Sound Designer
The Sweetheart Deal
Written by Diane Rodriquez
University of California, Irvine - Robert Cohen Theatre
Sound Design by Melanie Falcón
Concept
In this production of The Sweetheart Deal, the design team aimed to authentically bring the California Central Valley in the 1970s to life, immersing audiences in the era when the United Farm Workers were strongly boycotting and striking for Farmers rights. The team sought to capture the spirit of activism, resilience, and community that defined the movement.
Staged in a three-quarter thrust within an intimate black box theater, the production embraced a heavy-movement approach, allowing actors to freely navigate between two distinct worlds: the Malcriado Office and the truck bed, which served as a platform for performative pieces known as Actos.
The sound design played a crucial role in shaping these spaces. The Malcriado Office was grounded in reality, featuring a diegetic soundscape that reflected the everyday atmosphere of the space. In contrast, the truck bed existed in a hyperrealistic, non-diegetic realm, heightening the theatricality of the Actos and reinforcing the contrast between realism and performance.
Photo Credit: Paul Kennedy
The Design
The transitions between scenes played an important role in conveying events happening outside the characters' lives in the Malcriado office. As the play progresses, we hear snippets of dialogue from César Chávez's speeches and soundscapes of UFW rallies. I recorded the cast outdoors and had them repeat UFW chants that were said during these strikes. These soundscapes of rallies, combined with Chávez’s dialogue, added depth and context to the world of the play. The sound design utilized spatialization with the surround system to immerse the audience, making them feel like part of the rally crowds. The soundscapes played with distance and proximity, reflecting the growing size of the crowds as the play went on.
Photo Credit: Paul Kennedy
The Chicano Moratorium, a major anti-Vietnam War movement led by Chicano activists, serves as a backdrop to the personal and political struggles within the play. The characters get informed of this event on the television. We created a reimagining of a news reporter reporting on the tragic events of August 29, 1970, when law enforcement clashed with demonstrators in East Los Angeles. The director and I wrote the script and the screams and yells were recordings we did with the cast. The idea was to authentically reflect the real-life violence that occurred during the Chicano Moratorium protests.
Before the end of Act One, Will is brutally attacked by company thugs as a consequence of his involvement with the United Farm Workers movement. The scene leans into the "Rasquache" aesthetic and Hyperrealism established in the Actos scenes, beginning as a surreal, almost playful imagining. Will is struck like a piñata while a recorded crowd sings "Dale, Dale, Dale," a traditional Mexican sung tune associated with the game. However, the tone quickly shifts as reality sets in; the party chant warps into shouts of "Duro!" ("Harder!"), growing more urgent and violent as Will is beaten to the ground. As he collapses, a death whistle echoes and circles through the space, blending with the ambience, a final note forshadowing Will's death soon to come.
Photo Credit: Paul Kennedy
In the final speech, Mari steps up to a live microphone, breaking the fourth wall to address the audience directly. As she speaks, the soundscape expands—hundreds of voices rise in cheers, immersing the audience in the atmosphere of a massive UFW rally. To enhance authenticity, I applied EQ and distortion to replicate the tonal quality of microphones from the era. A long reverb and delay were added, creating the effect of her voice carrying through an outdoor PA system, as if she were delivering her speech to a sea of supporters.
Photo Credit: Paul Kennedy
System Design & Technology
System Design & Technology
I used QLab 4 for playback and two Meyer Galaxy processors, which allowed me to use Meyer's Spacemap Go to move audio throughout the theatre, and immersing the audience into the space.
I utilized spacialization with the surround system to immersify the audience in feeling apart of the rally crowds by adding some movement and spacial width to the image.
Paperwork
The Team
Directed by Sara Guerrero
Scenic Design: Jacquelyne Quinn Estrada
Costume Design: Savannah Flower
Lighting Design: Kassia Curl
Photo Credit: Paul Kennedy