Robert Oriol is a composer and sound designer currently based in Los Angeles, California. In addtion to original music composition and theatrical sound design, he also provides music recording and production services, as well as editing and mixing.
Primal storytelling and modern sensibility collide in a sensual re-envisioning of Greek myths, as gods and mortals alike endure love, loss, and transformation—all while immersed in a pool of water on stage. Swirling with passion, Mary Zimmerman creates this masterpiece that mesmerizes with tales of Midas, Orpheus, Aphrodite, and more in a whimsical and heartbreaking meditation on the joys and perils of being human.
Written by Mary Zimmerman. Produced May 2022 at A Noise Within. Directed by ANW Co-Artisitic Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott. Set design by François-Pierre Couture. Original Original music score and sound design by Robert Oriol. Lighting by Ken Booth.
"Following Zimmerman’s instructions to the letter, scenic designer François-Pierre Couture has converted virtually the entire A Noise Within thrust stage into a swimming pool so inviting, it looks as if it could grace the most elegant of Beverly Hills homes. Add to this Garry Lennon’s magical, mythical costumes, Ken Booth’s exquisite lighting shining both down on and out of the water, and sound designer Robert Oriol’s spellbinding original music, and you have a production so dazzlingly beautiful, take a gander at the production stills that accompany this review and you’ll see why mere words can’t do it justice." - Stage and Cinema, May 2022
"Francois-Pierre Couture (design), Ken Booth (lighting), and Robert Oriol (sound) – deserve a loud, two-syllable, “Damn!” Even if we take the pool for granted, electricity, water, and people don’t mix. This constrains the high powered lights to surround the stage and there again from safe a distance – yet nothing essential is in shadow. Glowing orbs are undoubtedly enabled by LEDs. Their collective play off the water and onto the walls are a splendid touch – carrying the audience along waves of action floating on Oriol’s effective yet unobtrusive soundscape. And we should not take any of this for granted. Going from page to stage is a tough artistic job but no easier than taking a technical concept through design, build, test, and delivery. " - Backscatter from the South Bay, May 2022
"Director Rodriguez-Elliott imaginatively transforms one story into another; with the help of Ken Booth’s imaginative lighting and Robert Oriol’s sound and fury, and the waters roil or ripple in accord with the demands of the play. In designer Garry Lennon’s imagination, typical classical togas intermingle with suit coats or modern-day garments to create the impression of a time out of time." - ShowMag.com, May 2022