Sound Statement

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A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams like many Tennessee Williams plays is a very realistic setting. Streetcar is set in 1950's New Orleans primarily inside an apartment. However, there are some scenes just outside the apartment on the street and near the steps to the upstairs apartment. 

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Sound was used to create a very realistic sounding underscore of city sounds, trains passing upstage and music playing "around the corner" at a blues club. Speaker placement was key to creating these realistic sounding underscores. There is also sound called for from the apartment "above," the bathroom and the radio. 

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The director asked for a train to passover the audience during the rape scene and to overcome us into the blackout. This was accomplished by moving the sound from upstage speakers to speakers in the back of the house. There were many echoes and manipulated sounds towards the end of the show as Blanche begins to lose grip of her sanity. Filters and effects made the music and laughter seem as if it was being heard in her head.