By Kevin Coughlin
You won’t see Stephan Wojtecki onstage during this weekend’s youth production of Les Misérables at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. But his presence will be felt.
When gunfire and cannon shots ring out, the sounds will be specific to weapons from 19th-century France.
“All sound effects are period-accurate,” boasted Wojtecki, 30, who takes pride in his job as audio engineer for the 1,300-seat theater in Morristown.
Among other sonic details, he also is responsible for ensuring that 26 wireless microphones worn by performers each have their own interference-free UHF frequencies. Another 20 wired microphones capture the orchestra’s performance.
Wojtecki must make aural sense of all these signals, creating a pleasing balance by tweaking banks of knobs and faders, on digital mixing consoles in the wings and in the center of the audience. But the most important gear in his toolkit is a pair of specially designed, $200 ear plugs.
“I’ve got to protect my hearing– it’s my livelihood,” he said of the filters.
Les Misérables
Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown
Friday, May 29, 2015, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, May 30, at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, May 31, at 2 pm
Tickets: $20-$25
Call 973- 539-8008
He and his assistant, Angelique Mather, 24, are under orders to keep shows below 100 decibels, to protect the ears of theater patrons. That can be a challenge with nostalgia acts; rock guitarists tend to crank the volume because decades of performing have taken a toll on their hearing, Wojtecki said.
Pat Benatar and Deep Purple were among the loudest concerts during his three years at MPAC, the Chatham resident said.
A couple of groups even specify in their contracts that they won’t play unless they can exceed 100 decibels, he added. The Mayo Center provides ear plugs to patrons who request them.
Some acts bring their own sound engineer and equipment; others trust Wojtecki, who knows the acoustics of the theater intimately.
The drapes and carpeting absorb sound, for a “dead” effect. Audio engineers actually prefer this; they can tailor amplification characteristics to suit a performer without worrying about inherent echoes, he said.
“It’s a real joy to mix in this room,” said Wojtecki, noting that appreciative artists even tip the sound crew on occasion.
He discovered his career path as a teenaged drummer, apprenticing at a recording studio in his hometown of Rutherford. For Mather, who lives on Staten Island, guitar lessons led to a studio, and her fascination with recording.
One of the perks of their job is working — and sometimes hanging out — with great entertainers.
Mather enjoyed joking backstage last fall with Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits fame. Wojtecki’s favorite shows include Alanis Morrisette (“a sweetheart, and one of the classiest women on the planet”) and Dr. John and The Blind Boys of Alabama (“a party”).
The late comedienne Joan Rivers had some fun teasing a stagehand during her show, Wojtecki recounted. And the late B.B. King, who played Morristown in 2012, ranks among the most charming people he’s ever met.
“He was a very funny guy. He said, ‘Y’all came her to see me play my guitar. But I’m gonna tell you, you paid to hear an old man talk at you.'”
MORE ABOUT ‘LES MIS’ AT THE MAYO CENTER
