Meet Brad Watkins, the Sound Designer for Cock.

A SNAP! Debut

Cock marks the debut production for Brad Watkins here at SNAP!, even though his career in theater goes back some 25 years. Brad made his professional debut at Opera Columbus as an Assistant Stage Manager where he met is now wife of 20 years, Blythe. Theater runs in the family, Blythe’s father is famous opera director, James de Blasis, and their daughter, Brenna is majoring in Musical Theater at Columbia College Chicago.

Directing, Choreographing, and Stage Managing, Oh My!

Brad has worked extensively in theater throughout the Midwest in various areas including directing, stage management, and choreography. Opera Omaha, Cincinnati Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago are just a few of companies where he has worked. Locally, Brad has directed for Opera Omaha and Fontenelle Forest. He is also a certified dance teacher through the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters. Brad sits on the Board of Directors for both SNAP! Productions and the Nebraska Writers Collective.

 The List

We asked Brad to give us 5 remarkable facts about sound designing Cock and here they are!

1. In initial meetings, Josh, the director, really wanted cellos. I worked hard to find a cello sound that drove the show forward. I find the cello an inherently sad instrument and I didn’t want the music to be sad!
2. I have a huge and eclectic taste in music. I think there used to be something like 30 days of music on my iPhone and with the advent of Apple Music my palette keeps expanding. I combed through a lot of music before I found the shape and theme of music I wanted to use.
3. In the end I only used two different artists for the internal music of the play
4. I wanted to create a two different soundscapes of preshow music; one for the lobby and one for inside the theater, each representing something about the show that is not directly in the show.
5. To me the music I’m using in the show is speaking for not only what the characters are feeling but also what the energy is around them as people.

Come hear Brad’s music to experience the emotions of the characters! . Tickets are on sale now – go to here to purchase yours today! Cock opens March 4 and runs through March 27.

A little cello inspiration Brad used for Cock.