Kirk Ruby
I’ve always been a storyteller. Since the time I was a kid, I would dress up and put on shows for my parents and their friends. I would even write my own books and create imaginary worlds in games with my friends at recess. As I got older, I discovered a love of music in playing the bass and the kind of stories and emotional ties we could create through music. Throughout middle school and high school, I played in school bands and church bands and eventually found my way into being a pit musician for my high school’s heavily censored production of “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”.
Bit by the theatre bug, I decided to try my hand at acting which was a big change for me that only lasted a short time when I was presented with the opportunity to be the scenic designer for a school production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Thinking I had found my passion, I applied to schools for scenic design and decided on Boston University.
It was there that I realized that I am horrible at drawing and painting (two skills somewhat necessary for a scenic designer), and that I didn’t want to tell stories visually. I jumped on the opportunity to be the sound designer for a very small production of Ibsen’s Ghosts. Armed with my musical knowledge and an open mind, I set out on a journey to become a sound designer.
Since that point, I designed eleven shows at BU as well as being the assistant designer on five shows and the audio supervisor on three. I also spent one summer working as an audio technician at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan and two summers at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. The first summer at Hudson Valley I served as the audio intern and then was promoted to the festival’s sound supervisor for the second summer. Following my graduation from BU, I relocated to New York to begin a career in theatrical sound.