Sound designer Peter Moller, nominated for his work on The Pillowman

Technical awards aren’t the most eye-grabbing portions of awards shows, no matter the medium. The praise for any art created in collaboration between several people will always be heaped upon those at the helm of the project — and it should be. They are the ones, after all, who will be blamed if it's a mess. That said, those who fill the technical roles on a piece of theatre often contribute in ways unseen by the average audience member — any director with an ounce of humility will admit that shows change drastically depending on the technical team involved. Then again, the technical people tend to be the ones with humility.
    “I’ve really got to hand it to Ron (Jenkins), the man’s a genius,” says Cimmeron Meyer, lighting designer on Jenkins’s nomination-sweeping show, Confessions of a Paperboy. “Ron and I decided to take a dance lighting approach to the show. That comes from a different place. It plays a lot more with colour, shape and textures. We weren't trying to convey realism. We made very bold choices. We tried to colour it with crayons, strong colours, like a little kid would see it.”
    Peter Moller, nominated for Outstanding Sound Design or Composition for The Pillowman, is no less deferential. “It's about time the Bettys started recognizing someone like Richard McDowell (nominated for Outstanding Sound Design or Composition for Age of Arousal),” says Moller. “He sort of carved the path for me to follow, getting into digital design and stuff like that. I'm really glad that he's recognized. And other people that I've had the opportunity to work with, that's all really great. It just seems to me like a lot of variety in the theatre.
    The Pillowman was also recognized in the Outstanding Performance by an Actor in Drama, Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role and Outstanding Direction categories. Confessions of a Paperboy also took nominations in Outstanding Direction, Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Set Design and Outstanding Performance by an Actress in Drama. “I think they should just hold a big party once the nominations are announced and call it even,” laughs Moller. “I certainly don't design with getting a nomination in mind.”
    Moller explains that the average audience member’s opinion on sound design in the theatre tends to come from their experience with film. The Pillowman, being a very film-like play in all of its aspects, then, was an apt candidate for nomination. Confessions, though, with its minimalist set and abstract presentation, couldn’t be more different.
    “We had one effect in Confessions where there was just this single strip of light onstage, and it was only supposed to illuminate Jennie (Esdale)’s eyes,” says Meyer. “I was like, ‘no, there’s no way she can hit that every time.’ But Ron had total faith. And she did it. Every night, no problem.”
    Whether or not Confessions and Pillowman sweep all of the awards they’re poised to, the technical folks like Moller and Meyer will continue to labour on in the background, unconsciously manipulating the minds of audiences. Truly, if no one notices them or the enormous effect they’re having on a performance, then they are, indeed, doing a Betty-worthy job.
    For more information or to get tickets, visit www.bettymitchellawards.com.