Welcome to “The Sights + Sounds Show with Jeneé Darden," where every week we tap into the Bay Area arts scene and bring you rich conversations with artists. On today’s show: a creative who is using sound technology to create a beautiful audio experience at the Grace Cathedral. Host Jeneé Darden chts with sound sculptor Bill Fontana. Then, BATS Improv celebrates its 40th anniversary. Co-founder William Hall is on the show.
Today we’re going to laugh and chill.
Bill Fontana
Did you ever notice a still object and wonder if it makes a noise, even while not moving? That’s kind of what Bill Fontana has been doing around the world for 50 years. He’s a sound sculptor. Bill places microphones and vibration sensors on objects. Then speakers project sounds from the objects that can’t really be heard with the human ear alone. They are beautiful, other worldly, meditative sounds. Bill is Grace Cathedral’s 2026 artist in residence. His latest installation is called “Resonance ” and it’s currently running at the church through September 20.
William Hall
William Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances. And one man in his time plays many parts.”
This got Host Jeneé Darden thinking about how in life, we do a lot of improvising on our daily stages. William Hall is an improv teacher and performer. He teaches improv to actors and businesses. Bill co-founded BATS Improv in San Francisco. BATS is the largest and longest-running improvised theatre company and school in Northern California. This year, they’re celebrating their 40th anniversary. BATS has events lined up for the community this month. In this interview William and Jeneé do some improv and talk about how we use improv in various areas of our lives.
Check out their August Intensive workshops, as well as their BATS Jam-a-thon, on Sunday, August 30. All will take place at their Bayfront Theatre at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco.
