Bobby McElver

Photo by Maria Baranova

Since 1999, I have been designing sound and creating original scores for theater and dance. I have worked on Obie-award winning shows and been nominated for a Bessie in Sound Design and have been touring internationally for over 8 years. 

ANDREW SCHNEIDER (2011-Present)

I was a co-creator of Obie-award winning theater production YOUARENOWHERE. Over 90 performances in 12 international cities. I have also worked on Schneider's ACTING STRANGER, DANCE/FIELD, TIDAL, and every version of YOUARENOWHERE throughout it's 4-year development.

Andrew and I also have a new show! AFTER had it's NYC premier at The Public Theater for Under The Radar, Jan 4th-14th, 2017. It has since toured to Portland, Seattle, and University of Maryland. It was developed extensively at EMPAC over the course of a few years and uses a custom Wave Field Synthesis speaker array, allowing me to precisely place and move sounds through the performance space. New York Times review here! "Hallucinatory. Psychotropic. Miraculous." 

A short teaser of YOUARENOWHERE.

THE WOOSTER GROUP (2011-2016)

I was a company member of The Wooster Group from 2011–16 where I worked on productions including The Room, Early Shaker Spirituals*, Early Plays, Vieux Carré, and Hamlet. I was a core creative member contributing to the unique collaborative environment at The Wooster Group. Extensive international touring and show development in NYC. Responsible for sound design, interactive live media cueing system design, sound engineering, mixing, and being a voice in the room every day of development. Occasional performer.

*Nominated for a 2015 Bessie for Outstanding Sound Design/Original Music

For Hamlet, I play live foley on a midi keyboard, various other sound, and perform "the chable," which is basically a flexible live soundtrack for every set move done by actors. 

For Early Shaker Spirituals, we recreate a record album and the live voices are heard intimately alongside (and sometimes in place of) the record that plays in the upstage corner. Meticulous and delicate sound reinforcement, mixing, system design, and analog equipment placement is essential for this thrust stage setup. Academy award winner Frances McDormand and musician Suzzy Roche (of the Roches) joins the Wooster ensemble as performers. All of us dance! Nominated for a 2015 Bessie for Outstanding Sound Design / Original Music.

For Early Plays, directed by Richard Maxwell and produced by The Wooster Group, I designed the sound and performed music live. Ben Brantley, from The New York Times, called my soundscapes for O'Neill's sea stories "excellent." You can hear me playing according in the song above. 

 FAYE DRISCOLL - THANK YOU FOR COMING: PLAY (2016)

I designed the sound and co-created the musical score for part 2 of choreographer Faye Driscoll's THANK YOU FOR COMING series. The piece was developed at The Wexner Center and premiered at BAM in 2016. It continues to tour. I perform the score live, play the drums, and may appear on stage at times. 

Palissimo - endangered pieces (2013)

I co-created (along with Rachel's member Christian Frederickson) the musical score Palissimo's Endangered Pieces. I made custom filters for Christian's viola, turning it into a "wall of sound" as well as playing samplers, live FX, and original drone beds of sound.

OTHERS...

I have also worked with New York City Players, Rachel Chavkin, Tina Satter / Half Straddle, Young Jean Lee, James Sprang / GAZR, Palissimo, Michou Szabo, Julia Jarcho, Erin Markey, The Civilians, Advanced Beginner Group / David Neumann, and many others. 

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Technical SKILLS