Breath and Imagination | Paramount Mainstage
Breath and Imagination
Written by Daniel Beatty
Produced by ArtsEmerson at the Paramount Mainstage
Directed by David Dower
Musical Direction by Jonathan Mastro
Scenic and Lighting Design by Alexander Nichols
Costume Design by Merrily Murray-Walsh
Sound Design by Brendan F Doyle
Images Courtesy of Mike Ritter
This excerpt is from a recording of a preview performance of Breath and Imagination on January 31st 2015. It begins with Roland and his mother after they have just buried his father, the scene progresses to a short rendition of “Hold On” and as it concludes, we shift back to the present and Roland reflects on his progress, but is struck by a memory of a recent harrowing experience while in the South. He broods on the injustices he has lived, and still is haunted by in his day to day life. He is pulled out of this negative place by the voice of his mother, reminding him to keep his focus. Roland then resumes his tale, and describes his childhood pilgrimage to Chattanooga, Tennessee. As he describes his journey, we hear our Third Actor, Nehal, neighing, whickering, and clip clopping with a halved coconut as Molly the horse. Once they arrive, Nehal rings a trolley bell, as Roland is overwhelmed with the sheer size of his new home.
Roland hearing Enrico Caruso for the first time
Production Overview
Breath and Imagination depicts the life of Roland Hayes, one of America’s greatest operatic voices; opening near the end of Roland’s life, he tells us his story through the theatrical device of a theoretical Final Concert and Conversation. Through monologue and song, he tells the story of his life; his childhood in Georgia and Tennessee, through his operatic training in Boston, and his globe crossing tours as a celebrated vocalist. To help tell the story, the company featured a pianist, who accompanies Roland as he leads us from his mother’s spirituals to Gabriel Fauré. There was also an actress that played his mother, Angel ‘Mo whose guidance follows him through his life, and a Third Actor portraying all the other characters in his story; his father that died when was still a boy, the music teacher in Boston that helped him shape his voice, and the racist police officer accosting his family.
Design Concept
One of the priorities of the sound design for Breath and Imagination was to highlight the natural sound and power of our performer’s voices. For a play about an Opera singer, it might seem counterintuitive to have everyone in wireless microphones. In this instance, microphones were used to modulate and much more sparingly reinforce vocal sounds. Figures in Roland’s mind from his past had their voices amplified and processed depending on the sort of memory Roland was experiencing. His mother’s soothing reminders of his direction and purpose are experienced with a light, ethereal reverb. When Roland recalls his experiences with a racist police officer however, the reverb is harsh, and features many chaotic near field reflections.
Roland and Angel ‘Mo gathering strength from song
Final qLab programming
Playback Strategies
A series crashes on dissonant piano chords used to bookend brief traumatic moments and a recording of Una Furtiva Lagrima by Enrico Caruso were the only prerecorded sounds. All the rest of the atmospheric and mood setting sounds came from our Third Actor. We selected natural objects that would allow us to bring the audience along with Roland’s story. Coconut shells gave life to Roland’s childhood companion and horse, Molly, while a train whistle and bell helped sketch out the scale of the big city when moving from their poor Georgia farming community. Metal crashes helped depict the industrial accident that stole his father from him and jarred the audience as much as it did Roland.