That's a Wrap!

Yesterday afternoon was the final production of My Children! My Africa! After the last performance, the tech crews gathered together one last time to strike the show. Striking a show means taking everything down, such as the set, lights, etc. and putting it back in its original format.
We started striking around 5:00 P.M and were miraculously done around 9:00 P.M. I thought it was going to take forever to strike, but several student volunteers from the tech classes came to help. With the right attitude and right people- strike was a lot of fun and moved quickly!

Here a few pictures that Madison O'Brien took for me (I of course forgot my camera!):

Professor Casey and I with the light plot directing people!


Hard at work putting up the original light plot in the Rudder Forum.


I survived my first strike and now I am going to have to turn in my production notebook. After that- my play experience will be officially over! Stay tuned...

(Thanks for the pictures Madi! )

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

I know it has been quite a while since I lasted posted. Since I last posted, the play has completed its production time and we have striked (taken down) the show. However, I will do my best to finish updating these last few weeks and complete my lighting experience!

Here are some pictures of the play. The photos are taken by Professor Autumn Casey.


Actors from left to right: Breyon Roberson as Thami, Valerie McBride as Isabel,
and Alan Lam as Mr. M


Actors: Valerie McBride and Breyon Roberson


Actors: Valerie McBride and Alan Lam


Actor: Alan Lam


Actors: Breyon Roberson and Valerie McBride


Actors: Breyon Roberson, Alan Lam, and Valerie McBride



Actor: Valerie McBride


Actors: Valerie McBride and Breyon Roberson


Actor: Breyon Roberson


Actors: Valerie McBride and Breyon Roberson



Actor: Alan Lam


Actor: Alan Lam


Actor: Alan Lam


Actors: Alan Lam and Breyon Roberson


Actors: Breyon Roberson and Valerie McBride


Actor: Valerie McBride


Hope you enjoyed!!

Break A Leg!!

Tonight was opening night of My Children! My Africa! After three long months of work, tonight finally came! We had preview last night, which allowed the actors to get used to performing in front of a live audience. I was able to photograph the performance, which was not easy. It is really hard to photograph lights- but hopefully I got a few good shots.

Tonight the show started at 8:00 P.M. The acting was awesome and there were only a few glitches in the show concerning set changes and light/sound cues. To me, somebody who has worked with the show everyday, I picked up on the mistakes, but to a regular audience- no one knew. The show will run for 2 weekends with a total of 8 shows. Hopefully each night will get better and better!

Here a few pictures of our stage manager and assistant scenic designer:

The Stage Manager: Madison O'Brien on opening night:


The Assistant Scenic Designer: Sarah Varga on opening night:


Photos from the show will be posted soon! If you get a chance, go see My Children! My Africa!

Dress Rehearsal

I forgot to blog last night, but we had our first dress rehearsal last night, and our second one tonight. During these rehearsals, we the check lights, sound, make-up, and costumes. We already had to cut the body projections from the show because we could never get a projector to properly work, and it was too distracting. This afternoon, we were able to fix most of the lighting issues that we found last night (such as having lights in the audience's eyes in the first few rows), but tonight we found some more. It is such a tedious process trying to everything perfect. I got to put my awesome camp-counselor skills to use tonight and gave a french-braiding tutorial to the hair/make-up crew, which they picked up on very quickly! I won't be able to make it to tech hours tomorrow (because I have a big test tomorrow!!!) but tomorrow night is our preview night. This is where we have a live audience and I will get to take pictures of the show for my portfolio.

Wish me luck on my test and I will post soon!! Opening night is so close!

8 out of 10...it's a union thing!

Today we had an all day play rehearsal to check light and sound cues with the actors. Today was the first run-through that the tech crew and the actors have had together. Of course, the morning got off to a smooth start with me oversleeping! I ended up making it to the rehearsal on-time, but I was still frazzled! The main issue that the "lighting" crew has right now is the projections. For some reason, the movies don't like to play in powerpoint all of the time, and it is frustrating, because one time they will work- and other times they won't. I was on projection duty for the morning, and once we got the movies working, I was in charge of cueing the projections in their appropriate spots. It was an interesting experience- you constantly have to be paying attention to the stage manager who is calling the cues through a headset. During the morning, we ran the show cue-to-cue, so all of the designers and actors could see how the lights, sound, and acting all went together. After lunch, we ran through the play non-stop. We still have some kinks to work out- but the show is in great shape for next week! I am definitely excited about opening night!

The Projectors are Hung!

Today we were able to fix the problems with the projectors. However- it did not come at an easy price! To sum up the day- we had to manually adjust each projector box to match the angle and location of the other. It got a little scary when I almost fell off the 20' ladder trying to screw the projector platform to the pipe... but I didn't fall! I am going to chalk it up to a learning experience: hold onto the ladder tighter!! But finally- we got both projectors working, the same size, and all the cables run! It was definitely a productive day. Tomorrow: we will set up the booms...

Cue the Lights!

The past few days have been busy! Yesterday, we went through the entire show and cued the lights. A "cue" is a directive for action: for example, a change in the lighting. When writing the cues, the lighting technician types the cues into the light board. The cues determine how long it takes for the lights to appear or fade between each light change. My job for the most part was to sit with Professor Casey in the theater (in the dark!) and assist her in calling the lights. We had two people in the light booth who were typing the cues into the light board. We cued the entire show in about an hour and a half. While cueing, you can "play" what you have entered and watch the lights as they would appear in the show. While we were able to cue the entire show yesterday, we have an all day tech practice on Saturday with the actors, which means that some of the lights might still change once we see how they look against the actors. At the end of rehearsal, I got to go work with the light board and add some cues to our plot. It was exciting and a little overwhelming! Here are some pictures of the light board:









Today, we tried to set up two projectors and run the projector cables to the sound and light booths. However, we ran into a roadblock. We discovered that the projectors could not be placed on the ground like originally anticipated. Instead, we are having to install projector "boxes" onto the lighting pipes on the ceiling and run the cables from the ceiling back to the booths. Instead of having a productive day- we ended up experimenting with our new projection plan. Hopefully it will work- although we still have some kinks to work out. Needless to say, it was a frustrating day! But once this is worked out- the projections will look really awesome! Hopefully tomorrow is a better day!

Information from:
-Designing With Light: an Introduction to Stage Lighting, J. Michael Gillette

FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!

Today we started focusing the lights. In stage lighting, focusing is the location onstage where the light from the instrument is directed. We got through most of the lights--we only have 14 more lights left to focus after Easter. It was a very productive day! Here are some pictures of the set, focusing lights, and some of the gels used in the lights. Enjoy!

Professor Casey directing Dale on where to focus the light.


Me getting ready to focus my first light!


Up on the ladder!


Focusing my first light!


The gels, or the color, that will be used during the show. Gels are inserted color media into color frames that are placed in the lighting instruments. Gels are made from gelatin.


Part of the set: I helped make this building look old and dirty by using vinegar, scratching the metal, and painting "dirt".


Another view of the stage.


We have two and a half weeks until opening night! So far everything is coming together really well. In addition to being assistant lighting designer (which means keeping all of the lighting paperwork in order, hanging and focusing lights, and so forth), I am also working on a black and white movie that will play at the beginning of the show. My projection will focus on Apartheid in South Africa. We will start tech week next week, and begin the finishing touches on the show. Next Saturday we will have an all day workshop so that the tech crews and the actors can meet and work together for the first time. Then we will have two full run-throughs, and then opening night! It will be a busy 3 weeks-but a lot of fun!! Stay tuned!

Information taken from:
-Designing With Light: an Introduction to Stage Lighting, J. Michael Gillette

Hang the Code and Hang the Rules... They're More Like Guidelines Anyway...

The lights are hung! We finished hanging all of the lights this afternoon and will begin focusing tomorrow! What an accomplishment!

“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Today I helped with the set crew for a couple of hours. The set takes place in South Africa in a small, run-down town. The buildings are meant to look dirty, aged, and worn. It is so interesting to see how many techniques a person can come up with to make a building look old. Today, I got to rub vinegar on sheet metal, which takes away the shine of the metal. Then "rust" was added to the building with a reddish-brown paint, and then I went back and added "dirt" to the building, which was a dark brown paint. After we "treat" all the buildings in this manner- we will have achieved an old, run-down, poor town.

Pictures soon to come!!

"YOU'RE THE ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER??"

Imagine everyone's surprise when they find out the Assistant LD has never been in a lighting class or has no experience. That's what I experienced yesterday. For the past two days, we have been hanging lights in the theater. My professor asked me, "Erin, are you comfortable with telling people what to do and assigning them jobs? Because I need you to be the Master Electrician." Master Electrician?!? I barely know what I'm doing as it is! However, I told her I didn't have a problem being in charge (of course not!) and then I prayed that everything would miraculously fall into place. The first day, I was timid, until I got into the rhythm of things. Of course we had some kinks- such as me not being one step ahead of everyone and keeping them busy, or other students not sure of what to do. But once you get going, you start understanding the terminology, know where each circuit is, know how to change light barrels while on the ladder, and so forth. I had begun to feel a little bit comfortable in this new world. Then yesterday, I was explaining a task to a student volunteer, and he asked the most obvious question, "You're the assistant lighting designer and you have no experience?? Wow- you have guts!" I had never thought of it like that and I had never realized how crazy it was that I didn't know anything... until then. But I am still enjoying this new world that I've entered, and I feel like I'm becoming semi-good at what I"m doing. It all takes time and practice!

Some pictures of our light hang:

Take Two!

Over the past month, I have been busy learning how to create my "own" lighting show for My Children, My Africa!, as well as preparing paperwork for the real show. My professor has done a great job of teaching the step-by-step process for a lighting designer. One of my tasks was to create a cue sheet as discussed in the previous post:


After the light cue sheet, digital lighting keys (drawings that indicate the plan angles and color of the various sources that illuminate the image of light) need to be created. The light keys are great learning tools that help the designer establish what direction the light is coming from and how the light will hit the actor. An example of a lighting key we will use in My Children, My Africa! looks like this:


After the cue sheet and the keys are drawn, the lighting designer can begin to design the light plot. The light plot is a "scale mechanical drawing that indicates where the lighting instruments should be placed." The main purpose of the light plot is to depict the exact location of each light being used in the production. The plot shows the location of the sets in relation to they physical structure of the theater and includes a legend describing each of the symbols used on the plot. In order to draft the light plot, several drawings from the production team are needed: ground plans of the scenic design, sections of the scenic design, a scale ground plan of the stage, a scale section of the stage, and a layout for the stage lighting system of the theater. Here is the final light plot for My Children, My Africa!:



When determining the lighting instrument size for your plot, you need to know the maximum throw distance of the light. The throw distance determines how far light from the instrument travels from its hanging position to the center of its area focus. This is important, because each size of light carries a certain distance.


As you can see, there are many different steps that go into designing the lights of a production. Now that the light plot is completed, we will begin hanging and focusing the lights on the stage!

Information taken from:
-Designing With Light: an Introduction to Stage Lighting, J. Michael Gillette

The Role of the Assistant Lighting Designer

The assistant lighting designer functions as a general assistant to the lighting designer. The assistant lighting designer can draw any or all of the associated paperwork- light plots, lighting sectional, instrument schedule, etc. as requested by the lighting designer. The assistant lighting designer may also focus or participate in focusing the instruments, write cues, update paperwork, or perform any of the other myriad tasks necessary to make the lighting design come alive onstage.

-Designing With Light: an Introduction to Stage Lighting, J. Michael Gillette

Last week, Professor Autum Casey-the lighting and scenic designer of My Children! My Africa!- had me go through the play and create my own light cues, and then research pictures, magazine articles, art magazines, etc. for the cues that I found. The research did not necessarily have to relate directly to the scene or action in the play, but it just needed to capture the emotion that I was trying to convey as the lighting designer. For example, if I want to convey "innocent", I research stark, white light--pictures of babies, brides in wedding dresses, etc. If I was looking for sunset, I would look for lavenders and warm oranges.

This week, my homework is to take the light cues that I made, and create a light cue sheet. This sheet is an excel document that has the cue number, the description of the light (ex. innocent), placement in the script, page number, and the time for the cue. Then, I will take my research that I did last week, and create lighting keys. The lighting keys, which I will do in plan view and front view, are sketches that will help me realize where the light source is coming from and how the shadow is being cast. Be able to understand direction of light and the shadows that they create will drastically help me later in the process when we choose light placement on the stage.

Hang the Lights!!

This week, I have gotten the chance to experience hanging theater lights. Now this is no easy task mind you- and I had no idea how this process would even remotely begin...so I was in for quite a treat!

Next week, the A&M theater department is having their Student New Works Festival, and the stage needed to be set for the performances. (Student New Works Festival is a show that the Texas A&M theater students put on to showcase their own original shows.) When hanging lights for a new show, you first need to take down the lights that are currently hanging. Wednesday, I was on the ladder crew. We had to move this huge ladder from light to light, climb up it (with NOTHING supporting us), unscrew/ unclamp the lights, and carry the lights back down the ladder. Sounds simple right?? Maybe for somebody with a background in this field!! I had no idea what the terminology for everything was (and it was scary being on the ladder!)- but everybody working on my team was eager to answer questions.

Next, we needed to go back and hang the lights needed for next weeks show. For this show, we are hanging Fresnel Spotlights. Fresnel Spotlights produces a soft, diffused, luminescent light. When the instrument is focused on narrow beam, or spot, it produces a beam with a central hot spot that rapidly loses intensity toward the edge. When the instrument is focused on wide beam, or flood, it produces a smooth wash of light. In order to know where to hang the lights, a plot is used. The plot is a drawing, kind of like a floor plan of the stage, with indications on where to hang each light.

In my first "crew" session, I took down two lights, and hung one. It was a very intimidating and slow experience, but definitely worthwhile. I feel like the hands-on experience that I obtained, really put everything into perspective for me, and I was able to learn about types of lights, how lights are hung for shows, light placement, and much more. Tomorrow I go back for another "hanging session" and hope to learn more!

Information from:
-Designing With Light: an Introduction to Stage Lighting, J. Michael Gillette

My Children! My Africa!

This semester, the theater department at Texas A&M will be putting on the production: My Children! My Africa! written by Athol Fugard. Here is a quick synopsis of the play:

Set in 1984, at the height of the student uprisings again the government’s oppressive apartheid system, the play revolves around the budding and unlikely friendship between the privileged yet down-to earth White student Isabel Dyson , and the brilliant Black student-activist Thami Mbikwana. They’re paired up to train for a national scholastic competition under the direction of teacher Anela Myalatya .

Myalatya, or Mr. M as the students call him, has been mentoring Thami and considers him his most talented pupil. Thami and Isabel respect each other’s intellect and the bright-eyed and enthusiastic Isabel welcomes every challenge presented to her by Thami. When Isabel happily talks about her journalist aspirations, Thami tells her that dreams of higher education and future success are luxuries young Black South Africans cannot afford.

“Hope is a beast that is hungry but it is a beast all the same,” says the teacher Mr. M, and he fears the animal will devour all of South Africa’s young people. He and Thami clash—Thami complains that Mr. M clings to the old ways and doesn’t want to stand on the forefront of changing the system. Mr. M fears that student unrest will undermine his efforts to educate the young. He believes that the precise and commanding use of the written word can bring about change.

After tragic events that cause Isabel and Thami to end their friendship, Isabel is taught valuable life lessons and learns to hope for a better tomorrow.

(Part of synopsis taken from http://www.seeingblack.com/article_293.shtml)

First Production Meeting

Today the production team met for the first time and got things under way for My Children! My Africa! I have never been to a production meeting, so I did not know what to expect. I did get the chance to meet the rest of the production team, and the director of the play: Dr. David Donkor. After the introductions, Professor Autumn Casey- the Scenic and Lighting Designer- gave us an overview of preliminary set ideas, film clips, and potential lighting possibilities. After this meeting, I now realize how much work and organization goes into putting on a production behind the scenes. I am very excited to see what happens in the next few weeks! My homework tonight: read My Children! My Africa!

Hello! My name is Erin Callahan and I am a senior Environmental Design student at Texas A&M. At Texas A&M, Environmental Design students are required to take design studios each semester. However, I have chosen to go my own route this semester and try something different. Instead of partaking in one more design studio that focuses on architecture, I am going to enter into the lighting world. This semester I have the wonderful opportunity to work with the Theater Department as their Assistant Lighting Designer for their spring production: My Children, My Africa. Having NEVER worked with lighting before- this is going to be a fun experience! As a result, this blog is going to document my semester and what I learn. Enjoy!!