show, one from in the middle, and one from late in the play.
In the final scene of the show, hunting dogs approach the house to murder a character. The character kills himself before being dragged away by hunters. Finally, the main character is wrenched back to work by loudly ringing bells. Listen to an abbreviated version of this sequence below.