theatre

CASE STUDy: Chokehole – Drag Wrestlers Do Deutschland

Desire Productions

Chokehole is a New Orleans-based drag wrestling show that travelled to Hamburg’s Kampnagel Theatre in 2022. HYENAZ approached Chokehole’s audio challenges with a hybrid strategy of precision and adaptability. During rehearsals, they deployed discreet wireless lavalier mics and booming to capture both in-depth interviews and spontaneous moments between performers, prioritizing mobility to avoid disrupting their pre-show rituals.With tight turnaround times between backstage prep and stage cues, our setup allowed seamless transitions from intimate confessional-style dialogue to dynamic group interactions, all while maintaining broadcast-ready clarity.

Anticipating licensing constraints for the show’s music, we mapped key moments during rehearsals to identify irreplaceable vocal textures and environmental sounds—body’s landing on the ring, performer’s signature sounds—that would later anchor the soundscape in post production, alongside original music we composed to drive the madcap arc of these renegade wrestlers.

Case Study: Umoⁿhoⁿ — Against the Current

Humboldt Forum

For this documentary installation centering the Umoⁿhoⁿ people’s resilience, HYENAZ’s Roi Fischer focused on capturing sound with cultural and emotional fidelity. Working across Nebraska’s open plains, communit college spaces, subjects’ homes, and communal gathering sites, Fischer adapted techniques to each context. Many of the interviews exploring difficult material including intergenerational trauma, so Fischer prioritized discretion while honoring their words with clear, initimate recordings.