A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, 2nd Edition

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A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO STAGE LIGHTING

The assistant lighting designer’s only on contract

through opening night. The same goes for the light-

ing designer’s as well. If there’s not an assistant stage

manager assigned to the task, then it falls to one

of the two followspot operators to take the lead.

They may be paid a bit extra in their weekly sal-

ary, but with that they then assume the responsibil-

ity of watching the show in the stead of the lighting

designer; adjusting pickups, giving notes on tim-

ing and movement, and instructing any followspot

replacements.

FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR THE

LOAD-IN

While you may not be leaving your home, in a sense,

yes, you really are. Entering an extended tech period

is a bit like going to a foreign country, or being some-

what separated from your typical surroundings.

You won’t watch as much TV. You won’t read as

much of the paper. You won’t be as prompt to return

phone calls or messages that aren’t show related.

Matters outside of show-related information, ideas,

or even gossip, may lose significance. Your world

potentially tunnels in and becomes smaller.

That’s not saying that this is a bad thing. It’s just

reality. So in order to prepare for this potential situa-

tion, below are some tips that might help at the other

end, once the tech process is complete, the show is

up and running, and you return to your regularly-

scheduled life.

The Day (Week) Before the Load-in

•Allcurrentbillsarepaid.

•Librarybooksarereturned.

•Ifyou’vegotalawn,cutit.

•Confirmthattherearenovitalappointments

during the tech period. If there are, tell the stage

manager or the assistant.

•Sendoutallappropriatepresents,cards,letters

for all appropriate birthdays or anniversaries.

•ProgramtheTVrecordingdevicetorecordall

your favorite TV shows and sporting events.

•Stockuponfoodintherefrigerator.Fooditems

that can be prepared with a minimum of effort,

without a long preparation wait.

•Energyfoodanddrinkfortheproductiontable;

non-perishable energy bars, pop tarts, nuts,

liquids. This is also less expensive than buying in

the deli next to the theatre every day.

•Coffeeandcoffeefilters.Forlongtechperiods,

consider powered cream; regular milk goes bad

relatively quickly.

•Favoritecoldmedication;Dayquil,Nyquil.Pain-

reliever for tired legs; Ibuprofen or equivalent.·

•Purchaseanyalcoholorwhateverallowsyouto

relax.

The Night Before the Load-in

The night before a load-in, a lighting designer’s emo-

tions can range from a relaxed feeling of confidence

to a feeling of paranoia and dread. The “night before”

can often feel like the final period of time before the

clock regulating stage time starts ticking. It’s the last

time that tasks can be approached in a leisurely man-

ner. When nerves and anxiety try to take hold, regain

your mental equilibrium by reviewing the load-in.

Remind yourself of the goals to be accomplished

the next day, and imagine the steps required to

complete each task. Are there enough copies of the

paperwork available for additional last minute dis-

tribution? Is all of the paperwork prepared, allow-

ing all questions to be rapidly answered? This may

be the point when the designer discovers the need for

another list.

Initial Paperwork and Tools

One decision the lighting designer needs to make prior

to the load-in is the amount of information to have

on hand when first walking in the door. The phrase

“that paperwork is still on the electrics truck” takes

on a whole new meaning when the electrics truck

isn’t the first to get unloaded, or when its axle breaks

prior to reaching the dock, or when it’s missing in the

blizzard on the other side of the Continental Divide.

As the distinguished lighting designer Ms. Jennifer

Tipton once said, “If you have a choice between tak-

ing your paperwork or your underwear, take the

paperwork. You can light a show without undies, but

you can’t do much lighting with underwear.”

Many lighting designers walk into theatres with

that point of view, expecting delays with the arrival

of equipment. They begin the day with enough paper-

work to perform all work ignoring the contents of the

truck, thereby avoiding any possible waste of stage

time. Paperwork may include a copy of the light plot,

the section, focus point groundplans, preliminary

paperwork, infrastructure programming informa-

tion, the magic sheet, and the cheat sheet. The focus

document may also be included, so any changes made

during the hang may be directly noted onto the paper

that will be used during the focus session.

Since the amount of paperwork and equipment

can quickly become cumbersome, many lighting

designers coordinate their baggage with the produc-

tion electrician. The road crew may also arrive with