A Piece of My Heart
by Shirley Lauro
TheatreMSU
November 2024
Starkville, MS
Director: Sara Wade
Stage Manager: Samuel Somervell
Scenic Design: Jesse Wade
Lighting Design: Quincy Campbell & Greg Thorn
Costume Design: Melanie Harris
Sound Design: Kat Trinque
Assistant Sound Design: Kensi Frasure
Paperwork
Audio Samples
For the depiction of the Tet Offensive, the sound design underscores Steele’s frustration and foresight as she tells the audience, “Well, Tet happened,” after her warnings were dismissed due to her gender. To give this moment the impact the director envisioned, Cue 265 uses fireworks—processed in Reaper to resemble distant gunfire—slowly fading in beneath her line. Immediately following her words, a massive bomb blast hits. As Tet unfolds, the soundscape expands into layers of explosions, gunfire, alarms, and debris, immersing the audience in the intensity of the offensive.
The transition motif was created using a recording I captured of phách sticks, a traditional Vietnamese percussion instrument similar to claves, used to root the sound in the historical and cultural context of the play. I blended and processed this recording in Reaper with Creative Commons wind effects. The result is a gentle transition, helping scenes flow while grounding the audience in the play’s Vietnamese setting.
The heartbeat motif was created from a simple recording of me striking a table to produce a deep, organic pulse, which I shaped and reinforced in Reaper to resemble a human heartbeat. The flatline and heart-monitor tone was crafted from the sound of an electric fan powering on. This heartbeat–to–flatline progression underscores the women’s most stressful and emotionally charged moments, with each cue timed precisely to the rhythm and intensity of the scene.
Cue 185 recreates the moment a soldier — Sissy’s lover — steps on a landmine. The sound begins with a sharp, concussive explosion crafted in Reaper. Immediately after the impact, the audio collapses into an intense tinnitus tone, representing the nurse’s emotional shock, sensory overload, and sudden numbness.
