#41 Richard Feren / by Michael Kruse

Last September, 2016, I spent 2 hrs talking to composer and sound designer Richard Feren.  We spoke about his early career in radio, at the age of 13, through his time in the explosion of indi theatre in Toronto in the early 90's and his work with iconic directors like Daniel Brooks. We land on his process for producing sound scapes and scores for theatre and the genesis of his modern method, from the early days of the Fostex 4-track cassette to Qlab. We finally land on his work in organizing designers to fight back against the cuts to fees in Canada. This is a 2 hr chat, but one that holds on to you at every minute.  To see Richard's theatre bio go here.

We did not get to chat about his work as @RobFrod or his other music projects, but you can see more on his website here.

Links

Guelph Little Theatre

Samuel Becket and Theatre of the Absurd

University of Toronto Schools (secondary schools)

David Letterman

CFRU FM at U of Guelph

Post-punk and New Wave

Reel to Reel editing (splicing block, Revox reel to reel)

Fostex 4-track cassette recorder

The Residents (band)

Van der Graaf Generator (band)

Chrome (band)

Brave New Waves with Brent Bambury

Ed Video, media arts centre, (Guelph)

Trinity Square Video (Toronto)

Brian Eno

Fiona Griffiths

U of Guelph

Theatre Resource Centre

Richard Pochencho and Ian Wallace

Clown-through-mask

Mump and Smoot

Futures Grant, from Canada Council

The Maids, directed by Ian Wallace

Rhubarb Festival, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Old Buddies' space on George St.

Pow Pow Unbound

Darren O'Donnell

Wendy Agnew

Stephen Seabrook

The Young Company at Blyth Festival

Round Rotund Rumps at Rhubarb Festival 1994

Excerpts From The Emo Journals by STO Union

The Dance of Death by August Strindberg at Equity Showcase

Skye Gilbert

Das Reingold by Richard Wagner, directed by Stephen Seabrook

Justin Roddy, sound designer

Death Waits - Jacob Wren

The Bangs at The Theatre Centre

The 40 Tiny Performances, Darren O'Donnell

The Theatre Resource Centre's Soirees

Daniel Brooks and The Augusta Company

Nadia Ross

Here Lies Henry, by Daniel MacIver

Monster, In on ItCul-de-SacThis is What Happens Next, by Daniel MacIver

Necessary Angel Theatre Co.

Insomnia, by Daniel Brooks

The Designated Mourner, by Wallace Shawn

A Doll's House at Soulpepper

The Other Place at Canadian Stage

Todd Charleton

DAT Tape

Tape Hiss

Sampling Keyboards in Theatre

Qlab from Figure 53

Cage

Heartbreak House, 1998 Shaw Festival

Tadeusz Bradecki, director and performer

Faust, at Tarragon Theatre directed by Daniel Brooks

Steel Kiss by Platform 9, at Buddies in Bad Times, by Robin Fulford

Gulag by Platform 9, directed by Sarah Stanley

Steve Marsh, sound designer

Possible Worlds, directed by Daniel Brooks

Mitchell Cushman

Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), directed by Alisa Palmer

Endgame by Soulpepper, directed by Daniel Brooks

László Marton

Diego Matamoras

John Cage

Stratford Festival

Shaw Festival

Peter Hinton, director

Mike Walsh, sound engineer and designer

Oleanna, at Soulpepper Theatre

White Biting Dog, at Tarragon Theatre

Julie Fox, set designer

Julius Ceasar Hart House theatre, Overture by Richard Feren

Associated Designers of Canada

The Designers Guild