San Francisco is home to a unique theater that has forgone the silver screen and focused solely on sound. Audium, a theater of sound, offers one-of-a-kind listening experiences in San Francisco, focused on showcasing local artists.
Immersive sound in San Francisco
Audium features 49 seats, and each performance, or what the theater calls “sound sculptures,” is performed in complete darkness to create an immersive experience for listeners. The custom-built space surrounds listeners with dozens of speakers.
Audium began in 1956 when founders Stan Shaff & Doug McEachern started experimenting with sounds to create a unique type of audio artwork. The theater started as a one-day show in 1962 at San Francisco State College, but by 1967, it had grown into its first theater. The original theater hosted two shows a week with 44 speakers. From there, Audium continued to grow. In 1975, a new theater was opened after the sale of the original building, this time with an impressive 136 speakers. Starting in 2021, the theater began hosting residencies featuring multiple artists.
Currently, the theater is transporting audiences back to the beginning of Audium, with a retrospective on 1969. Audiences can expect to hear sounds from the time, such as foghorns, cars, and more, in one of the theater’s earliest “sound sculptures”. Audium V: Rewind will be playing until this Saturday, October 24. On October 30 and 31, the theater will host a special Halloween experience called The Depths.
Ticket prices are typically between $20 and $30 for each show; however, a limited number of pay-what-you-can tickets are available at the door.