Celebrate Pride this June in the Merchant’s House garden with Summoners Ensemble Theatre’s Whitman in Love, an immersive theatrical experience exploring the emotional and romantic life of Walt Whitman and his lovers through poetry, memory, and sound.

We invite you to become part of the production by recording a short selection from Calamus and submitting it for inclusion in the environmental soundscape of the performance. The resulting audio collage will create a chorus of contemporary voices greeting the audience as they arrive in the Museum’s lush garden.

Your voice will help create a layered meditation on love, longing, intimacy, and queer history — echoing through the garden of the museum.

How to Participate
Step 1 — Choose a Passage. Select a short passage or poem from Calamus by Walt Whitman (Button above to the Whitman Archive of Calamus).

You may read:
  • a favorite section
  • a few lines
  • an entire poem
  • or any passage that speaks to you personally
Feel free to read naturally and emotionally rather than formally.

Step 2 — Record Your Reading as a WAV File
Please submit your recording as a WAV (.wav) audio file if possible. (MP3 and M4A files are accepted but .wav is best.)

A quiet room and clear speaking voice are all you need.

Recording on iPhone (Easiest Method)
  • Download Voice Record Pro from the App Store.
  • Open the app and tap the Record button.
  • Select WAV/PCM (in the "Advanced" tab) as your preferred format.
  • Tap Record Start and speak or play your audio.
  • When finished, tap Stop.
  • Save your file to your device and upload on the submission form. 
Recording on Android (Easiest Method)
  • Download and open Easy Voice Recorder from the Play Store.
  • Tap the Settings (Gear icon) usually located in the top corner.
  • Tap Tuning, Under Encoding tap Format, and select WAV and tap the large Microphone button to start recording.
  • Tap the Stop button when finished. The app will automatically save your audio directly as a .wav file in your phone.

Recording tips for the clearest sound:
  • Record in a quiet room
  • Speak naturally and clearly
  • Keep the phone close to you
  • Avoid background music or noise
  • Pause briefly before and after reading
Perfection is not required — sincerity matters most.

Step 3 — Upload Your Recording when your WAV file is ready:
  1. Click the button below
  2. Fill out the submission form
  3. Upload your WAV recording