Theater Sound Design

As sound designer for UVA Drama's Fall 2024 production of Love is the Greater Labyrinth, I combined authentic creativity with technical precision for a truly immersive theater sound experience. Originally written in the 17th century by the celebrated Mexican playwright Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and translated by UCLA's Diversifying the Classics, our production of Love is the Greater Labyrinth was the play's first modern rendition. The plot draws heavily from Greek mythology but follows the Spanish Comedia tradition, resulting in a unique cultural blend that was inspiring, yet challenging for our design team to represent on stage. However, working closely with our director and composer when creating mockups provided valuable insight into the production techniques necessary to create a sound experience fitting to the play’s aesthetic. My sound design for the production was an artful practice of cultural humility; I enlivened the compositions with culturally appropriate instruments and created sound motifs using the proper scales while maintaining my creativity as a designer. Being on the design team for this ambitious production was truly eye opening, and it was an honor bringing it to life.