A Chorus Line Video Rendering

A Chorus Line

Minnesota State University, Mankato's production of A Chorus Line

Periaktoi

Light Box Periaktoi for A Chorus Line

For Minnesota State University, Mankato's production of A Chorus Line, the scene designer and I collaborated to put some extra pop into the periaktoi by incorporating light boxes into them.  There a 5 periaktoi with 6 segments each, for a total of 30 segments, all of which are individually controlled.  The fixtures used are ETC Vivid-R 11" fixtures with V40 and H40 lenses.  The effects possible with this arrangement are nearly limitless, and range from a solid wall of light to dynamic effects which a reminiscent of disco, except that the effect can change multiple times during a song.  While the technology is new, the effect does not seem out of place in the 1975 musical.

Wiring the periaktoi provided a unique challenge, as the units needed more than 360 degrees of rotation ability.  To facilitate this, data is distributed via a optical splitter on the batten above to allow each unit to be fed data without needing a return.  Each periaktoi was also fed with its own dedicated 20 amp circuit.  The cables were dropped through a hole in the top of each unit and gravity kept the cables taught enough to not be a distraction while still allowing the unit to rotate freely.  At the end of each rehearsal and performance, the crew rotates the periaktoi to remove any twists in the cable.

Programming the effects was simple with the ETC Eos, even though the lights used 240 channels of DMX.  Step based effects, color effects, and linear effects are all used throughout the show, sometimes cross-fading directly between two different effects seamlessly.

'Spring Awakening' Promo

Spring Awakening on Vimeo.

End of Academic Year/Start of the Summer

Yesterday I defended my Major Project Paper on True West, and received a lot of positive feedback on the project.  After the project defense I finished up my last hour of assistantship labor by putting away a bunch of light trees and picking up tieline, and thus ends my second year of graduate school at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Waiting for me in my e-mail inbox when I came home was preliminary scenic design conceptual renderings for How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which I will be designing lights for this summer for Gooseberry Park Players.  The renderings have a lot of very fun aspects which I look forward to working with.  And thus begins my fourth summer working with Gooseberry Park Players.  Once I move back to Fargo/Moorhead on Wednesday, I will be meeting with the director, Jim Cermak and will start designing the show, and will hopefully have a design ready to hang at the beginning of June.

True West

Photography

This photo was featured featured today on "Minnesota Pictures: Minnesota Photos that define the northstar state," which showcases photos from around the state of Minnesota.  I've been really inspired by some of the sunsets over the Minnesota River Valley that I can see from my apartment, and sometimes its very difficult to not grab my camera.

This photo, taken earlier in the year was featured on Minnesota Public Radio's Statewide Blog and their Minnesota Scenes project.  As you can see, the sunsets I have the pleasure of witnessing have amazing variety.

Certificate of Merit for Wait Until Dark

During the opening night gathering, I was awarded a Certificate of Merit at the Region 5 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) for my lighting design for Wait Until Dark.  This certificate is awarded by the respondent to the show.

Streetlight

As I'm preparing for the Technology and Design Expo at Region V of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, I cropped a show photo to display next to my research photo of the mercury-vapor yard light to show how where I came up with the color.  Not only is it accurate to the period, but it adds to the 'eeriness' of the show as well:

Show Photo:
   

Research Image: