A Lighting Design Process for a Production of Eurydice Directed by Dr

Home , Lighting designer, Stage management, The Window of Orpheus

A LIGHTING DESIGN PROCESS FOR A PRODUCTION OF EURYDICE DIRECTED BY DR. BETH KATTELMAN

Thesis

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree Master of Fine Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University

By Matthew James Hazard, B.A. Graduate Program in Theatre

The Ohio State University 2011

Masters Examination Committee: Professor Mary Tarantino, Advisor Dr. Beth Kattelman Dean Mark Shanda, Arts and Humanities

Abstract

Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice is a unique script which challenges the director, cast, and

audience with a story of young love, loss of a loved one, and the eternal question: what

happens when we die? The show is set in two worlds: the natural world and the

underworld. The majority of the show occurs in an underworld that according to Ruhl

“resembles the world of Alice in Wonderland more than it resembles Hades.” While in

the underworld, the story often visits Orpheus back in the natural world. Differentiating

between these locations is central to the lighting design of Eurydice.

The design process began on Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010, at our first

production meeting when the creative team discussed the previously distributed director’s

concept. With one more meeting before the holiday, we looked at preliminary scenic and

costume renderings. In January, our production meeting process began in earnest, with

the design collaboration moving forward. The rehearsal process began on Wednesday,

March 30th, 2011 with a meeting of the director, cast, designers, stage managers,

dramaturg, and others. All of this preparation was aiming for the show opening on

Thursday, May 5th, 2011.

In the following chapters I will discuss the production situation, the director’s

concept, script analysis, my design process, and a comprehensive evaluation of the

design. For this production we used the 2008 Samuel French version of Eurydice. ii

Dedication

This document is dedicated to my Mom and Dad who have supported me unfalteringly in

everything I have ever attempted in my life.

iii

Acknowledgements

I must first thank everyone who worked very hard to make Eurydice a beautiful

and successful production. This includes the director, Beth Kattelman, who took the

script to heart and provided us all with . . . direction. She was the guide when we needed

one and a very interested observer when we did not. The entire design team was friendly

and approachable throughout and this atmosphere inevitably morphed into a creatively

successful production. Everything on stage came together physically because of the

tireless dedication of our technical director, Chad Mahan, who did a spectacular job out

of the spotlight. I am thankful that Eric Mayer can find an answer to nearly any question

within or outside of the University.

Throughout the years a number of lighting graduate students have come through

our program and completed their thesis productions. I know I learned something in some

way from each and every one of them. I sincerely hope the opposite was true. These

students include Kristopher Jones, Nan Zhang, Jim Hutchison, Drew Ward, Anjeanette

Stokes, Russ Blain, Hannah Rosner, Jason Banks, Greg Owen, Matt McCarren, Jordan

Kardasz, Anthony Pellecchia, Alex Kyle-Dipietropaolo, and Jarod Wilson.

I want to thank the Design Technology faculty at our Department who has been

inspiring over the years through their instruction and design work of their own. I like to

think I have learned much from simply observing. I especially want to thank my advisor

of twenty years, Mary Tarantino. As a person, Mary has been there for me in any way

needed for half of my life. As an artist, she has answered any and all questions I have

ever had whenever I had them.

Vita

2000…………………………B.A. Theatre, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

2004…………………………Lighting Design, Rock and Roles Shakespeare*

2004…………………………Lighting Design, Ghost Stories of the Blacksmith Curse*

2005…………………………PVSee Lighting Fixture selected for Exhibition at USITT Tech Expo

2005…………………………Lighting Design, Cowboy Mouth*

2006…………………………Lighting Design, The Coronation of Poppea

2007…………………………Lighting Design, La Calisto

2007…………………………Lighting Design, The Elixir of Love

2007…………………………Lighting Design, Woman in Black

2007…………………………Lighting Design, English Therapy*

2008…………………………Lighting Design, The Magic Flute

2008…………………………Lighting Design, The Labyrinth of Desire*

2008…………………………USITT Ohio Valley Peggy Ezekiel Award of Distinction

2008………………………....Lighting Design, Letters Home (Theatro Technis, London)

2008…………………………Lighting Design, Noises Off*

2009…………………………Received certification as an ETCP Entertainment Electrician vi

2009…………………………Lighting Design, The Marriage of Figaro

2009…………………………Lighting Design, Woman in Black

2009…………………………Lighting Design, Palmer Park*

2010…………………………Lighting Design, Faramondo

2010…………………………Lighting Design, Shipwrecked! The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as told by himself)

2011…………………………Lighting Design, Eurydice*

2011…………………………Lighting Design, Hamlet

* Indicates a production for The Ohio State University Department of Theatre

Fields of Study

Major field of study: Theatre Other studies: Lighting Design and Technology, Lighting Console Programming, International Theatre, Photography, Theatre Education

vii

Table of Contents

Abstract ...... ii

Dedication ...... iii

Acknowledgments...... iv

Vita ...... vi

List of Tables ...... x

List of Figures ...... xi

List of Production Paperwork ...... xv

List of Plates ...... xvi

Chapter 1: The Producing Situation ...... 1

Chapter 2: The Director’s Concept and Design Approach ...... 6

Chapter 3: Script Analysis and Design Research ...... 13

Chapter 4: The Production Process ...... 32

Chapter 5: Evaluation of the Design ...... 53

References ...... 61

Research Image Citations ...... 62

Appendix A: The Director’s Concept ...... 64

Appendix B: Lighting Design Concept...... 67

Appendix C: Production Paperwork ...... 68 viii

Appendix D: Additional Figures ...... 105

Appendix E: Plates ...... 131

List of Tables

Table 1. Conventional Lighting Fixtures ...... 2

Table 2. Automated Lighting Fixtures and Accessories ...... 2

List of Figures

Figure 1. Set in the Pre-show Cue ...... 10

Figure 2. The Nearly Completed String Room ...... 19

Figure 3. Apollo Pattern MS-1315 Dismay ...... 20

Figure 4. Research Image: River Near Nantes, France at Night ...... 22

Figure 5. Research Image: Son Doong Cave in Vietnam ...... 23

Figure 6. Research Image: Son Doong Cave in Vietnam ...... 23

Figure 7. Research Image: Night’s Song by Ashayaa ...... 24

Figure 8. Research Image: Nasty Man’s Apartment ...... 25

Figure 9. Research Image: Photo for the Fall by Elena Kalis ...... 26

Figure 10. Research Image: Photo for the String Room ...... 27

Figure 11. Research Image: Gates of Hell ...... 28

Figure 12. LED Ribbon Tape...... 29

Figure 13. Photo of LED Ribbon Tape under Corrugated Plastic Test ...... 30

Figure 14. White Model Test Shot for Nasty Man’s Apartment and Walls ...... 31

Figure 15. LEDs Lighting Corrugated Plastic Walls ...... 38

Figure 16. Photo of Father after Dipping in River ...... 48

Figure 17. Photo Detailing Light Grazing Corrugated Metal ...... 49

Figure 18. Research Image: Water ...... 105

Figure 19. Research Image: Water Bubbles ...... 106

Figure 20. Research Image: Water Ripples ...... 106

Figure 21. Research Image: Underworld Face Lighting ...... 107

Figure 22. Research Image: Nasty Man’s Apartment ...... 107

Figure 23. Research Image: Nasty Man’s Apartment ...... 108

Figure 24. Research Image: Eurydice Falling ...... 108

Figure 25. Research Image: String Room ...... 109

Figure 26. Research Image: String Room ...... 109

Figure 27. Research Image: Gates of Hell ...... 110

Figure 28. Research Image: Gates of Hell ...... 110

Figure 29. Costume Rendering: Eurydice in Swimwear ...... 111

Figure 30. Costume Rendering: Orpheus in Swimwear ...... 111

Figure 31. Costume Rendering: Nasty Interesting Man ...... 112

Figure 32. Costume Rendering: Father ...... 112

Figure 33. Costume Rendering: Eurydice at Wedding ...... 113

Figure 34. Costume Rendering: Orpheus at Wedding ...... 113

Figure 35. Costume Rendering: Big Stone ...... 114

Figure 36. Costume Rendering: Little Stone ...... 114

Figure 37. Costume Rendering: Loud Stone ...... 115

Figure 38. Costume Rendering: Nasty Interesting Man as a Boy ...... 115

Figure 39. Costume Rendering: Eurydice after the Fall ...... 116

xii

Figure 40. Costume Rendering: Orpheus after the Fall ...... 116

Figure 41. Production Photo: Orpheus and Eurydice in the Natural World ...... 117

Figure 42. Production Photo: Father in the Underworld...... 117

Figure 43. Production Photo: The Wedding ...... 118

Figure 44. Production Photo: The Nasty Man’s Apartment ...... 118

Figure 45. Production Photo: Eurydice Falls ...... 119

Figure 46. Production Photo: The Stones Entrance ...... 119

Figure 47. Production Photo: The Stones ...... 120

Figure 48. Production Photo: Eurydice’s Arrival ...... 120

Figure 49. Production Photo: Eurydice Attempts to Speak ...... 121

Figure 50. Production Photo: Eurydice in the Shade of her Tree ...... 121

Figure 51. Production Photo: The Stones ...... 122

Figure 52. Production Photo: Orpheus Writes a Letter ...... 122

Figure 53. Production Photo: The String Room Beginning ...... 123

Figure 54. Production Photo: The String Room Beginning ...... 123

Figure 55. Production Photo: The String Room Middle ...... 123

Figure 56. Production Photo: The String Room Middle ...... 123

Figure 57. Production Photo: The String Room End ...... 123

Figure 58. Production Photo: The String Room End ...... 123

Figure 59. Production Photo: Eurydice and her Father Embrace ...... 124

Figure 60. Production Photo: Orpheus Shares a Dream ...... 124

Figure 61. Production Photo: Vocabulary Lessons...... 125

xiii

Figure 62. Production Photo: Eurydice Tries to Read ...... 125

Figure 63. Production Photo: Lord of the Underworld as a Child ...... 126

Figure 64. Production Photo: Orpheus Searching for the Note ...... 126

Figure 65. Production Photo: An Unearthly Light Surrounds Orpheus...... 127

Figure 66. Production Photo: Orpheus Arrives in the Underworld ...... 127

Figure 67. Production Photo: Orpheus Looks at Eurydice ...... 128

Figure 68. Production Photo: Orpheus and Eurydice Separate ...... 128

Figure 69. Production Photo: Father Dips Himself in the River...... 129

Figure 70. Production Photo: Father Forgets ...... 129

Figure 71. Production Photo: Orpheus Arrives in the Elevator ...... 130

Figure 72. Production Photo: Finale ...... 130

xiv

List of Production Paperwork

Technology Request to Resident Lighting Designer Mary Tarantino ...... 68

Shop Order ...... 69

Channel Hookup ...... 72

Instrument Schedule ...... 82

Cue Orchestration ...... 96

Magic Sheet ...... 102

Magic Sheet Hookup Reference ...... 104

Final Budget Sheet ...... 105

List of Plates

Plate 1. Bowen Light Plot ...... 131

Plate 2. Bowen Under Grid Light Plot ...... 132

Plate 3. Bowen Section ...... 133

xvi

CHAPTER ONE

THE PRODUCING SITUATION

Eurydice was produced in the Roy Bowen Theatre at the Drake Performance and

Events Center on the campus of The Ohio State University. The show opened May 5th,

2011 and closed May 21st, 2011 with eleven total performances taking place over three

weekends.

The Bowen Theatre was used in a three-quarter thrust configuration with audience

members seated on three sides of the majority of the stage. The Bowen Theatre seats 250

patrons with around 100 of those seated in the center section and 75 on each side. The

Bowen stage is 18” above the concrete floor of the space and the lighting grid is 16’

above that floor. The floor of the lighting grid is made up of wire tension mesh panels

that are eight feet square. The lighting pipes are hung are approximately two feet above

these panels. The booth for the lighting and stage management is in the northwest corner

of the balcony level.

The Bowen Theatre has 150 twenty amp circuits and one 50 amp circuit. The

space is dimmer-per-circuit, meaning that there is one dimmer for every circuit in the

theatre. There is the potential to add up to 24 additional dimmers at 1200 watts each via a

Strand CD80 portable dimmer pack which can be hooked at the company switch in the

Lighting Studio adjacent to the theatre.

The primary source of lighting equipment for the show was the stock inventory

for the Bowen Theatre consisting of:

(44) ETC Source Four 36 degree (8) ETC Source Four 50 degree (2) ETC Source Four 26 degree (9) ETC Source Four PARNel (15) Altman 360Q 6” Fresnel (16) Altman 360Q 6 x 12 ERS (8) Altman 360Q 6 x 9 ERS (28) Century Base-up 6 x 12 ERS (8) Altman 3.5 x 8 ERS Table 1. Conventional Lighting Fixtures

Also available were Vari*Lite VL5 fixtures which are relegated to the rotating

stock inventory of lighting gear. The comprehensive list of intelligent equipment

included:

(10) Vari*Lite VL5 (2) Apollo EZ Iris (2) Rosco I-Cue Moving Mirrors (2) Apollo Rotators (1) Apollo Vertical DMX (6) Weidamark LED Wall Washers Table 2. Automated Lighting Fixtures and Accessories

The normal lighting console used for control in the Bowen Theatre is the

Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) Obsession II. This console has been a staple in the 2

industry for nearly twenty years and I thought it would be of great value to the

Department of Theatre to take a look at the next generation of ETC lighting consoles.

Through our outstanding long-term relationship with ETC and early conversations with

my advisor, Mary Tarantino, I planned on pursuing the loan of an ETC Ion lighting

console for use during Eurydice. Thanks to Spencer Lyons at ETC, we were not only able

to acquire an ETC Ion for the technical rehearsal process and run of the show, but we also

had the pleasure of hosting Spencer for two days of console orientation and instruction.

These intense lessons were vital.

The non-lighting production personnel included the producer, Dan Gray, and the

technical director, Chad Mahan, the Scenic Studio Manager. Divya Murthy, second year

MFA, was the scenic designer, Lauren Bush, first year MFA, was the costume designer,

Dan Shifflet was the sound designer, and Seunghyun Hwang, second year MA, was the

dramaturg. The undergraduate stage managers include Angela Cutrell and her assistant

Ryan Harrison.

The production electrician for Eurydice was Alex Childs, an undergraduate

student who had previously worked as an assistant production electrician in the Bowen

Theatre for On the Shore of the Wide World. Having witnessed Alex’s work ethic on his

previous show, I was happy to have him aboard as the production electrician for

Eurydice. Alex submitted daily lighting reports after every lighting call.

There were also three lighting Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) who were of

immense help during the production. Alex Kyle-DiPietropaolo and Jarod Wilson were

both in their last quarter of their MFA programs and Brian Elston was nearing the end of

his first year.

I served as the Lighting Studio Manager while also in the role of lighting designer

for Eurydice. Although there were times when it was challenging to wear both hats, I

counted it as an advantage to fill both jobs at the same time.

The final light plot for Eurydice was turned in on the afternoon on April 18th,

2011, and work began straight away. We finished focusing on Saturday, April 23rd and I

spent the majority of Easter Sunday, April 24th, writing all of the cues for the show.

Although he was in no way required at attend, the production electrician, Alex Childs,

spent the majority of the day in the theatre acting as programmer.

We held a cue preview with the director the evening of Monday, April 25th and

began the technical rehearsals process the following day. Costumes were added on

Thursday, April 28th and we commenced having full technical rehearsals with the running

water scenic elements that night. After five more complete technical runs, the show

opened successfully on May 5th, 2011. We began striking Eurydice on the morning of

Monday, May 23rd and had the majority of the show removed from the theatre that

afternoon.

The lighting budget for this show was a generous $3000.00. The Department was

able to supplement several production budgets throughout the season with additional

funding that came to the Department of Theatre from the College level. Thesis

productions generally have larger production budgets in their area than a normal

production. This factor with the additional funding provided the largest lighting budget

with which I have ever worked. The lighting budget for this production was large enough

that I could focus on the design without worrying about any financial restrictions. This

also gave me the flexibility to research new LED technology before bringing it to the

stage. I requested to use all of the intelligent lighting fixtures noted above along with

several wide angle (70 and 90 degree) conventional fixtures from our stock inventories.

With many of these light fixtures in use in the Thurber production, a large portion of my

budget went towards purchasing three additional light fixtures.

CHAPTER TWO

THE DIRECTOR’S CONCEPT AND DESIGN APPROACH

During our first organizational meetings, the director let it be known that water

elements are important to the play as was practical water on stage. This was one of the

first jumping-off points for my research. This continued when the design team met to

discuss the concept (Appendix A) for Eurydice from the director on November 23rd,

2010. We had received the concept via email from the director five days earlier.

Beth Kattelman stated in her concept that “this is a fantasy that has a very real

grounding in human emotion” and saw the play stylistically as “Greek tragedy meets

Vaudeville meets Alice in Wonderland.” This echoes part of what Sarah Ruhl said in her

notes at the beginning of the script: “The underworld should resemble the world of Alice

in Wonderland more than it resembles Hades.”

In laying out groundwork for the scenic design, Kattelman told us that the set

would be “the playground of the world.” This notion was kept in mind by Divya Murthy

throughout the scenic design process and manifested on stage through a slide, various

connected levels, brightly-colored pipes, and even a firemen’s pole. Kattelman also stated

that “water elements are very important” with the most important being the raining

elevator mentioned in the script. Murthy ended up placing this vital scenic element nearly

in the center on the upstage portion of the set. In addition to the raining elevator,

Kattelman wondered if a fountain or stream would be possible.

Kattelman’s inspiration and direction for the costumes came from a wide range of

sources. The lovers would enter in ‘50’s swimsuits, the Stones would be Victorian Steam

Punk, and the Nasty Man would take on a variety of “off-kilter” looks. Kattelman

mentioned in her concept that the sound should be “lush” with “lots of strings, water

effects, and other ambient effects to help indicate location.”

Regarding lighting, Kattelman’s concept states that “lighting needs to be able to

help the set transform in mood.” The action at the beginning of the show would take

place on a bright sunny day and that same place might later become the underworld.

Kattelman also mentioned a desire to “highlight the water effects” and that lighting

“should also help to create water where there is none.” I often have not received as much

guidance in my lighting design so I was thankful to have these directions from the

director.

To achieve what the director had conceived, I set forth planning two primary

distinctive looks. Ruhl divides the play into three movements, rather than using acts,

although she does specify that the play is to be performed without an intermission. These

movements are divided into scenes. The first movement contains scenes in both a natural

and underworld environment. The second is mostly in the underworld except for the short

scenes with Orpheus writing letters. The third movement is set entirely in the underworld.

My two primary looks were vital to differentiating between the two worlds.

First, I created a warm, naturalistic feel using an amber color to transport

Eurydice and Orpheus to the beach. Their scenes during the first movement were the

brightest of the entire show. There was another amber color wash coming in steeply from

behind them. These bright, warm looks combined to create the primary motivating light

of sun at the beach. Layered in with these warms were two subtle, swirling cooler

breakups suggesting the sun reflecting off the water. There were also breakup patterns

over the entire stage, ensuring that this out of doors scene would not be confused with an

interior.

The second distinctive look was to be that of the underworld which the director

described as very cold, damp, and mysterious. The main motivating light in these

underworld scenes was a cold light from three directions along with an unnaturally

colored greenish-blue light coming from overhead, but slightly to the front. There was

also a cool, mottled pattern of colors coming in at a sharp angle from upstage.

The tone for the Nasty Man’s home was created to look like the interior of an

“elegant high-rise apartment.” The string room is built by Father at the beginning of the

second movement. This room was created with a physical ball of yarn on stage and by

string-like lighting patterns brought up in intensity very slowly. The platform where

Orpheus wrote his letters during the second movement was lighted with simple lighting

meant to separate him from the underworld downstage of him. At the beginning of the

third movement the gates of hell were created with a fiery warm look. These

supplementary looks augmented the two primary compositions to form the bulk of the

scenes for Eurydice.

Divya Murthy’s scenic design embodied the goals of the playwright and director

to create a playground of the world. The upstage portion of the set was created by

erecting a series of platforms of varying heights and geometric shapes joined by catwalks.

Ships ladders, stairs, and a slide provided methods of entry and exit to and from these

areas. The downstage thrust portion of the stage was surrounded by three-dimensional

geometric shapes on its entire perimeter. Lengths of pipe were scattered throughout the

space stretching from the floor to the grid. Some of these pipes were structural in nature

and supported the platforms and catwalks around the set. Other pipes were semi-

functional offering handholds to the actors as they traversed the set or providing a tie-off

point for the string of the string room. Still other pipes served only aesthetically to

balance the look of the set. An ever-present body of water began as a waterfall flowing

from underneath the center platform upstage and flowing downstage left all the way past

mid-stage. The tallest portion of the set was the raining elevator standing just right of

center in the upstage portion of the set. The elevator was constructed of corrugated metal

and stretched from the stage floor to the grid. The elevator had two sliding doors which

operated pneumatically and it also had showerheads inside to produce rain for the

occupants (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Set in the Pre-show Cue

The set was painted with a wide variety of colors. The pipes were mostly in the

primary colors of pigment: red, blue, and yellow.. A few were black or silver to make

them disappear or work with other parts of the seet. The main portion of the floor was

treated with several layers of paint and had an overall warm tone with oranges and

earthly colors, such as brown and olive drab. The dimensional shapes surrounding the

floor perimeter were silver. The slide was red with blue rails. The contrast between the

warm floor and cooler perimeter was visually challenging as they both took light very

differently. The corrugated metal that was used in the construction of the elevator was

slightly distressed by the scenic crews, but mostly intact as it was purchased from the

vendor. The reflectivity of these surfaces was a factor throughhout the lighting processs.

There were panels of different geometric shapes and sizes created by corrugated

plastic sheets adorning the platforms and catwalks of the set. These panels were a

significant visual element for both the scenic and lighting worlds. After seeing the walls

in Murthy’s preliminary design model, I approached her about potentially lighting these

walls to appear as if they were glowing on their own. I researched a product called LED

ribbon tape that I thought might have a small enough profile to accomplish this goal.

With the potential to light these panels in a wide array of colors, they would become

almost another character in the production. I will discuss this aspect of the show in more

detail in the next chapter.

The costumes were broken into three distinct categories. The family of Eurydice,

her Father, and Orpheus resembled a perfect family from the 1950s. They appeared very

conservatively, yet modernly dressed for the era. Kattelman mentioned they should look

very “Leave it to Beaver.” The three chorus-like Stone characters were in the Victorian

Steampunk style. According to Wikipedia, “Steampunk involves a setting where steam

power is still widely used—usually the Victorian era Britain—that incorporates elements

of either science fiction or fantasy.” The Nasty Man, in his various iterations, was in

several costumes including a trench coat and an undersized little boy’s outfit.

The play opens with Eurydice and Orpheus near the beach wearing their 1950s

swimwear: she in pink and he in white and blue tones. Father appears next wearing his

grey suit and hat in the underworld, the only outfit he wore the entire play. Eurydice and

Orpheus have changed into their wedding costumes when we next see them: Eurydice

wears a white wedding gown with rose-colored, lace-like accents and Orpheus wears a

slate blue tuxedo. The Nasty Man wanders on to the stage in a khaki trench coat before

we are transported to his apartment. As the movement ends, the Nasty Man wears a

yellow sport coat with dark pants and Eurydice (with the Nasty Man) and Orpheus (out of

the primary lighting) still wear their wedding costumes.

We are introduced to the Stones in the underworld at the beginning of the second

movement and they are wearing Victorian Steampunk costumes. These costumes are

comprised of earthy, metallic tones with browns and coppers. The actors wore silver

makeup on their faces. Orpheus appeared writing letters, no longer in his tuxedo, but

adorned in dark sensible slacks and a yellow sweater with a blue collared shirt

underneath. Later in this movement, we are introduced again to the Nasty Man, although

this time he is in the guise of a child wearing red baseball socks, a maroon varsity jacket

with ivory sleeves, and a baseball hat in his outfit.

The director mentioned that the sound should be lush with “lots of strings, water

effects, and other ambient effects to help indicate location.” Dan Schifflet designed many

sounds that were called for throughout the script, although about half were used in the

show. There were a few moments when the transitions between scenes were slightly

awkward with a lighting change only. Schifflet was able to add poignant and appropriate

sound effects to help improve the flow of these transitions.

CHAPTER THREE

SCRIPT ANALYSIS AND DESIGN RESEARCH

The basic story of the Ruhl play follows the Greek myth. Eurydice is married to

Orpheus and dies on her wedding day. Orpheus travels to the underworld to bring

Eurydice back with the condition that he must not look upon her. He does look upon her

and is not with her again until she dies. While there were small adjustments to the story

and a different impetus for Orpheus turning to see Eurydice, the major embellishment of

Ruhl’s play is the addition of the Father character. Ruhl’s dedication page preceding her

script states “This play is for my father.” Ruhl’s father died from cancer when she was

twenty in 1994. More information about Ruhl’s relationship with her father can be

gleaned from a 2008 article by John Lahr in The New Yorker:

Each Saturday, from the time Ruhl was five, Patrick took his daughters to the Walker Bros. Original Pancake House for breakfast and taught them a new word, along with its etymology. (The language lesson and some of Patrick’s words—“ostracize,” “peripatetic,” “defunct”—are memorialized in the 2003 “Eurydice,” a retelling of the Orpheus myth from his inamorata’s point of view, in which the dead Father, reunited with his daughter, tries to re-teach her lost vocabulary.) Patrick died of cancer in 1994, when Ruhl was twenty. That year, because he was ill, the family had to forgo its usual summer trip to Cape Cod; instead, as Kate recalled, “we brought Cape Cod to our house. We pretended

we were away—we would watch dumb summer movies, get the kid food we ate on the Cape. We were a really good foursome.”

It is not hard to imagine that Ruhl wrote much of herself and her family into the

characters of Eurydice. Ruhl was married in 2005, a couple years after she wrote

Eurydice, and it is not a stretch to believe Ruhl would have wanted her father walking her

down the aisle, just as it happens in the script. The theme of cancer is present in another

of Ruhl’s plays called The Clean House.

With the story of the myth and the director’s concept in hand, I turned to the

script itself for more guidance on how to approach lighting the world of Eurydice. Sarah

Ruhl gives guidance throughout, not only in the lines delivered by the characters, but by

smaller stage directions and descriptions within. After I read the script, I took a

highlighter and went through it again marking any word that was in any way descriptive

or inspirational. In the stage directions alone, I found elemental words such as sky, water,

clouds, earth, shade, rain, light, river, and shadows. The characters described their world

through their words and actions.

Next, I broke down the script into the three ‘movements’ that the playwright

prescribed. I looked at each movement for location, time of day, and environmental

indications. The first movement is the only one where the entire stage reveals the normal

world of Eurydice and Orpheus. They begin with a young lovers’ day at the beach, full of

sun, birds, and a run to the water. The setting shifts to the underworld where Eurydice’s

father writes letters to his daughter. The finale of the first movement takes place at the

apartment of the Nasty Interesting Man, the only indoor location in the script.

The second movement transitions back and forth from the underworld to Orpheus

writing letters back in the natural world. Fortunately, the director restricted Orpheus’

blocking, keeping his world geographically separate from the underworld. Within the

environment of underworld, the Father creates a new place referred to as the string room.

This string room would need to be primary created with light.

The third movement begins with Orpheus at the gates of hell – a location used

during one scene only. During the remainder of the movement, the play’s action stays in

the underworld and the play is brought to conclusion.

The script I began working with changed slightly when we received a new

Samuel French version. The original script I had read was an earlier version from when

the play was reviewed for inclusion in the season. The wandering Grandmother character

was gone and so were her scenes in which she meandered in the background. Although

this character was gone, the grandmother was still a part of the play when she was

referred to in the text spoken by other characters.

The playwright makes various statements throughout the script giving both global

and specific artistic direction to the creative team. Scene designer Divya Murthy was

guided in her design approach by certain requirements listed by Ruhl in the section she

calls “SETTING”:

The set contains a raining elevator, a water pump, some rusty exposed pipes, an abstracted River of Forgetfulness, an old-fashioned glow-in-the-dark globe.

Our set did have a raining elevator and an abstracted River of Forgetfulness. The

water pump was supplanted by a gentle waterfall flowing in the river. The rusty exposed

pipes were echoed in the many colored pipes infesting the stage. The globe did not find a

home on our stage.

In her “NOTES” section at the beginning of the script, Ruhl states “The

underworld should resemble the world of Alice in Wonderland more than it resembles

Hades.” This note was of the utmost influence in guiding the design team and the

director. With this note, the playwright has clearly stated that she does not want the visual

elements of the show to occur in what looks like a stereotypical representation of Hades

or Hell. I also found her choice in grammar interesting as she chose to capitalize Hades,

but not to capitalize underworld throughout the script. This makes the underworld more

like just another location where characters interact in the world of the play and not some

place of cultural lore that must be treated with fear and reverence. Eurydice’s underworld

is one owing its heritage to the Greeks and not to Satan.

The design of the underworld became significant primarily because of the amount

of time spent there in the script. It might seem difficult to judge the passage of time in the

underworld of the script as “sleeping is not allowed.” However, Eurydice’s father checks

his watch throughout the show and sees that he must be off to work. He is an anomaly of

the underworld because he can still read and write. It is from the Father that we receive

our first description of the underworld and what it is like being dead:

As for me, this is what it’s like being dead: the atmosphere smells. And there are strange high pitched noised – like a tea kettle always boiling over. But it doesn’t seem to bother anyone. And, for the

most part, there is a pleasant atmosphere and you can work and socialize, much like at home.

The part of this description that stood out the most to me is the part that is not there: any

visual descriptions or clues. Ruhl evokes the olfactory and aural aspects, but offers

nothing about what this underworld looks like. Ruhl even tells us that the social

atmosphere is pleasant, but mentions no visual description which is not typical in a script.

With this description and the director’s concept in hand, I thought about what I could do

to evoke Eurydice’s underworld.

At the top of the second movement, Ruhl states the action takes place in “The

underworld. There is no set change.” With this direction by the playwright, the designers

are given the subtext that the creative team must make use of the same stage for both the

underworld and non-underworld or natural world scenes. The lighting design would need

to provide the means to demonstrate this contrast in locations to the audience. I

determined that the non-underworld scenes in the first movement are bright and warm.

The underworld scenes in the second and third movements are cooler in color and less

welcoming. I created examples of both worlds on stage during the wedding. Eurydice’s

father jitterbugs in the underworld while Eurydice and Orpheus dance in the natural

world. The director’s blocking of this scene with the characters on opposite sides of the

stage helped greatly.

In her play, The Clean House, Ruhl also creates two distinct worlds on stage.

Here, the action takes place in a white living room with a balcony and “a metaphysical

Connecticut…that is not far from the city and not far from the sea.” During the second

act, the living room doubles as a hospital emphasizing the cancer theme in the story. At 17

one point the balcony is imagined to be overlooking the sea. There is a certain

challenging choice of style in both plays where the playwright dictates different locations

must be created by the design team as a whole without the making large scale scenery

changes.

Later in the second movement, the playwright presents a scene with no lines

delivered by characters. Scene 3 is entirely stage direction and placed a greater burden on

the design choices to tell the story. Here is the relevant first half of Scene 3:

The father creates a room out of string for Eurydice.

He makes four walls and a door out of string. Time Passes. It takes time to build a room out of string.

Eurydice observes the underworld. There isn’t much to observe.

Although not mentioned by the playwright in the ‘SETTINGS’ section at the beginning

of the script, the design team would need to figure out how to build a string room on

stage. The interesting question is: What is a string room? Just as when Ruhl calls for a

raining elevator, the design team is given the challenge of defining the string room, given

the smallest of hints from the script.

The director discussed how she wanted to follow the script in that the string room

should take time to build, but not too much time. There was no desire to leave the

audience bored and wondering. The challenge would be to balance the intricacy of

building the string room with the time it takes to complete the task. Beth Kattelman and

Divya Murthy worked with the Father, played by Cornelius Hubbard, and Chad Mahan,

the technical director, to figure out how the physical string would be arranged and 18

choreographed. Pipes were placed above the stage extending through the wire tension

grid with the lowest terminating around six feet off of the stage floor. Hooks were welded

on to the ends of these pipes and also attached in discrete plaaces to the interior sides of

the forms on the perimeter of the thrust stage. Kattelman worked with the Father to fifind a

sequence that would produce the desired string room and look beautiful at the same time.

Cornelius’ dance background helped greatly as his fluid movement style made the string

arranging sequence attractive rather than awkward.

Figure 2. The Nearly Completed String Room

Dan Schifflet, sound designer, contributed to the construction of the string room

with a delicate piano-based piece that played throughout the movement. After consulting

with Schifflet and discovering that the sound cue sequence was around two and a half

minutes in length, I coordinated my light design orchestration to match this time.

The lighting contribution would be comprised of four very specifically-placed

lights. Each of these lights projected the same pattern onto essentially the same area of

the stage – the approximately one hundred square feet contained by the physical string.

The pattern was called ‘Dismay’ and looked like this:

Figi ure 3. Apollo Pattern MS-1315 Dismay

Four light fixtures were used to create the effect and were divided with one pair

coming from upstage and the second pair coming from downstage. The first pair of lights

came to full brightness in around a minute and a half while the second pair was added to

the scene during the final minute. With the physical string, layered music, actor

movement, and textured gobo lighting, the string room was created on stage.

With the director’s concept and script inggrained in my thought process, I

developed my preliminary Lighting Design Concept (Appendix B). My early research

focused strongly on water, in response to Kattelman’s production concept: “Water

elements are very important.” I had the impression that the design would have a water 20

theme throughout the production. In consideration of the underworld, I looked mostly at

water at night, although our production would have water in both the natural world and

the underworld. The natural world would appear primarily in daylight and the underworld

at night. I looked at imagery of various bodies of water at night (see Figure 4). I was

attracted to the rippling nature of the surfaces that often became a perfectly randomized,

oddly-textured reflector of light. This led me to covering the entire stage in a pattern

breakup wash that approached the stage in an array from the audience. This meant that

each light in the pattern wash system was pointing at an area unlike any other light in the

system. These nine lights were used extensively throughout the show. I also found the

rippling effect of drops disturbing a flat surface of water to be very beautiful. I used two

Apollo Smart Move® DMX Rotators to simulate the rippling of water, but they were not

used often. There was also a special device called an Apollo Smart Move® Vertical

DMX that created a full stage rippling effect immediately following the moment when

Orpheus and Eurydice turn and gaze upon each other. I even looked at masses of bubbles

underwater, but was stymied in trying to think of a way to translate that to the stage.

Figure 4. Research Image of River Near Nantes, France at Night

From water, my research turned to the undderworld. I met with Kattelman in the

middle of March and ask her how she pictured the underworld. She saw it as a wet and

watery underground cave. As I began researching caves, I came across Son Doong cave

in Vietnam (Figures 5 and 6) discovered in 2009. The cave measures 460 feet wide by

460 feet tall and continues at this size for several miles. I was fascinated with the scope

and scale of this immense cave. This underworld made a mere mortal seem even more

insignificant. I continued to examine caves, mostt of which contained water in some

fashion. A few caves even contained rivers large enough for boats. The lighting in these

caves was almost always artificial unless the pictures were taken near an entrance or a

brreak in the overhead. Although this lighting provided a certain unearthliness, it was

mostly there for visibility. The surfaces of the water and earth inside the caves provided

very interesting textures and qualities. I passed a few of these images on to the scene

designer in case she might find any of them useful when looking at colors and textures. I

believe some of these images can be found in thee stage floor texturing.

Figure 5. Son Doong Cave in Vietnam Fiigure 6. Son Doong Cave in Vietnam

I found in my research a picture titled Night’s Song (Figure 7) that conveyed a

good ambience and mood for what the production’s underworld might feel like. The

subject was a man-like figure with pointy ears holding a harp with a waterfall in the

background. Everything in the picture was createed with a cool color palette and the mood

was somber and contemplative. The range of blues in this phootograph was exactly what I

tried to put on stage. After experimenting with various colors in the lighting studio, I

settled on Roscolux 362, Tipton Blue, and Roscoolux 365, Tharon Delft Blue. With these

colors coming in at frontal angles, I also wanted a way to cover the stage in blues from

above. I chose to use the Vari-Lite VL5s to accomplish this because of their range of

color. I would not need their pan and tilt features nearly as much as their color-changing

capability. One other feature that I wanted to expplore was that in a cave, the light sources

may not always be coming from overhead. Light could be coming from lower angles,

possibly as a result of light reflecting off water. Although I had very little water surface

to strike with beams of light, I specified three individual light fixtures to illuminate the

pool from three different directions and to bounce light in a direction wheere it was

visible. This is something that is usually explored in the use of footlights which are

difficult to accomplish in the Bowen space.

Figure 7. Research Image: Night’s Song by Ashayaa

Next, I began to look at the “elegant high-rise apartmment” of the Nasty Interesting

Man which Ruhl describes as “a giant loft space with no furniture.” The design team

determined that this space would need to be elevated above the rest of the set. I wantted to

isolate the apartment geographically with light and researcheed elegant and expensive

apartments and penthouses and found some similarities. The most prominent

characteristic was the presence of oversized windows to give the occupants their sense of

being above all else.

Figure 8. Research Image for Nasty Man’s Apartment

One of the most difficult transitions in the play is the fall of Eurydice (from the

apartment) at the end of the first movement:

She runs, trips and pitches down thhe stairs, holding her letter. She follows the letter down, down down… Blackout. A clatter. Strange sounds – xylophones, brass bands, sounds of falling, sounds of vertigigo. Sounds of breathing.

The plan was for Eurydice to have a controlled ‘fall’ down the slide on the set in a safe,

yet disarrayed motion. I wanted to try to find imagery to represent how lighting could

help create this effect. I discovered the work of phhotographer Elena Kalis, who primarily

takes images of subjects underwater. Many of these made the subjects appear to be

falling. These research images evoked imagery that I wanted to recreate on stage to

represent the falling of Eurydice.

Figure 9. Research Photo for the Fall by Elena Kalis

For the string room sequence, my challennge was to build string room primarily

out of light, due to the minimal amount of scenery. My research led me to look for

images that provided a strong sense of lines and the shadows created by those lines. This

search proved to be very global as there are lines everywhere one looks. I found fences,

wires, strings, and other concoctions of lines. One of the most evocative wwas an arbor

covering a walkway with hundreds of linear shadows (Figure 10). I researched linear

steel patterns manufactured by many companies and purchaseed several sample gobos.

After I narrowed the selection down to two, I shared these with Kattelman and we agreed

on the previously mentioned ‘Dismay’ pattern.

Figure 10. Research Photo for String Room

At the beginning of the third movement, “Orpheus stands at the gates of hell.”

After talking with the director, I tried to keep in mind that where he was coming through

was a dark and mysterious place, possibly like a forest. Without any physical gates on the

stage we would need to evoke an emerging feeling. Most of the imagery in western

culture shows bright or scary lights emitting forth from frightening gate doors (Figure

11). Although I was not sure I would be able to duplicate any of these speecific images, I

did want to keep the look of bright lights in mind for this scene.

Figure 11. Gates of Helll Research Image

There were several specific effects that I wanted to experiment with on stage. The

raining elevator on the set was framed in corrugaated metal and the technical director,

Chad Mahan determined the rain would be produced by one or more showerheads located

in the top of the elevator shaft. For the raining elevator I wanted to illuminate the falling

water of the shower inside to amplify and accentuate the raining effect. My research

revealed hundreds of LED showerheads that lighted automatically according to the

temperature of the water. Although visually interresting, these were impractical due to

their cost and the fact that the light output was not bright enough to work with the other

stage lights. The technical director and I looked into various sshowerheads that distributed

a wide spread of water. The falling water needed to fall vertically like rain and not look

like a shower in a bathroom. Mahan ended up using three fairly normal showerheadss

spread about a foot apart mounted very high in the shaft. The showerheads were installed

at a height of exactly eleven feet which put them four and a half feet above the elevator

doors. This also meant they were six feet above Eurydice and five feet above Orpheus

who were the only two characters using the elevator. This heiight differential gave

adequate dispersion and a rain-like appearance for the showers.

When I first saw the scene designer’s set renderings with plastic corrugated walls,

I imagined these would provide me a unique opportunity to paint the set with light. With

these walls permanently on the set, I thought it would present a visually flexible

environment if they would have the ability to change color throughout the production. I

researched methods of treating these walls and decided to explore LED ribbon tape as a

new, compact source offering nearly limitless color mixing. The LED ribbon tape is only

a quarter inch wide and aba out an eighth inch thick. It is flexible and can be cut to custom

lengths. There are red, green, and blue LEDs everry inch on the tape (Figure 12).

Figure 12. LED Ribbon Tape

I ordered a sample length of the LED ribbon tape to try behind the corrugated

plastic walls. I tested the look and demonstrated it for Murthy and Kattelman and we all

thought the effect would be suitably functional for the production.

Figure 13. Photo of LED Ribbon Tape under Corrugated Plastic Test

The final part of my research was to bring the scene design white model up to the

lighting studio and experiment with different lighting angles,, colors, and effects. I

confirmed that I would need wide angle light fixtures to properly illuminate the scenes

taking place on either of the high platforms because of the short throw distance. Although

my concept was not very developed when I experimented with the white model, I was

able to use some of these trials to confirm placement of my lighting systems in the show.

I was able to demonstrate how the corrugated plastic walls on the ramps could appear

different colors. I also examined the feasibility of isolating the platform representing the

Nasty Man’s apartment.

Figure 14. Photo of White Model Test Shot for Nasty Man’s Apartment and Walls

CHAPTER FOUR

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS

As is sometimes the path of a show, the overall vision began in one form early in

the process and developed to maturity under the influence of changing thoughts, technical

limitations, budget factors, blocking or staging requirements, and creative team decisions.

For Eurydice there were initial thoughts of having ambient sounds produced live on stage

by the actors or perhaps by a performer cast just for that purpose. Some initial scenic

drawings showed an art deco dial above the elevator doors indicating the current floor of

the elevator travel. Although water was discussed from the very beginning, there seemed

to be some discord between what the director wanted and what the scenic designer

continued to put forth. Eventually, our set consisted of the playwright’s call for a raining

elevator along with a waterfall streaming into a reservoir with a grated bridge over it. The

painted-on makeup of the Stones was originally planned as masks or partial masks.

The director and I discussed using light from hidden sources, lighting actors from

upward angles, and bouncing light off of water surfaces. In the end, the only real hidden

sources were the LEDs lighting the corrugated plastic walls and the Mini-Strip

underneath the center seating section which also provided uplight towards the stage. We

did use three lights specifically to bounce light off the surface of the reservoir. The

constant water falling into the reservoir gave the water’s surface a rippling motion which

transferred to the reflected light. Early in the process, I anticipated there would be

significantly more water surface on stage to experiment with this effect.

I completed the light plot on Monday, April 18th, 2011, and turned it over to the

production electrician for circuiting. That same day, the Graduate Teaching Assistants

(GTAs), and I had already cleared out the lighting grid in the Bowen Theatre and finished

hanging the remainder of the moving lights. We had already hung four VL5s the week

previous when Spencer Lyons from Electronic Theatre Controls was in town to teach us

how to use their Ion console, but we had six more to hang. Some of these moving lights

and other lights would be hung nearly directly over the open wire tension grid panels.

This necessitated the movement of Pipes D and F approximately 18 inches upstage.

Luckily, these pipes were properly installed and the movement took under 30 minutes. I

planned on using ten Vari-Lite VL5s that used a large quantity of proprietary gear

necessary to make them functional. I knew from years of lighting and supervising load-

ins, that it was often easiest to get them in place and operational before everything else is

installed in the grid. Each VL5 had a single Series 300 cable running from the light to a

Smart Repeater. The Smart Repeaters were distribution units for the gear. They received

the data and the dimming power for the moving light fixtures. The Smart Repeater then

passed along both the power and data via the Series 300 cable to the VL5s. Along with

the ten VL5s, we also hung two Smart Repeaters, each of which had a Socapex cable (for

power), a DMX cable (for data), and another Series 200 cable which just brought power

to the Smart Repeater itself.

Most of the Vari-Lite equipment used in this production was manufactured

around 1994 and the Department of Theatre acquired it in 2000. During the summer of

2000, I was trained how to specify, operate, and service the Vari-Lite gear as part of our

initial partnership with the company. The partnership effectively dissolved over the next

five years as Vari-Lite went through corporate disarray and changes in ownership. As we

enter our twelfth year with the equipment, I have managed to keep eleven of the original

twelve VL5s in working order. Although most of our students will probably never use

these lights with their proprietary gear again outside of our building, I still teach the

operational principles of power and data to each and every one. Although the lights,

peripheral gear, and methods of distribution may change, the fact that every intelligent

fixture requires power and data will not.

On Tuesday, production electrician Alex Childs returned with the plot circuited

and the necessary paperwork ready to go. With the help of one student, we began creating

hang cards for each fixture and attaching to the lighting grid pipes in their respective

positions. The hang cards contain information for each lighting fixture including its type,

location, unit number, channel, dimmer, color, focus position, and any other useful

information. Outside of an educational environment, these cards would probably not be

necessary. I have found they are very helpful during the hang, focus, and trouble-shooting

processes. With the cards in place, we set about hanging the approximately 150 lighting

fixtures. We were almost completely done hanging lights by the end of the day Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Childs and I planned the data distribution for all of the gear that

would require data in the form of hard-wired DMX. DMX, or digital multiplexing, is the

protocol by which lighting consoles deliver their commands and data to lighting fixtures

that can receive it. Each device requiring data from the console needs a DMX cable run.

The primary groups of gear that needed data were the Smart Repeaters (for the VL5s), the

LED Wall Washers in the grid, the LED ribbon tape mounted on the set, and finally all of

the fixture accessories, including rotators, irises, moving mirrors, and effects. This puzzle

was tricky to solve because of the need for DMX cables feeding the LED ribbon tape

behind nearly every corrugated plastic wall on the set. We ended up planning to drop data

lines down onto stage from the grid both on stage left and stage right behind the masking

legs.

With this planning out of the way, the lighting crew began circuiting the plot. By

the nature of the space this is a time-consuming process in the Bowen grid. The

production electrician did an excellent job of planning which circuits would go where and

even left spare circuits near the center which was something I had specified when I

presented him with the plot. While the circuiting was occurring, third year GTA Jarod

Wilson hung the handful of light fixtures underneath the grid. There was a single boom

with a single light off stage left and right, upstage of the audience behind a masking leg.

There was also a pair of fixtures tucked up to the grid over each vom. These fixtures

would act as moving lights with a controllable iris and movable mirror in each. The Mini-

Strip light fixture also needed to be placed underneath the center audience seating

section. To get the circuits to this fixture, a drop box containing six individual circuits

was dropped from the lighting grid, behind the seating, and down to the floor. We were

able to send a small student underneath the seating risers to plug in the three circuits of

the fixture.

The first goal Thursday was to complete the circuiting. After that we wanted flash

out the light plot which entails turning on every light in the show and confirming that

they were functional. While the students finished the circuiting, the graduate students

completed the data runs and began installing the LED ribbon tape. Each LED ribbon tape

required a low voltage power supply and a small data box delivering DMX. A substantial

quantity of expert labor was required for their installation.

The LED ribbon tape required additional experimentation and attention to detail

to achieve the desired result. The process was time-consuming and I had set a goal of

having at least one fully operational section working before I sat down to write the cues

for the show. The corrugated plastic sheets that the technical director acquired for the set

were different than the semi-transparent pieces I had tested with. The only style available

for the show was completely clear. The initial testing with these pieces showed that

almost none of the colored light from the LED ribbon tape was visible on the plastic

sheets. Carla Chaffin, the hired scenic charge artist, was working in the space throughout

the week and applied a white dusting of paint to one side of the corrugated plastic. This

proved to work very well and after consulting with the scene designer and technical

director, we decided that this process would be applied to all of the pieces of corrugated

plastic on the set. It pays to remember that light is largely invisible until it strikes a non-

transparent object. Without the white paint, there was simply not enough of the light

visible.

The second big factor with making the LED ribbon tape work well was

discovering the ideal mounting location in relation to the corrugated plastic walls. This

location was different for each wall mostly depending on whether the corrugation was

running up and down or side to side (see Figure 15 below). The LED ribbon tapes would

always mount below the walls so that they would be less visible from any vantage point.

The design team’s goal was to make these light sources for the walls invisible. With the

corrugation running up and down, the LEDs worked well almost directly beneath the

plastic walls. The walls were mounted to one inch square steel box tube providing an

ideal ledge for mounting the half inch wide LED ribbon tape. On the wall sections with

the corrugation running left to right, the LEDs could not mount directly underneath. Only

a small amount of light was able to penetrate the first row of corrugation and even less

light went upwards after the first. We used clear packing tape to secure the LED ribbon

tape to a long and thin piece of lauan that we could manually move nearer and further to

the wall. Using this method, I determined that a distance of approximately two inches

away from the base of the wall provided the best illumination. I also angled the strip of

lauan slightly towards the wall. This orientation allowed the most amount of light to

strike the corrugated plastic walls with the smallest quantity of light wasted upwards

beyond the walls.

Figure 15. LEDs Lighting Corrugated Plastic Walls

While the GTAs worked with the technical director on the minutia of the LEDs,

Childs and I brought the lighting console down into the space, set it up, checked for

functionality, and patched the lights to their appropriate channels. By the end of the work

call on Thursday, we were completely flashed out and ready to begin focus on Friday. I

spent some time going over the Ion console with the production electrician while we

patched. Patching is when you assign which dimmers will turn on when you tell the

lighting console to turn on a specific channel. Although I had only just become familiar

with the software the week before, I was the closeest thing to an expert we had on hand. I

had also watched two hours of training videos that the manufacturer had posted online

prior to the console arrival. Although there was a not insignificant learning curve

involved, I rapidly became enamored with the new lighting console. At the end of the

afternoon, we removed the lighting console and playback wing to the secure lockup cage

in the lighting studio. The Ion lighting console with the wing are priced somewhere 38

around ten thousand dollars and were highly portable. Without a backup on hand, I was

taking no chances leaving such a high dollar item in the theatre space. The portability of

the console was gratifying as the setup and tear down only took a few minutes each day.

Friday morning, I had a lighting call with just the GTAs present. When I have a

lighting call such as this, with no undergraduate educational mission present, it is

possible to tackle complex tasks without interruption. This is not to say that the

educational mission is a distraction, but rather that the division of labor and tasks should

always be commensurate with the skill sets on hand. The GTAs continued the time-

intensive installation of the LED ribbon tapes and completed all the data runs.

On Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon, we began focusing lights. We had a

student crew of four along with two out of the three lighting GTAs and the production

electrician. I asked Childs to run the console with one student shadowing him. With GTA

Alex Kyle-Dipietropaulo working next door in Thurber Theatre, GTAs Jarod Wilson and

Brian Elston worked for me in the Bowen Theatre. They would rotate working on the

LED installation while the other would mentor the remaining students in the lighting grid.

Wilson was vital in the LED installation. Working with the technical director, Wilson

measured, cut, and installed several of the mounting shelves for the LED ribbon tape.

This included welding these ledges onto the existing metal structure of the set.

Shortly after beginning to focus my light plot, I realized that my acting area that I

had dubbed area ‘G’ was not useful as it fell in the reservoir below the waterfall – an

unlikely place for much acting. I moved the area slightly stage left and nearly all of the

fixtures pointed at that area were still able to make their shot. The focus started out

slowly as they usually do when supporting the educational mission. As the Theatre 205

(beginning practicum) student crews learned the lights and became more familiar with the

process, the pace quickened. I focused in order by channels and systems, starting with the

pale blues that were pointed straight at the stage at a 45 degree vertical angle. I had nearly

identical systems coming from stage left and stage right, but colored with a slightly less

saturated blue. All three of these systems were comprised of Strand Century base-up 6 x

12 lighting fixtures. This was relevant because these fixtures are at least 35 years old and

not the easiest to work with for an inexperienced lighting crew. In retrospect, I probably

should have begun with newer fixtures to facilitate the learning and confidence of the

student crew members.

With this first group of systems out of the way, I moved on to the warm angled

front light comprised of much newer Source Four fixtures which were much easier to

work with. These lights were generally making more difficult shots towards the stage and

were often being maneuvered so that their beams would avoid theatre architecture –

especially that of the wire tension grid. As a result some lighting fixtures must be moved

from one position to another to be able to properly hit their targets. Whenever this

happened, the production electrician was calling out to me to be sure that he properly

documented where the light had moved to and from. We were able to focus nearly all of

the fixtures in these two systems which brought our Friday total to approximately 50

lights focused. With around 150 lights in the show, this was a respectable percentage

completed for the first day. At the end of the day, we struck the lighting console and sat

down to plan for the eight hour focus call the next day. The remaining systems were two

top light systems, a front pattern wash, rear glass pattern wash, and the moat systems.

After those five systems were focused, the remaining lights were nearly all serving

specialty purposes.

We began on time Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. with all three GTAs, the

production electrician, and four of our five student crew members present. I was able to

begin focusing with two separate crews: one working with the front pattern wash and the

second focusing the top light systems. The top light systems were competed quickly as

they usually do. The front pattern wash was also fully focused before we took our first

break around 11:00 a.m. We returned from break and finished the last system of front and

top light for the moat area between the stage and the audience. We focused the glass

pattern system that came from upstage. We then began focusing specials and completing

and checking data runs.

After breaking for lunch, we returned and spent the next four hours finishing the

focus of the specials. This included placing the two off stage booms in useful, yet mostly

hidden locations. There was very little scenery absent with only the waterfall not

completed. Two lighting fixtures had to be placed on floor stands in the lighting grid to

make their very shallow throws onto the upper platforms. We also double-checked the

color placement in all of the systems. We powered up and turned on all of the lighting

equipment which required data other than dimming from the lighting console. This

included the moving mirrors, irises, rotators, LEDs, and VL5s.

I had an incredibly confidant feeling at the end of the day Saturday as the

production electrician and I began writing groups and organizing for the cue write the

following day. With the vast majority of the scenery in place for our focus sessions, we

planned on making the most of our cue writing time.

On Easter Sunday, April 23rd, 2011, Childs and I met in the Lighting Studio at

10:00 a.m. to begin our day. I did not ask him to come in for this cue write session, but he

wanted to learn more about the process in general, cue writing specifically, and of course,

the new lighting console. With “Carolyn” - a full scale female mannequin - on stage,

Childs and I set up the console and began writing light cues. We keep Carolyn on hand in

the lighting lab to test lights because it is not always easy to find such a patient human

being to stand in your lights.

I usually work with lighting systems as a basis for cues. The systems are groups

of lights all working together in a similar purpose, such as angled warms or top cools.

With some of the new console learning curve already out of the way, we were able to

make excellent progress throughout the day. Cue writing always begins slowly and

sometimes the beginning of the show can be the hardest to write. The slowness for me is

usually due to the time it takes for me to get comfortable with using my systems together.

When I have achieved a balanced look, I use this as a base for future looks. After creating

a visually interesting pre-show look, including a water drop effect upstage left which

used three lights to project the different-sized circular shapes of a ripple, I began crafting

what would be the brightest scene of the show near the water with Eurydice and Orpheus.

The next image was the first underworld scene with the Father alone. I wanted to

get his lighting composition right as it would be the base look for many underworld

scenes to come. This first dark, cool underworld mood was referred to often during the

rest of the cue session.

The next major composition was that of the Nasty Man’s apartment. While

working on this cue, Childs and I encountered a quirk of the new lighting console. We

created many groups for the VL5s that contained color and focus information. The

console is able to create discrete groups that can contain only color information, only

focus information, or only beam information. Groups containing all of this information

are also possible. I had a focus group for the VL5s with all of them pointing nearly

straight down as top lights for their appropriate areas. I also created color groups for each

of the primary and secondary colors. While building the picture for the apartment cue, I

used the VL5s above the upstage center platform and the upstage right platform (channels

192 and 193) to help create the high class, indoor appearance. After changing these two

fixtures to a near primary blue, I updated the cue. Later on in cueing, when I brought up

the color group of the VL5s, I discovered that the changes I had made had actually

updated themselves into the recorded group. This meant that whenever I wrote a cue

which called this group, eight out of the ten VL5s would be in the correct color while two

were in a different color. After the show had opened, I happened to speak with local

lighting designer T.J. Gerckens about the console. He had used consoles with the same

software recently and ran into the exact same problem. When manufacturers write

software programs they must choose how they believe the designers or programmers will

interact with the lighting consoles. Apparently, both us do not work as the manufacturer

intended. After discovering this fluke I was then able to work around it moving forward. I

learned later that the software for the console will soon change to work differently.

At around 5:00 p.m. that evening, I ended the work session and dismissed Childs.

After a short break, I went back to the console and finished a few small items needing

attention. I also finished creating more groups that would simplify the cue editing process

throughout the next week and a half.

About two-thirds of the lighting cues were recorded when the crews resumed

working Monday afternoon. The LED installation work continued as did the cueing. I

was able to finish writing cues for the remainder of the show while the production

electrician prepared a checklist for our console operator, Lesley Fisher. After a dinner

break and a period of instruction for the cast from the technical director, I began looking

at cues with the director. Cue previews are absolutely necessary for the lighting designer

and director to know that they are on the same page with the design. It is obviously

crucial to see one’s art on a stage populated with actors. There were some changes made

as went along and some more time-intensive ones saved for later. I also added a few

lights as is usually the case.

The following day, I wore the additional hat of the Department of Theatre

photographer, shooting several staged setups before our technical rehearsal began. The

local newspaper typically requests a few photographs from the production the week

before the show opens for a preview article.

During the technical rehearsal, I began to change the timing of many cues as is

typical. I also learned that the console can give individual channels their own discrete

timing within cues. This means that while a cue may have a total time of ten seconds, I

can choose a single channel in that cue and assign it a time of five seconds. I began using

this extensively, especially with the LEDs. This included the LED Wall Washers and the

LED ribbon tape. By their nature, LEDs fade up much quicker than the conventional

lights with tungsten filaments. I tried to fix this by building a slower dimming curve for

the LEDs. With a slower dimming curve, the LEDs would not come to their assigned

intensity levels until much later than a standard conventional fixture. This was not

enough to solve the problem. This effect was most visible when coming into a scene from

a darker scene without LEDs. The human eye would always go first to the LEDs which

were often the corrugated walls. To solve this, I began selecting all of the LED channels

and having them begin half a second after every other light in the cue. This effectively

stopped their unwanted early entrances into cues. The LEDs were also removed from

cues sometimes a full second before the other conventional lights in the cues. This was

done for the same reason: if the LEDs had the same time as the conventional lights in a

cue, they would be the last item visible on stage. I only occasionally applied this discrete

timing to non-LED fixtures and it was often for a very subtle effect. The single drawback

to this technique was that I could not see what the discrete times were. I could only see

that total time of the cue and a small notation indicating that I had channels with discrete

timing within the cue. Later, I learned at the ETC conference that there is in fact a way to

display these discrete timings.

The following day was more of the same and I was hesitant to make significant

changes without viewing costumes. I received a small number of notes from Kattelman

including concern over the lighting during the fall of Eurydice. This moment was at the

end of the first movement and results in Eurydice heading to the underworld. While at the

Nasty Man’s apartment, Eurydice takes a letter written by her Father from the Nasty

Man. In her rush to leave, she trips and falls down the stairs. Instead of stairs, our

Eurydice ‘fell’ down the playground slide on the set leading from the apartment platform

towards center stage. Kattelman spent some time working on the blocking with the actor

to find a way to fall that was visually effective and safe. It proved difficult to find lighting

to match this movement sequence.

Although we did not make it through the entire show the first two tech rehearsals,

we were able to make through every night after when starting from the beginning. This

was due to the show running at approximately 80 minutes. I have worked on shows

where the first act is not complete after 80 minutes and I have to say that as a lighting

designer, an 80 minute show allows me to focus on finer design and cueing details much

earlier in the technical and dress rehearsal process. The other tangible advantage is one of

health and well-being. Although it may be obvious, the entire cast and crew can remain

more energized and focused when they are not working until 11:00p.m. every night

leading up to opening.

On Thursday, April 28th, costumes were added onstage. I looked forward to this

day as the costumes almost always make the lighting look better, and there were very few

costume surprises. The pinks, blues, and lavenders worn by Eurydice and Orpheus looked

true to their design. The white of the wedding dress caused me to pull down some levels

during the scenes it was on stage in the first movement. The Stones costumes also looked

excellent and no costume looked distorted by the lighting. Their makeup was at least

partially in place and the silver paint-like texture took light well. This gave me time to

work on other details. The waterfall was completed and all the LED ribbon tapes were

operational. I added the waterfall LEDs into the show and monitored the others

throughout. My advisor, Mary Tarantino, also came to the rehearsal on this evening.

Afterwards, we sat down in the lobby to discuss the lighting design progress. Tarantino

noticed that I used patterns extensively throughout the show including the full stage

breakups, the string room gobos, and the high angled rear glass colored gobos. Tarantino

expressed an interest similar to Kattelman in the cues before, during, and after the fall of

Eurydice. The moment was a difficult one that would need further work. My advisor

commented on contrast in the scenes switching back and forth during the second

movement. She asked if I was trying to deny the existence of the characters on the main

portion of the stage while Orpheus was speaking upstage. In other words, is the audience

supposed to forget the other parts of the stage exist as they are left in black while

Orpheus is lighted on his platform? Compositionally, I experimented with leaving a slight

glow on the dark stage so that the disparate visual selections seemed more deliberate.

Tarantino also suggested I take a closer look at the moment near the end where the Father

and Eurydice dip themselves in the river. I ended up hanging a second light of a different

color for this moment. When Father enters the river he has a red top light. At the sound

effect for the ping of forgetfulness, his light (and the waterfall) quickly fades to a clean

white.

Figi ure 16. Photo of Father After Dipping in Riveer

The second element I began checking for consistency was the grazing effect on

the front façade of the elevator. It was a purely decorative effect that looked interesting

on the corrugated metal panels. With light cominng at the corrugation from an angle nearly

at the side, each peak of the corrugation was able to catch and bounce a small quantity of

light. The troughs of the metal were in darkness and the overrall effect created an

interesting visual rhythm (Figure 17). I did not want to have this effect on display during

the entire show and so I needed to find a justifiable or intentional pattern of use. I ended

up using the effect during every underworld and natural scene, unless the elevator or

another special effect was being used. The effect provided an excellent background for

the Stones when they were in place in the stage right ramp.

Figure 17. Photo Detailing Light Grazing Corrugated Metal

Friday night was second dress rehearsal and we ran the entire show again witth

costumes and I began further examining many of the cue placement and timings. I took

this opportunity to view the show from different sseating sections, noting small design

changes that I could make in levels. I also began to take veryy detailed technical notes

such as moving a shutter cut a foot onstage. I also noticed that one of my warm systems

used during the natural scenes was reading a little too yellow. Some of the skin tones on

the actors’ faces looked unnaturally yellow. I swapped the R01 Light Bastard Amber for

R02 Bastard Amber which looked much better.

On Saturday, April 30th, we held a full tech rehearsal with some of the costumes. I

began looking at ever more detail in the cueing. I tried swapping out the color on the

lights shining directly into the elevator. I wanted to see if a more saturated blue would

help make the falling water more visible. Unfortunately, the result was nearly the same. I

was making very minute changes in timing and often altering individual channel timing 49

within cues. As mentioned previously, at the time I incorrectly believed that the console

could not show me the timing of the individual channels.

The one primary moment that I needed to solve was the fall of Eurydice.

Kattelman and I discussed the moment a few times and we had trouble working towards a

sequence that was effective in telling the audience that Eurydice fell, died, went to the

underworld, and also looked good. The director had stated that she did not want a strobe

light, but occasionally the description of what she wanted sounded like a strobe light to

me. I decided to prepare several options between Saturday’s rehearsal and the Monday of

opening week and hopefully Kattelman and I could find common ground. I also hung a

strobe light to see if I could work it into the effect in a subtle manner without it seeming

like a typical strobe usage.

On Monday, the production electrician and I brought up the house lights and

checked their focus making sure none were spilling onstage to spoil the pre-show or post-

show looks. The lighting console was moved into the light booth and the house seating

was restored. The lighting crews also placed pieces of neutral density filter in the aisle

lights to mute their projection onstage during the darker scenes of the show. Kattelman

and I also noticed the red exit signs behind the seating sections reflecting in the

corrugated metal of the elevator. The scenic team had treated some of the metal to dull

the effect, but some bounce remained.

Before we the fourth dress rehearsal began, the director and I took a look at some

of the falling lighting effects I had worked on. I tried to create a downward motion effect

using the two moving mirrors. I had the two lights with moving mirrors began a path at

the bottom of the slide and quickly move up the slide in sequence, one after the other. I

also used many different lights, some colored, some not, from different angles to the slide

that Eurydice was falling down. I worked the strobe light into an effect with only two or

three flashes. I had some difficulty trying to create truly random timing within the effects

as request by the director and so I had to do this manually. Eventually we reached a

workable compromise.

The other moment that required timing and attention was the sequence during

which Eurydice follows Orpheus and eventually calls out to him. The stage manager and

I practiced the timing and calling until I got the cues to look on stage as they did in my

head. I also added a second red light bulb under the platform where Orpheus enters the

gates of hell because the single bulb was not bright enough.

At the fifth dress rehearsal on the Tuesday before opening, my cue and work

notes list became very small as I worked on ever smaller details. The technical director

added a metal piece to one of the catwalk railings to shield the LED ribbon tape behind it

from the audience’s view. I ended up removing the color from half of the angled front

light for the three platforms. One side of these angled front lights was meant to be amber

and these just worked better without color. Before rehearsal started, I worked the timing

on the moment when Orpheus turns and sees Eurydice until we got it right. I also

photographed this dress rehearsal extensively from all over the theatre.

The last scheduled work call on Wednesday was crewed by two students only.

Fortunately for me, one of the students was the actor playing Orpheus, Jared Riley. It was

very useful to consult with a cast member on the details of blocking while I made the last

small corrections to the show. The preview performance on Wednesday went well. I

think the entire production team was very ready for the show to open at this point and the

opening the next day looked even better. The only notes I had were very small notes on

cue placement and calling.

CHAPTER FIVE

EVALUATION OF THE DESIGN

This chapter serves as an evaluation of both the process as a whole and the

specific lighting choices for Eurydice. In addition, this chapter is also an evaluation of my

growth as a lighting designer throughout my career as both a staff member and student at

The Ohio State University.

In past designs, I have always found it more difficult to design in a thrust stage

theatre than in a proscenium theatre. A good comparison would be thinking in 2D versus

3D. This proved true for Eurydice as well. Overall, the show looked very good and I

never felt that I fell very far behind in the process. I cannot emphasize enough how vital

the relationship with the director can be in the lighting design process. I have worked

with many directors over the years and no matter what the circumstances, there is one

primary factor that can contribute to the success or failure of the collaboration and that is

communication. I felt that the director and I were able to communicate freely throughout

the process. Whenever there was something she did not like, she told me. Whenever I

was not sure if Kattelman liked something or not, I would try to demonstrate multiple

options and then I would either hear outright what was good and what was not or I would

try to gauge general reactions. This applied from the very first discussion of the director’s

concept all the way through the run of the production when at one performance both

Kattelman and I were in the audience and noticed something amiss technically at the

beginning of the show.

The relationship and collaboration with the other designers is also very important

to the overall creative success of any production. The communication with the scenic

designer was of particular importance during the Eurydice process. The most obvious

visual design collaboration was finding a method of making the corrugated plastic walls

harmonize with everything else on stage. We also took our time looking at the placement

of the pipes that were attached to the lighting grid and protruding through the wire

tension grid into the space. The scenic designer, technical director, and I found positions

for these pieces that worked for the stage movement, scenery aesthetic, and lighting.

There were a few transitions that were awkward on stage with only the directorial

blocking and my lighting changes. Some of the delays in the action were too long to keep

the story flowing smoothly. More than one of these was cured by working a sound cue

into the transition and tightening up the overall timing.

The lighting treatment of the corrugated plastic walls by the LED ribbon tape was

successful. The LEDs definitely fell into a category that I refer to as ‘the danger of cool

things.’ Lighting designers, myself included, try to eternally stay abreast of the

technologies associated with their field. This uphill task is impossible. Maintaining

awareness, rather than an in-depth knowledge of every new piece of equipment is a more

attainable goal. The goal of the lighting designer does not change. Every ‘cool thing’ that

comes along is merely another tool that may or may not help the lighting designer reach

that goal. The LED ribbon tape served the goal of splashing these walls with various

colors throughout the production. The ability to ‘paint’ these portions of the set anytime

in virtually any color was valuable and versatile to the overall look of the stage.

Another new piece of technology introduced during Eurydice was the ETC Ion

lighting console. Although there was a learning curve present, I believe the new console

helped rather than hindered my ability to create artful light cues on stage. With regard to

one difficulty I had updating cues, I did find some solace afterwards that I am not the

only one who had a problem. During the week of July 26th, 2011, I had the privilege of

attending a lighting conference sponsored by the manufacturer of the Ion lighting

console, Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC). I went to a session hosted by Anne

Valentino who is the manager of the Ion and Eos console lines. During the session, Anne

related a story about one of their consoles being used in a show on London’s West End.

During a video shoot the day before opening night, the crew had boosted levels of lights

and removed color to help the video. They also updated the cues. During the third act the

next night, a large portion of the lighting rig went into this video shooting sequence.

Valentino stated that after this occurrence, ETC may change how the software updates

the data in the console. For me, this meant that I was not alone in thinking this particular

feature should work differently.

The effects representing water that I was able to include in the show were mostly

of the subtle and non-distracting nature. There was a simulation of a water drop effect

running during the preshow on a 45 second interval. There were two gobo rotators

splashing light onto the silver surround of the stage during the opening scene near the

water. During a few scenes, the hidden Mini-Strip light fixture under the center seating

section was undulating (via cueing) over top of other scenes. The Vertical DMX unit ran

a large wave pattern over the entire stage at the moment when Orpheus turns and spies

Eurydice and ‘the world turns blue.’ There were three individual ellipsoidal reflector

spotlights which bounced off the shimmering surface of the waterfall reservoir to cast

their light onto performers on the upstage scenic levels. The most effective was the light

bouncing off the reservoir and coming up at Orpheus as he played his magic note that he

would ride down to the underworld to meet his love.

I would have liked to have worked more effects representing water, such as the

gobo rotators, into the cueing of the show. The water effects help to provide visual

variance among the scenes, but can become distracting if they are overused.

I established base looks for the earthly world above and the underworld which

worked well to establish location and mood. Although I used these earthly world

compositions sparingly, they quickly established a mood of warmth for the present and

optimism for the future. The cool, unnatural appearances of the underworld were able to

convey to the audience that this was not a place they would want to be, but still provide

enough light to maintain interest in their following the story.

The contrast in color between the silver perimeter of the stage and the warm tones

of the center floor area was challenging to light because there was no hue of light that

looked good on both surfaces. With the majority of the blocking occurring in the center, I

was able to treat these areas separately in most circumstances for a unified composition.

The string room was simple, yet very effective in creating a separate space within

the underworld. The four patterned instruments in combination with the physical string

on stage constructed a more secluded space for Eurydice and Father to become re-

acquainted and learn from each other. When we shifted our attention to the string room,

the front lighting levels were often pulled down to help emphasize the lines created by

the ‘strings.’

I was slightly disappointed in the overall effect created during the ‘Gates of Hell’

moment when Orpheus comes humming into the underworld. There were two large

household bulbs mounted underneath the deck where Orpheus enters. Each of these was

painted red and attached only in a simple socket so that nothing could be seen from the

audience. I had hoped to do more with this scene, but I just was not able to find a place to

create this distinct look which was used only once.

At a pivotal moment in the play, during the Third Movement, Scene 2, the

playwright states “THE WORLD FALLS AWAY” and “the lights turn blue,” after

Eurydice calls out and Orpheus turns and they both look at each other. The original script

continued the description stating “they walk away from each other on extensive unseen

boardwalks, their figures long shadows.” This scene held the most dramatic and only

obvious use of the discrete light source under the center seating section. Paired with a

sound cue, this source came to full brightness in an instant. The six LED wall washer

fixtures focused on the silver formed stage perimeter shone their brightest blues along

with the LEDs lighting the walls on the set. This effect contrasted greatly with the more

pedestrian scene prior to the world falling away.

I created an image in the third movement that was, in my view, one of the most

beautiful and memorable of the play. When the father thought his daughter had left him,

he chose to dip himself in the River of Forgetfulness. After working closely with the

director, the father knelt in the river under a tightly focused overhead red light. The light

cross-faded quickly to white as the Father’s slate was wiped clean with an audible ping. I

was not happy with my original cue of this scene because it was not effective enough at

demonstrating the importance of the moment in the script. After working with Kattelman

and consulting with my advisor and changing the cue, the resulting final sequence

worked very well.

I used a top light system with a saturated blue-green color during nearly every

underworld scene. Instead of positioning these fixtures to light the performers from

directly overhead or from the back, they struck the actors slightly from the front. Even

after looking at mockups beforehand, I was worried that this might look too unnatural or

create bad shadows with hats. In the end, it was hardly noticeable at all in cooperation

with the other lights on stage and I would experiment with non-traditional angles in this

manner again.

When designing in a thrust space like Bowen, it is possible to create washes that

are too even. When this happens, the scene becomes tiring to look at for too long. I used

the pattern wash systems heavily throughout the show to try to alleviate this fatigue.

Changing levels at various opportunities also helped with this problem. Even with this,

we spent so much time in the underworld I felt some of the scenes often looked much like

each other. This may also have been the product of just seeing the show too many times

as I did attend the show three times including opening night.

I may have skewed my research a little too strongly towards water. There were

only a few moments during the show where it seemed appropriate to add water effects. I

believe I latched onto the word ‘water’ from the beginning and probably looked at the

cover of the script (which pictured a couple embracing under blue water) one too many

times. At any rate, I was only able to incorporate vague water effects into a few looks.

I believe our final product of Eurydice was first-rate overall. After the production

process, I found the script less complete than I originally had. This definitely could have

been due to over-saturation. The local reviewer, Margaret Quamme, had this to say about

the design elements of the production:

“That Underworld is a magical and often forbidding place, created by Divya Murthy's riveting scenic design and Matt Hazard's dramatic lighting. Part deconstructed playground, part industrial park and part natural setting, the set makes especially striking use of water, with a constantly flowing stream into which the characters immerse themselves and a blindingly lighted elevator through which water also falls. Lauren Bush's clever costumes, which include a wedding dress seemingly straight off the top of a cake and pinched, overwrought Victorian attire for the talking stones, add a disquieting sense of dreamlike intensity.”

In a city with only one major newspaper occasionally sending reviewers to show, these

words were high praise indeed. Many of the reviewers never mention any design

elements. If they do discuss anything, it is usually only the scenery which could make the

reader think the actors were naked on a dark stage.

I also learned that Eurydice was a finalist for the 18th Annual Central Ohio

Theatre Critics Circle Design Award and Best Play Award.

I was very fortunate to be able to pursue my Master of Fine Arts degree over a

four year period while continuing to work as the Lighting Studio Manager of the

Department of Theatre. Balancing the two pursuits of being both a student and member

of the production staff was difficult at times, exasperating at other times, and never easy.

Serving as the head electrician for several dozen productions and Lighting Studio

Manager for every production for ten seasons solidified my technical skills and provided

a unique vantage point from which to learn. I also learned by watching each student,

faculty, and guest designer approach and attempt to solve production-specific challenges

in multiple performance venues. My artistic knowledge base grew with every show as I

was able to view both process and product. No two productions were the same which

meant the lessons learned were all different. My design education is the result of a unique

combination of high quality teaching and learning, coupled with an extensive record of

practical experience.

Eurydice proved to be demanding, but manageable. As is always the case, staying

ahead of the game in terms of research and planning helped me focus on the art of the

lighting design. My design approach shifts from show to show, but the one constant is

that I strive to maintain productive communication with the director and the design team.

As I finish my formal career as a student of design, I could never be more certain that I

will never stop learning about design. The most satisfying part of theatre is that the

challenges and solutions are never the same.

References

Grossberg, Michael. "Theater Talk." Columbus Dispatch 29 July 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011, from

Grossberg, Michael. "Theater Talk." Columbus Dispatch 1 August 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011, from http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/theatre- talk/2011/08/the-design-awards-chaperone-last-smoker-camouflage-project- recognized-in-critics-poll.html

Lahr, John. “Surreal Life.” The New Yorker 17 March 2008. Retrieved August 2, 2011, from

Quamme, Margaret. "Theater Review: Eurydice." Columbus Dispatch 6 May 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011, from

Ruhl, Sarah. Eurydice. New York: Samuel French, 2008.

Ruhl, Sarah. The Clean House. New York: Samuel French, 2007.

Research Image Citations

Figure Source

4 http://pixdaus.com/single.php?id=205074

5 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/07/090724-biggest-cave- vietnam/

6 http://www.dancewithshadows.com/travel/hang-son-doong-photos.asp

7 http://ashayaa.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24#/d1dd10j

8 http://offmega.deviantart.com/art/penthouse-interior-134797674

9 http://underwatersite.com/projects/3075735#4

10 http://www.lotro.com/lotro-media/screenshots

18 http://www.cardensdesign.com/photography/fractals2013.jpg

19 http://www.freestockimages.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/water- texture-04.jpg

20 http://s655.photobucket.com/albums/uu277/Ch_hulsken/?action=view& current=water-waves-1600.jpg&sort=ascending

21 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dallaportfolio/1267957034/

22 http://www.hrvojedesign.com/tekstdesno.php?rb=9

23 http://mran3238.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/3-ty-warner-penthouse.jpg

24 http://sugarock99.deviantart.com/art/Deep-deep-sea-102440285

25 http://www.flickr.com/photos/84265607@N00/3833067824/

26 http://www.miqel.com/bonnaroo_2008_music/bonnaroo_2008_music_ fest.html

27 http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/174401/gates-of-hell-open.jpg

28 http://www.lotro.com/lotro-media/screenshots

Appendix A: Director’s Concept

Director’s Concept for Sarah Ruhl’s EURYDICE Submitted by Beth Kattelman, November 2010

This is a fantasy that has a very real grounding in human emotion. Love and family connections are at the heart of the play. The love between Eurydice and Orpheus should be palpable; and the emotional bond between Eurydice and her father must also be very strong in order for it to work. We need to have actors in these roles that have some chemistry with one another. No matter how bizarre the other characters and the surroundings may seem, the audience needs to be able to connect with the love among the family members, and with Eurydice’s journey of self-discovery. The New York Times described this play as “a love letter to the world” and I think that is an apt and appropriate metaphor for what the production should be. Stylistically I see it as Greek Tragedy meets Vaudeville meets Alice in Wonderland.

SET The set is “the playground of the world.” This playground can be climbed on and also “played” like a musical instrument. A slide. A jungle gym. Swings? This playground should not be a realistic playground, however. It might be made out of elements that one would normally find a bit sinister – the rusty pipes denoted in the script, for example. (A jungle gym of rusty pipes?) I would like the penthouse to be elevated, although it doesn’t have to be extremely high. I’m thinking a tree-house (again, not necessarily realistic), with a connected slide so that Eurydice can “fall” down the slide. I’m still thinking about how to do the letters. They may take the form of falling tree leaves – or at least be shaped like leaves. Not sure yet. Water elements are very important. We need a pump, or maybe a fountain? or a small waterfall? The most important water element is the raining elevator. I would like to see

the water actually spill forward out of the doors. (raked?) And can we have a stream of some sort? *** Set and costumes need to take into account that there will be water, so things will get wet. Obviously we need to design so that we make it as safe and as non-skid as possible. *** Strings also play an important part in this play. We need a space and a way to create the string house.

CHARACTER NOTES Orpheus – youthful, exuberant, carefree, innocent, love-struck, determined. He loves music. Eurydice – youthful, exuberant, carefree, innocent, love-struck. curious. She loves words. Father – loving, wise, patient, playful, comforting, melancholy. Stones – humorous, creepy, ragged, menacing, synchronized. Even though each has their own idiosyncrasy, the stones are definitely a unit. Greek chorus meets vaudeville act. Nasty Interesting Man/Lord of the Underworld – Playful, charming, nasty, trickster. A petulant child.

COSTUMES EURYDICE, ORPHEUS & FATHER --I think the 50s is a good time period for the style of Eurydice, Orpheus and the Father. The look should play upon an image of the “perfect family.” Very “Leave it to Beaver.” STONES – Victorian Steam Punk. They seem to be grounded in an historic time period, but are also timeless. Their look should be humorous but also somewhat ragged and menacing. These are not clean and finely-coiffed characters. Their skin should have a grey pallor. NASTY INTERESTING MAN/LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD – Should seem a bit of-kilter. His clothes are slightly too big for him, as if he is playing dress-up – or is hiding something.

LIGHTING Lighting needs to be able to help the set transform in mood so that the same “playground” can go from seeming bright, sunny and beautiful to being very cold, damp and mysterious. The lighting design should highlight the water effects when appropriate, and should also help to “create” water where there is none. Bouncing light off the water should allow for some interesting possibilities.

SOUND There should be a lush sound design – lots of strings, water effects, and other ambient effects to help indicate location. Music is called for in numerous places throughout the script.

Appendix B: Lighting Design Concept

From the director's concept: “Lighting needs to be able to help the set transform in mood so that the same “playground” can go from seeming bright, sunny and beautiful to being very cold, damp and mysterious. The lighting design should highlight the water effects when appropriate, and should also help to 'create' water where there is none. Bouncing light off the water should allow for some interesting possibilities.” “Stylistically, I see it as Greek Tragedy meets Vaudeville meets Alice in Wonderland.” From the very beginnings of this production process, way back in the last calendar year, the one word that has always been on the tip of the director's tongue has been 'water'. Our underworld of the play is one which is filled with water. I intend to amplify this feeling with as much 'water' as possible created by lighting. I want to do as the director suggests and bounce actual light off the water that will be part of the set. We have a pool and a waterfall, both of which can be targets of reflection. I want to use gobos, both static and dynamic, to create additional water reflections and refractions. I will create artificial 'bounce' light pointing upward at the actors and use cuing to create a subtle undulating effect. I will create ripples of drops of water. I will explore the hue of blue to an extreme extent. It is vital to be able to create two different worlds within the first movement (17 pages) and the second and third movements (45 pages). The first world of Eurydice and Orpheus is one that has all the bliss of young love and the outdoors. The second movement is after Eurydice has fallen and takes place in the underworld. Here is where I will explore the above-mentioned waters and blues. At the third movement, we are entering places where we have not yet ventured. The scene where Orpheus leads Eurydice out of the underworld needs to be pivotal, touching, evocative, and simply beautiful. Throughout all of these design schemes, I will strive to keep the lighting a subtle, yet powerful and effective design element that will move this myth forward.

Appendix C: Production Paperwork

Technology Request to Resident Lighting Designer Mary Tarantino

Subtle motion, through cuing effects and technology, will be used throughout Eurydice to convey the watery environment that is our Underworld. This cycle will explore all manner of colors, but be rooted primarily in blues and greens. My initial thoughts of potential gear that could help me towards these goals are this: (10) VL5’s (3) Gobo Rotators (9) Cool Prismatic Glass Gobos (6) LED Wall Washers (2) Rosco I-Cues (2) Apollo EZ Irises (1) 10 degree Source Four (1) Wybron BP2 (7) Wider angle (50/70/90) Source Four fixtures

I attended the read through Wednesday evening and have been lucky enough to follow the set as it is being constructed to have an accurate picture of what lays before me physically. The wider angle fixtures will help tremendously with the upper levels of the set, which are many. The cooler temperature prismatic gobos will help me layer in looks, possibly in heavy use during the String Room scenes. The VL5’s will be of great utility because of their color changing ability. Preliminarily, I think they will serve me better than scrollers would. I want to work with the LED fixtures to help with my art, but also to gain experience working with them and the new console. The pair of I-Cues and Irises will allow me flexibility for the yet to come blocking.

Eurydice Shop Order

April 18, 2011

Lighting Design by: Matt Hazard 614.354.1089 2493 Deming Ave [email protected] Columbus, OH 43202

Theatre: Bowen Theatre The Ohio State University 1849 Cannon Drive Columbus, OH 43210

Theatre Department Tel: 614.292.5821 Electrics Tel: 614.292.4610

Production Electrician: Alex Childs

** ALL MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES MUST COMPLY WITH ANY APPLICABLE FIRE AND SAFETY CODES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS WELL AS THE STATE OF OHIO & CITY OF COLUMBUS. ALL DRAWINGS AND RELATED PAPERWORK ARE CONSIDERED TO BE DESIGN CONCEPTS ONLY. THE DESIGNER IS UNQUALIFIED TO DETERMINE THE STRUCTURAL APPROPRIATENESS OF THIS DESIGN AND DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY FOR THE IMPROPER ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION AND EXECUTION OF THIS DESIGN.**

EQUIPMENT SUMMARY:

Conventional Light Fixtures • 90 Degree S4 (575W) 1 • 70 Degree S4 (575W) 2 • 50 Degree S4 (575W) 8 • 36 Degree S4 (575W) 44 • 26 Degree S4 (575W) 2 • 10 Degree S4 (575W) 1 • ETC S4 PARNel 9 • Altman 6 X 9 (575W) 8 • Altman 6 X 12 (750W) 16 • Altman 6” Fresnel (750W) 15 • Altman 3.5 X 8 (500W) 8 • Wybron BP2 (750W) 1 • Century 6 X 12 (750W) 28 • L & E Mini Strip 4 Total Count 144 Automation • Rosco I-Cue 2 • Vari*Lite VL5 (1200W) 10 • LED Wall Washer 6 • Apollo EZ Iris 2 • RGB LED Ribbon Tape 5 • Apollo Smart Move DMX Rotators 2 • Apollo Smart Move Vertical DMX 1

Accessories • Size A Pattern holders (S4) 14 • Steel gobos 22 (4) Size A Apollo MS-1315 Dismay (9) Breakup – GAM 579 Foliage Breakup 3 (From stock) (1) Window – Apollo (From stock) (4) Size B for Rotators (From stock) (1) Vertical DMX Gobo (1) Static breakup gobo for Vertical DMX (From stock • Glass pattern holders 9 • Glass Prismatic gobos 9 • Stirrup Sticks 2 • Sidearms (have available) • Barndoors (have available)

Control • ETC Ion with Submaster Panel and Touch Screen • 150 Colortran D192 20 amp dimmers • 1 Forerunner Power Supply (with appropriate 4 pin power/data cable)

Color

4” 6” 7.5” LARGE

R01 9 R02 3 R34 9 R35 3 R362 3 10 R365 21 R366 1 R77 9 R378 13 R81 9 R96 14 R99 9 R104 6 (Wall Washers) L201 4 L202 4 L203 2 17 1 (10 deg) L218 2 L281 4

We will also need five MiniStrip cuts each of R365, R77, and R80 We will need to have R114, R119, and R132 frost on hand

Please provide all necessary equipment to form a complete working system as per manufacturer’s instructions.

Cable: All cable lengths to be determined by Production Electrician. All DMX to be determined by Production Electrician as per needs in space.

Please have black gaffers tape and tie line on hand.

Channel Hookup

100

101

102

103

104

Appendix D: Additional Figures

Figure 18. Research Image: Wateer

105

Figure 19. Research Image: Water Bubbles

Figure 20. Research Image: Water Ripples

106

Figure 21. Research Image: Underworld Face Lighting

Figure 22. Research Image: Nasty Man’s Apartment

107

Figure 23. Research Image: Nasty Man’s Apartment

Figure 24. Research Image: Eurydice Falling

108

Figure 25. Research Imaage: String Room

Figure 26. Research Imaage: String Room

109

Figure 27. Research Image: Gates of Hell

Figure 28. Research Image: Gates of Hell

110

Figure 29. Costume Rendering: Eurydice in Swimwear

Figure 30. Costume Rendering: Orpheus in Swimwear

111

Figure 31. Costume Rendering: Nasty Interestinng Man

Figure 32. Costume Rendering: Father

112

Figure 33. Costume Rendering: Eurydice at Wedding

Figure 34. Costume Rendering: Orpheus at Wedding

113

Figure 35. Costume Rendering: Big Stone

Figure 36. Costume Renderingg: Little Stonne

114

Figure 37. Costume Rendering: Loud Stone

Figure 38. Costume Rendering: Nasty Interesting Man as a Boy

115

Figure 39. Costume Rendering: Eurydice after the Fall

Figure 40. Costume Rendering: Orpheus after the Fall

116

Figure 41. Production Photo: Orpheus and Eurydice in the Natural World

Figure 42. Production Photo: Father in the Underworld

117

Figure 43. Production Photo: The Wedding

Figure 44. Production Photo: The Nasty Man’s Apartment

118

Figure 45. Production Photo: Eurydice Falls

Figure 46. Production Photo: The Stones Entrance

119

Figure 47. Production Photo: The Stones

Figure 48. Production Photo: Eurydice’s Arrrrival

120

Figure 49. Production Photo: Eurydice Attempts to Speak

Figure 50. Production Photo: Eurydice in the Shade of her Tree

121

Figure 51. Production Photo: The Stones

Figure 52. Production Photo: Orpheus Writes a Letter

122

Figure 53. Photo: String Room Beginning Fiigure 54. Photo: String Room Beginning

Figure 53. Photo: String Room Middle Figure 54. Photo: String Room Middle

Figure 57. Photo: String Room End Figure 58. Photo: String Room End

123

Figure 59. Production Photo: Eurydice and her Father Embrace

Figure 60. Production Photo: Orpheus Shares a Dream

124

Figure 61. Production Photo: Vocabulary Lessons

Figure 62. Production Photo: Eurydice Tries to Read

125

Figure 63. Production Photo: Lord of the Underworld as a Child

Figure 64. Production Photo: Orpheus Searching for the Note

126

Figure 65. Production Photo: An Unearthly Light Surrounds Orpheus

Figure 66. Production Photo: Orpheus Arrives in the Underworld

127

Figure 67. Production Photo: Orpheus Looks at Eurydice

Figure 68. Production Photo: Orpheus and Eurydice Separate

128

Figure 69. Production Photo: Father Dips Himself in the River

Figure 70. Production Photo: Father Forgets

129

Figure 71. Production Photo: Orphheus Arrives in the Elevator

Figure 72. Production Photo: Finale

130

Plate 1. Bowen Light Plot

131

Plate 2. Bowen Under Grid Light Plot

132

Plate 3. Bowen Section

133