Individual Artist Project Grant FY21

I see this project benefiting our community in three major ways. First, I don't believe it is currently safe to be returning to in-person theater with live audiences. It could be quite some time before that can happen. Helping to fill the void of artistic performances benefits the theater-going members of our community by helping to satisfy their craving for this art form. Second, working with Wise Fool Theater on this project will demonstrate to other local arts organizations that there are ways to continue creating high quality artistic experiences in a safe way. It is very important to the bottom line of an organization to remain present in the minds of their patrons. I think this is forcing unsafe decisions. As artists, we can do our greatest work when we are forced to find creative solutions. Finally, this will be an excellent resource to local educators. These plays will be released as a series of free podcasts and will contain recorded synopses at the beginning of each track. Teaching Shakespeare on the page is difficult. These recordings will help bring the stories to life for students in a way they might not have been able to previously experience. I believe the synopsis at the beginning of each track will be a key component in demystifying these stories. Capturing Shakespeare's words alone would be easy, but the goal of this project is to push the envelope into a complete experience, inviting the audience into the world of these great classical texts, breathing new life into them for today's audience. Instead of lamenting the current situation, I want to embrace the opportunity to expand my creative discipline through a new restrictive lens. Creating this high quality, impactful, piece of work that brings Shakespeare into living-rooms and classrooms across our region will allow me to continue to grow my skill set. The measurable outcomes of this project include: 1. Remotely recording 20+ actors using the Zencastr program. 2. Editing and mixing the recording to include the best takes of each performance and appropriate music and sound effects. 3. Mastering the final project and uploading to podcasting platforms for distribution within the specified timeline. I have worked within the Duluth theater community for more than a decade as a theatrical sound designer. I am the primary sound person for the Duluth Playhouse/Norshor Theater, Renegade Theater Company, and Wise Fool. I have demonstrated success through dozens of theatrical productions in a wide range of styles and genres. I have regularly completed projects of similar scope and scale, and I have a complete knowledge of all the necessary equipment and software involved. Wise Fool Theater approached me early in the pandemic looking for a project they could do safely. They were interested in producing radio dramas with a video component, but didn't know if it would be possible to do so remotely. I researched the capabilities of Zoom, the video conferencing app, and found that, with certain adjustments to the settings, it would be capable of recording high quality audio. This project does not require a video component, so using Zencastr will provide even sharper audio recordings. I will assess the above mentioned measurable outcomes of this project in the following ways: 1. Remote recording quality. - We hear an even consistency of sound quality across all performers. Nobody sticks out. 2. Editing and mixing. - The director approves of the final performances, sound effects, and music. 3. Final mastering and distribution. - The project is completed on-time. Audience feedback will help judge the success of the final master, and distribution success can be measured through the number of listens/downloads. Audience feedback can come in several forms, including emails from patrons, social media engagement, and direct feedback from the local artistic community as well as educators.