KATE ASHTON LIGHTING DESIGNER CURRICULUM VITAE +1-347-489-5088 (mobile) [email protected] www.kateashtonlighting.com Portfolio of selected work available at www.kateashtonlighting.com MEMBER United Scenic Artists, Local 829 (since 2014). EDUCATION MFA in Design for Stage and Film (Lighting), New York University 2008 Graduate Assistant: Resident Lighting Designer, Second Avenue Dance Company, 2006-2008. Graduate Assistant: Electrics Shop, Second Avenue, 2005-2006. BA in Theatre and English, College of William and Mary (Magna Cum Laude) 2003 Prentiss David Hill Dramatic Scholarship, 2003. EXHIBITIONS Two pieces selected for inclusion in the 2011 Prague Quadrennial EMERGE Student Exhibition: Moonchild, Lighting Design (New York University, 2007) Second Avenue Dance Company, Lighting Design (New York University, 2006-2008) PRODUCTION MENTORING Resident Dance Lighting Designer Williams College (Williamstown, MA) 2015 - present As the Resident Dance Lighting Designer at Williams College, I design all five of the dance department shows, which have both student and faculty choreographers. Most of the students have never been exposed to design, so the resident costume designer and I are teaching them to collaborate on the most basic of levels. As the students continue to choreograph throughout their time at the college, I try to deepen the collaborative process. Additionally, to be able to perform in any of the dance ensembles, students must fulfill a production requirement and serve as crew on one show. I train the student stage managers and light board operators. It is one of my main objectives that each student has a positive experience, build confidence in their “backstage” skills, and learn that technical and design elements are an important and valuable part of every production. Resident Dance Lighting Designer Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA) 2011 - 2016 As the Resident Dance Lighting Designer at Ursinus College, I designed both of the dance department shows. We usually had a student stage manager who had worked in theatre but not in dance, so I was tasked with introducing them to the peculiarities of stage management for dance, including technical rehearsals that are not in program order and how to create calling paperwork for works without scripted text. Beginning in 2014, one student choreographer was invited to have a piece in each concert. This was the first time these students’ work was being fully produced, so it was my job to introduce them to the collaborative process with a lighting designer. Lighting Supervisor Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival (Becket, MA) 2005 While serving as the Lighting Supervisor at Jacob’s Pillow, I was responsible for teaching twelve production interns about lighting from the ground up, spanning the basics of hanging and focusing, console operation over multiple platforms, and the fundamentals of design elements. These interns served as the crew for all nineteen of the dance companies that performed in the two main theatres over the ten-week festival, as well as the gala. This built on two summers’ experience as a crew chief, during which I was also very involved in teaching and supervising the intern crews. Many of the interns moved on to work for me professionally in New York City. KATE ASHTON Curriculum Vitae page 2 of 28 GUEST LECTURES Lighting Design Fundamentals Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA) 2011 - 2016 Each semester that I designed at Ursinus college, I was invited to guest lecture in the 90-minute undergraduate Stagecraft class. The students were BA candidates from all majors, many with no previous experience in theatre. I began with an overview of the functions and qualities of light, and then we moved onstage to practically explore angle and color. We also looked at and discussed the designs for several of the dance pieces in the upcoming concert. My goal was to introduce the students to the concept of lighting design in a way that would encourage them to further explore and be aware of light in performance and all around them. Vectorworks Drafting Brunswick School (Greenwich, CT) 2015 I was asked to speak to a group of interested high school students and their teachers about the industry standard lighting program Vectorworks. In a two-hour session, I spoke about my work as a freelance lighting designer, the craft and technical elements of drafting for lighting design, and the importance of clear and concise drafting. Vectorworks Drafting Manhattan School of Music (NYC) 2012 In a two-hour session, I taught several members of the production team about fundamentals of Vectorworks. We explored simple theatre and scenic drafting; creating, editing, and managing symbols; and basic drafting for lighting. Objectives included drafting scaled orchestra layouts and editing rep light plots. Vectorworks for Lighting Designers University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT) 2012 In four three-hour sessions over the course of a month, I introduced undergraduate and graduate lighting designers with a range of experience to Vectorworks, covering basic drawing techniques, file structure, drafting standards and guidelines, symbols, and the specifics of drafting a light plot. My aim was to leave the students with an understanding of industry drafting standards and enough knowledge to produce a Vectorworks drawing and generate Lightwright paperwork for the project they had been assigned for that semester, and to begin to develop their own workflow in the program. GUEST SPEAKING Portfolio Review Preparation New York University (NYC) 2010 - 2014 Along with a set designer and a costume designer, I was invited to participate on a panel for third-year graduate students in their class “Transitioning into the Profession.” We discussed our resumes, portfolios, and web sites and how we use these tools to market ourselves and our work. We split into small groups to informally critique the students’ portfolios, in preparation for an upcoming formal portfolio review. Intern Alumni Panel The Juilliard School (NYC) 2012 I was invited to be on a panel of alumni of Juilliard’s Professional Intern Program, which I participated in from 2003-2004. We spoke with the current interns about our careers after the internship. Many participants of this program wish to become designers, so I spoke about my personal path, including my decision to attend graduate school, and the transition I made into designing at Juilliard. I also spoke about encountering other Juilliard alumni professionally, and the importance of the connections that I made during the internship. KATE ASHTON Curriculum Vitae page 3 of 28 PROFESSIONAL DESIGN EXPERIENCE LIGHTING DESIGNER Production Artist Company Venue (Location) 2018 (upcoming) Winter Dance 2018 Faculty Advisor: TBD Bard College Dance Luma Theatre, Richard B. Fisher Center (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY) Pachedu 2018 Producer: Sandra Burton Williams College MainStage, ‘62 Center for Dance Theatre & Dance (Williamstown, MA) The Turn of the Screw John Giampietro Juilliard Vocal Arts Peter J. Sharp Theatre, Juilliard School (NYC) 2018 Joffrey Experience 2018 Producer: Lena Lauer Joffrey Jazz School Gelsey Kirkland Arts (NYC) Les contes d’Hoffmann Edward Berkeley Aspen Music Festival Wheeler Opera House (Aspen, CO) Il barbiere di Siviglia Edward Berkeley Aspen Music Festival Wheeler Opera House (Aspen, CO) Young Choreographer’s Producer: Emily Bufferd Young Peter J. Sharp Theatre, Festival Choreographer’s Symphony Space (NYC) Festival All I Want is One Night Director: Jessica Walker Brits Off Broadway Theatre B, 59E59 (NYC) Spring Concert 2018 Producer: Angelica Stiskin Joffrey Jazz School Ailey Citigroup Theatre (NYC) Alice in Wonderland Producer: Jo Matos Joffrey Ballet School LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (NYC) Kusika/Zambezi 2018 Producer: Sandra Burton Williams College MainStage, ‘62 Center for Dance Theatre & Dance (Williamstown, MA) CoDa 2018 Producers: Erica Williams College MainStage, ‘62 Center for Dankmeyer, Janine Parker Dance Theatre & Dance (Williamstown, MA) The Queue and other works Sarah Berges, chor. Sarah Berges Dance Martha Graham Studio (NYC) Sankofa 2018 Producers: Kathy Bi, Ben Williams College MainStage, ‘62 Center for Young Dance Theatre & Dance (Williamstown, MA) KATE ASHTON Curriculum Vitae page 4 of 28 LIGHTING DESIGNER CON’T Production Artist Company Venue (Location) Zambezi Dance Party 2018! Tendai Muparutsa Williams College CenterStage, ‘62 Center for Dance Theatre & Dance (Williamstown, MA) Die lustigen Weiber von John Giampietro Juilliard Vocal Arts Willson Theatre, Juilliard Windsor School (NYC) 2017 The Nutcracker Producer: Jo Matos Joffrey Ballet School LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (NYC) Winter Dance 2017 Faculty Advisor: Leah Cox Bard College Dance Luma Theatre, Richard B. Fisher Center (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY) Pachedu 2017 Producer: Erica Williams College MainStage, ‘62 Center for Dankmeyer Dance Theatre & Dance (Williamstown, MA) Burning Fiery Furnace Edward Berkeley Juilliard Vocal Arts Studio 305, Juilliard School (NYC) Summer Intensive 2017 Producer: Michael Blake Joffrey Jazz School Peter J. Sharp Theatre, co-design with Nick Kolin Symphony Space (NYC) Death of a Salesman Rubén Polendo Theatre Mitu Fisher Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music (NYC) Alice in Wonderland Producer: Lauren Etter Stamford Ballet Palace Theatre School (Stamford, CT) Alice in Wonderland Producer: Jo Matos Joffrey Ballet School LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (NYC) Sankofa 2017 Producer: Janae Barrett Williams College MainStage, ‘62 Center for Dance Theatre & Dance (Williamstown,