Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association

A conversation about the challenge, excitement, and unexpected drama associated with moving a show internationally.

Jessica Paz moderates a discussion with Drew Levy and John Leonard.

Jessica Paz (NY, London) is a multi award winning Sound Designer. Her work can be heard on Broadway at the critically acclaimed production of HADESTOWN (TONY and Drama Desk Award, Best Sound Design of a Musical); A BEAUTIFUL NOISE . Other Broadway credits as Associate Sound Designer include DEAR EVAN HANSEN; BANDSTAND; DISASTER! THE MUSICAL; THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES; and FELA! (TONY award, Best Sound Design of a Musical)

Other credits include the Off-Broadway production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Westside Theater). TWELTH NIGHT, OTHELLO; MISS YOU LIKE HELL; JULIUS CAESAR; A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM, and AS YOU LIKE IT (The Public Theater); UGLY LIES THE BONE (Roundabout); A SUCKER EMCEE, and The MUSCLES IN OUR TOES (LAByrinth); THE KINGS WHORE(Starcatcher Productions); BECOMING DR. RUTH (Westside Theater); LOOKING FOR THE PONY (Vital Theater Co.); WOMEN BEWARE WOMEN (Red Bull Theater); STRETCH – A FANTASIA (New Georges). Regional credits include WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (Alliance Theater; SUZI Award); KISS MY AZTEC (Berkeley Rep, CT Critics Circle Award); BURN ALL NIGHT (A.R.T Oberon Stage); WELCOME TO FEAR CITY (KC Rep); SCOTT & HEM IN THE GARDEN OF ALLAH; and SEE HOW THEY RUN (Barrington Stage); LEGALLY BLONDE, and 9 TO 5 (North Shore Music Theater); ROMEO & JULIET, MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, OTHELLO, and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Shakespeare on the Sound); SCKBSTD (Virginia Stage Co) ; VOLCANOES BIRTHRIGHT (Organic Magnetics); TEMPODYSSEY, HER HAIR WENT WITH HER, BOOKENDS, and MINSTREL SHOW (NJ Rep).

John Leonard started his career as a theatre sound designer in 1972 at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company, with a production of A Streetcar Named Desire. A meeting with a member of the audience who complained that all of the steam train sound effects he’d used in the show were British and not American, started him on a quest to be as authentic as possible in the future, which led in turn to the acquisition of a second-hand Uher portable reel-to-reel tape recorder and a wholly unsuitable AKG D707c microphone. He now has better equipment, but has still not managed to record a selection of vintage American steam trains. His train recording heroes are O. WInston Link and Peter Handford.

Aside from his work with effects recordings, he has found time to continue being a theatre sound designer, working for most of the UK’s major theatre companies, including an eleven year stint with The Royal Shakespeare Company, and with various theatre productions all over the world.

Drew Levy is a New York based Sound designer for theatrical projects of all sorts on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, and beyond. He also consults on retail and media installations. On Broadway, he most recently designed A Strange Loop, and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! both of which earned him Tony nominations for Sound Design. Drew also won a Drama Desk award for his work on Chaplin, which he co-designed with Scott Lehrer. Regionally he has designed in theaters across the country including The Old Globe, 5th Avenue Theater, Bard’s SummerScape, Williamstown Theater Festival, Huntington Theater Company, Arena Stage, McCarter Theater, Long Wharf, Two River Theater Company, Westport Country Playhouse, and others. Other interesting projects include the Metropolitan Opera’s 125^th Anniversary Gala, the Holiday Snowflakes at Saks 5^th Avenue, and holiday sound installations at both the Cartier boutique, and Van Cleef & Arpels in New York. He also had the opportunity to work with the band Other Lives on Reconfiguration, a theatrical concert at BAM’s NextWave festival.

Sessions are available via video for members a few days after the session is completed. If you plan on attending in person – please register HERE.  If you’d like to attend online – please fill out the following form to receive the zoom link.