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By Line• Differing Demands for SummerStock Scenic Design• Interview with Makeup Artist Angelina Avallone• Makeup Safety Tips and a Directory ofMakeup & Costume Companieswww.stage-directions.comJUNE 2008SubHeadFestivals Dedicated toPremiering the Next Gen ofAmerican MusicalsJersey Boys Debuts a Brand NewVegas TheatreWays to Protect Your Voice2 April 2008 • www.stage-directions.com www.stage-directions.com • April 2008 2

Table Of ContentsJune 2008Features22 Cross-PollinationLocated in a thriving arts community in Ohio, OberlinCollege encourages collaboration across departments.By David Glowacki24 Bring the HeatThe challenges of designing for summer stock theatre.By Erik Viker26 State-of-the-Art Summer StockNow in their 75th season, the Peterborough Players is oneof the premier (and oldest) summer stock companies in thecountry. By Michael S. Eddy40 Secrets of a Makeup MasterSD catches up with Makeup Artist Angelina Avalloneand discusses the intersection of makeup and costumes.By Bryan Reesman42 Makeup SafetyHow to get the most out of your makeup while not breakingthe budget and keeping your actors safe. By Gene Flaharty44 Costumes, Makeup, Wigs andCostume Supplies DirectoryA listing from the 2007 Theatre Resources Directory.Special Section: Musical Theatre28 Install HarmonyThe Broadway smash hit Jersey Boys receives standingovations night after night in Las Vegas. Find out whythe production team deserves a standing ovation, too.By Jacob Coakley31 Singing Secrets of Musical TheatreA vocal expert offers advice on how to protect your mostvaluable instrument. By Kevin M. Mitchell34 Make Your Own Kind of MusicalFestivals abound for composers and book writers of originalmusicals who want to hone their work. By Lisa MulcahyJoan Marcus28

Departments:9 LettersGiving credit where it’s due and (if we may) a fewkudos.10 In the GreenroomTony Award nominees are announced, La Jolla selectsa resident theatre company and more.14 Tools of the TradeA selection of new gear for your shop.16 Light on the SubjectTeaching with two flavors of visualizers helpsstudent LDs bring life to their design concepts.By Lenore Doxsee18 Sound DesignSound Designer John Shiver talks about the art ofmaking reinforced sound invisible on the currentBroadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.By Bryan Reesman52 Answer BoxConcealed wireless LED technology created a trulyilluminated manuscript for a SoCal production ofJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.By Nick Van HoutenColumns:7 Editor’s NoteMake sure you keep learning, by teaching.By Jacob Coakley36 Show BizThe New York Musical Theatre Festival broughtchanges to the Equity code along with its new shows.By Tim Cusack37 TD TalkThings that go “creak” in the set. By Dave McGinnis38 Off the ShelfThis month’s selection offers books focused onplaywriting and performance. By Stephen Peithman39 The Play’s the ThingTime to get serious with dramas, from tragic to darklycomic. By Stephen Peithman31ON OUR COVER: The cast of Memphis, presented by theTheatreWorks New Works festivalPHOTOGRAPHY: David Allen34

Dan HernandezEditor’s NoteLearningThrough TeachingIread an article online today that takesthe electronics industry to task about theupcoming digital TV crossover. In the article,the author Jeff Porten writes, “We haveaccepted the creation of a category of digitalhave-nots, who either rely on tech-savvyfriends and family, or who do without.”The problem with this is that the people“who do without” don’t actually want todo without. That’s where theatrical designersand technicians come into play. We are the tech savvy. Whilehe’s talking about consumer electronics, this piece immediatelyput me in mind not just of the divide between artistic staffmembers (who often demand the impossible) and their techstaff (who are left trying to figure out how to make it work), buteven the divide between different technical folks. I heard a storyrecently from a technical director friend of mine who was askedto help out with the sets at a local elementary school’s springpageant. He went down to the elementary school expecting topaint — worst case, perhaps even build — some flats. When hegot there he had to explain to an overly ambitious volunteerwhy rigging a household curtain track to the dropped ceiling,and then flying a child in a cardboard box hung from that curtaintrack across the stage, would be a bad idea.That’s an extreme example, but consider this. A few minutesafter I read the article about digital TV, I read a blog post fromNick Keenan, a Chicago-based sound designer and theatre artist,explaining how he uses a software program to streamlinehis technical rehearsal process, allowing him to wirelessly andremotely control the laptop that’s running sound for a show. Itwas an elegant, low-budget hack and has helped immensely inhis rehearsal process. (You can go to Nikku.net to read the wholething.) In the comments section of the post, someone asked himhow to do it. Not only did Keenan reply with a well-thought-out,clear guide to implementing this solution, he offered to let thecommenter who had asked the question come into a rehearsalthe next time he did this to get trained on the technique.Point being that not only do we as technicians have to becontinually learning and upgrading our skills — we have tocontinually be teaching them as well. Not only is everyone’ssafety involved with what we do, but technology moves toofast now for any one person to stay abreast of it all. Keenanwryly admits to this in the title of his blog post, “Chicken ofthe VNC: The already-obsolete design gizmo that you’ve neverheard of.” So go ahead — talk out loud to the artistic staff whileyou work through implementing a solution; take the time toexplain to new stagehands why things are done a certain way;share your time- and cost-saving solutions with other designers.We may not ever be able to erase the tech-savvy divide,but we should be able to make things better for all creatorsalong the way.Jacob CoakleyEditorStage Directionsjcoakley@stage-directions.com

Publisher Terry Lowetlowe@stage-directions.comEditor Jacob Coakleyjcoakley@stage-directions.comAudio Editor Jason Pritchardjpritchard@stage-directions.comLighting & Staging Editor Richard Cadenarcadena@plsn.comNew York Editor Bryan Reesmanbryan@stage-directions.comManaging Editor Breanne Georgebg@stage-directions.comContributing Writers Tim Cusack, Lenore Doxsee,Michael Eddy, Gene Flaharty,David Glowacki, Dave McGinnis,Kevin M. Mitchell, Lisa Mulcahy,Bryan Reesman, Erik VikerConsulting Editor Stephen PeithmanARTArt Director Garret PetrovGraphic Designers Crystal Franklin, David AlanProductionProduction Manager Linda Evanslevans@stage-directions.comWEBWeb Designer Josh HarrisADVERTISINGAdvertising Director Greg Gallardogregg@stage-directions.comNational Sales Manager James Leasingjleasing@stage-directions.comAudio Advertising Manager Dan Hernandezdh@stage-directions.comAdvertising Sales Associate Leslie Rohrscheiblr@stage-directions.comOPERATIONSGeneral Manager William Vanyowvanyo@stage-directions.comCIRCULATIONSubscription order www.stage-directions.com/subscribeBUSINESS OFFICEStark ServicesP.O. Box 16147North Hollywood, CA 916156000 South Eastern Ave.Suite 14-JLas Vegas, NV 89119TEL 702.932.5585FAX 702.932.5584Stage Directions (ISSN: 1047-1901) Volume 21, Number 6 Published monthly by Timeless CommunicationsCorp., 6000 South Eastern Ave., Suite 14J, Las Vegas, NV 89119. It is distributed freeto qualified individuals in the lighting and staging industries in the United States and Canada.Periodical Postage paid at Las Vegas, NV, office and additional offices. Postmaster please sendaddress changes to: Stage Directions, P.O. Box 16147 North Hollywood, CA 91615. Editorial submissionsare encouraged, but must include a self-addressed stamped envelope to be returned.Stage Directions is a Registered Trademark. All Rights Reserved. Duplication, transmission byany method of this publication is strictly prohibited without permission of Stage Directions.Advisory BoardJoshua AlemanyRoscoJulie AngeloAmerican Association ofCommunity TheatreRobert BarberBMI SupplyKen BillingtonLighting DesignerRoger clamanRose BrandPatrick Finelli, PhDUniversity ofSouth FloridaGene FlahartyMehron Inc.Cathy HutchisonAcoustic DimensionsKeith KankovskyApollo DesignBecky KaufmanPeriod CorsetsKeith KevanKKO NetworkTodd KoepplChicago Spotlight Inc.Kimberly MesserLillenas Drama ResourcesJohn MeyerMeyer SoundJohn MuszynskiTheater DirectorMaine South High SchoolScott ParkerPace University/USITT-NYRon RansonTheatre ArtsVideo LibraryDavid RosenbergI. Weiss & Sons Inc.Karen RugerioDr. Phillips High SchoolAnn SachsSachs Morgan StudioBill SapsisSapsis RiggingRichard SilvestroFranklin Pierce CollegeOTHER TIMELESS COMMUNICATIONS PUBLICATIONS

LettersDropping In at theRight TimeBoy howdy (as we would sayin Texas) did that informationon backdrops in yourMay issue arrive in time for me.Thank you and your staff forcovering such an array of topics.Looking forward to my nextissue. Thanking you again.Submitted via the Web.In April’s issue, a Denver theatremade the cover without amention. Jonathan Shipley’s articleon the production of new playsmentions Denver as part of a list oftowns staging For Better. Two publicityshots are used and creditedto the Curious Theatre Company,but there is no mention of the factthat this theatre is in Denver. This ismost unfortunate, seeing as Denverhas had a long history of producingnew works.www.stage-directions.com • How To Finance Higher Learning A Backdrop Primer and DirectoryKevin Spacey TalksTraining and the Futureof the Old VicThe Career Paths of TwoRegional Theatre A.D.sAlternate Models ofArtistic DirectionCredit Where It’s DueI am not asking that you cover Denver in anotherregional feature, only that you give a little more creditwhere it is due in the articles you are already printing. Ina city with nearly 20 community theatres and home to theNational Theatre Conservatory, it would be nice to elevatethe image of an uncultured cow town known only for itsstock show. Please make an effort to give us this recognitionwhen we come up again.Scott HasbrouckGolden HS Theatre[Edited for length.]www.stage-directions.comnewScott -Thanks for your letter!I appreciate your close attention to the book, and am sorrythat you feel we have slighted Denver — it was certainly neverour intent. I am very aware of the vibrant theatre scene happeningbetween the Coasts, and we do our best here to promoteit. In the future, we will be clearer about where theatresare located. — ed.By Lineavenuesfor new playsSD examines the stages a play hits beforeit hits the stage• Light on the Subject Makes a Case forGlamorous Paperworkat Carnegie Hall• Making Choices on Sound for Jerry Springer• How To Study Up for the First InterviewCompanies Choosingto Championthe PlaywrightDramaturges Devoted toDeveloping New WorkMAY 2008Directors Talk About HowTheir Venues Choose PlaysWe’ve gotten positive feedback over the last couple ofmonths on the series of articles “A Brief Practical Guide toLighting Paperwork, Parts 1 and 2” by Steve Shelley. Wehave placed them on one Web page, complete with all thephotos (including some we couldn’t run due to space). All thepics, generously sized, allow you to catch details you mayhave missed in the print edition. Head over to www.stagedirections.com/PracticalPaperwork to check it out. — ed.

In the Greenroomtheatre buzz2008 Tony Award Nominees AnnouncedThe American Theatre Wing announced the 2008 Tony nomineesTuesday, May 13. Announcers David Hyde Pierce (fromCurtains and Spamalot) and Sara Ramirez (a co-star of Pierce’sfrom the original cast of Spamalot) kicked off the countdown totheatre’s biggest awards show at the New York Public Libraryfor the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. In a surprise, the 13nominations for In The Heights, an off-Broadway transfer to theGreat White Way by newcomer Lin-Manuel Miranda were morenominations than any other production received, includingLincoln Center’s revival of South Pacific. The nominees for BestMusical included In The Heights, Cry Baby, Passing Strange andXanadu, while the nominees for Best Revival of a Musical includedGrease, Gypsy, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific andSunday in the Park with George. Best Play nominees are August:Osage County, Rock ‘n’ Roll, The Seafarer and The 39 Steps. TheRegional Theatre Tony Award will be presented to the ChicagoShakespeare Theater at the Tony Awards ceremony on June15. Special awards will be given to Robert Russell Bennett(1894-1981), in recognition of his historic contribution toAmerican musical theatre in the field of orchestrations, and anaward for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre will be awardedto Stephen Sondheim, whose Sunday in the Park with George isnominated in the category of Best Revival of a Musical. For thecomplete list of nominees visit www.tonyawards.com.La Jolla Playhouse Selects First Resident Theatre CompanyLa Jolla Playhouse has launched a newinitiative, the Resident Theatre Program,and named Mo’olelo Performing ArtsCompany as its first Resident TheatreCompany. The company will be in residencyat La Jolla Playhouse, located onthe campus of UC San Diego, from Aug.18 through Sept. 21, 2008 and May 12through June 14, 2009.La Jolla Playhouse designed theResident Theatre Program to addressthe lack of available, affordable performancespaces for the many vibrant theatrecompanies in the San Diego area.It was designed to provide a temporaryhome to theatre companies without apermanent venue.“I have been so impressed by thedynamic adventurous and diverse theatrecommunity in San Diego, many ofwhich are without a permanent homebase,” says Artistic Director ChristopherThe La Jolla Playhouse Jacobs CenterAshley. “We are very pleased to giveone San Diego Theatre company eachyear the opportunity to use one of ourspaces rent free.”Adding Machine Shines at 23rd Annual Lucille Lortel AwardsAdding Machine took home the mostaccolades at this year’s Lucille LortelAwards with a total of four wins forOutstanding Musical (Joshua Schmidt andJason Loewith), Director (David Cromer),Lead Actor (Joel Hatch) and Lighting Design(Keith Parham). Outstanding Play went tothe Iraq war drama Betrayed, written byNew Yorker writer George Packer and producedby the Culture Project.The League of Off-BroadwayTheatres and Producers hosted theaward ceremony. Dai (enough), writtenand performed by Iris Bahr, wonOutstanding Solo Show and Ohio StateMurders, written by Adrienne Kennedy,won outstanding revival. Honors forscenic design went to Jim Findlay andJeff Sugg for The Slug Bearers of KayrolIsland (or the Friends of Dr. Rushower);costume design went to MichaelBottari, Ronald Case and Jessica Jahnfor Die Mommie Die!; sound designwent to Jorge Cousineau for Opus.The Edith Oliver Award for SustainedExcellence went to Theodore Mann;Outstanding Body of Work to PrimaryStages; and Unique TheatricalExperience to Horizon, produced byNew York Theatre Workshop.industry newsDa-Lite Screen Company Achieves ISO 14001 CertificationThe Da-Lite Screen Companyhas been awarded the InternationalOrganization for Standardization(ISO) 14001:2004 certification forEnvironmental Management System(EMS) for its worldwide headquartersfacility located in Warsaw, Ind.An ISO 14001:2004-based EMS is amanagement tool enabling Da-Lite to:identify and control the environmentalimpact of its activities, productsor services; improve its environmentalperformance continually; implement asystematic approach to setting environmentalobjectives and targets, toachieving these and to demonstratingthat they have been achieved.“By achieving ISO 14001:2004EMS certification, we have reachedan industry first among producersof projection screens for the AV market,”stated Richard Lundin, Da-LitePresident and CEO. “As we continueto develop our eco-friendly future,through GREENGUARD Certificationand the United Stated Green BuildingCouncil (USGBC) LEED accreditationprogram, the ISO 14001 certificationopens an umbrella over all of ourefforts and provides a frameworkfor a holistic approach to the company’senvironmental policies, plansand actions.”10 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

industry newsESTA Grows, Reviews and PartiesSafety & Health in ArtsProduction & Entertainment(SHAPE) has accepted a seat onthe ETCP Council. SHAPE is a notfor-profitorganization that wasestablished in 1998 as the safetyand health association for the performingarts and motion pictureindustry in British Columbia.SHAPE has appointed BrentRossington, who is the safety andhealth consultant specializingin performing arts. Rossingtonhas recently developed the PAS(Performing Arts Safety Program),specifically designed for the performingarts industry (theatre,dance and music) to assist ininstituting safer practices andprocedures.In other news, a revised version ofANSI E1.11 — 2004, EntertainmentTechnology — USITT DMX512-A,Asynchronous Serial Digital DataTransmission Standard for ControllingLighting Equipment and Accessories— is available for public review onthe ESTA Web site at http://www.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php through July 7, 2008.ANSI E1.11, and this revised draftversion, BSR E1.11, describes a protocolfor transmitting digital dataused to control entertainment lightingequipment and accessories. Inaddition to being asked to review theBSR E1.11 document, reviewers areasked to look for protected intellectualproperty in the draft standard.Additionally, the third annualBehind the Scenes Tony AwardsParty is set for Sunday, June 15, inNew York City. The event bringstogether the shops that work onBroadway and the companies thatsupply them to raise money forBehind the Scenes, an initiative ofThe ESTA Foundation that providesfinancial assistance to entertainmenttechnology professionals whoare seriously ill or injured.Fred Gallo of PRG ScenicTechnologies, one of the organizersof the evening, says, “The Tony Partyoffers a great opportunity to see eachother, celebrate what we’re doing,spend some downtime together, andat the same time, provide importanthelp to our colleagues in need.”Tables of various sizes are availableas well as individual tickets. Ticketsare $200 each, and $105 of eachticket is tax deductible. The reservationform is available online at www.estafoundation.org/bts/events_TonyParty.htmchanging rolesShakespeare & Company AppointsBoard of Trustees ChairmanShakespeare & Company hasappointed Richard A. Mescon as thenew chair of its Board of Trustees.Mescon has served on the boardsince 2005, most recently as vicechairman.Mescon assumes the helm as thecompany is extending its season toMay 2008–March 2009 and expandingits performance space.“At a time when people are concernedabout the health of the economy,we are growing — building anew theatre and production centerwhile putting local businesses towork in the process,” Mescon says.The Public Theater Chairman of theBoard Warren Spector has announcedthat Executive Director Mara Manuswill be stepping down at the end ofthe fiscal year in August.Manus was appointed executivedirector in August 2002 duringRichard A. MesconPublic Theater Executive Director ToStep Down at End of Seasonthe tenure of then Artistic DirectorGeorge C. Wolfe, and has been workingalongside Artistic Director OskarEustis since 2005. The Public Theaterwill begin conducting a nationwidesearch for Manus’ successor in thecoming weeks.A.C.T LightingTo ReorganizeManagementBob Gordon, CEO and presidentof A.C.T Lighting, Inc., hasannounced a company-wide reorganizationdesigned to facilitatemore effective management. Thereorganization comes on the heelsof a period of substantial growthfor the company, which added anEast Coast office in Hackensack,N.J., last year.“Now that we’re operating multiplelocations with a much largerstaff, we have decided to reorganizeour company hierarchy toprovide us with an active managementlayer,” explains Gordon.“This move is expected to improvecommunications within the companyas well as allow us to expediteimportant decisions and workmore effectively.”12 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Tools of the TradeChauvet D-Fi 2Chauvet’s DMX D-Fi 2.0units are capable of transmittingDMX wirelesslyover distances as far as 120meters. Version 2.0 of theD-Fi features more assignablefrequencies, allowingusers to run up to six separateuniverses inside onevenue, and allowing for additional options when experiencingdifficulties in transmission due to signal interference.Multiple units can also be assigned to a single frequency forlonger runs. The D-Fi features LED indicators for operatingmode (transmitter or receiver), frequency and DMX signaltransmission, key-hole slots for discrete wall mounting andfrequency indicator lights. www.chauvetlighting.comDynacord VariLine VL 62The new Dynacord Variline rangeis designed to deliver state-of-theartacoustic performance and multifunctionalhardware accessoriesfor permanent install and mobileapplications. The VL 62 full rangecabinet (150 W RMS and 122 dB maxSPL) features a neodymium 6.5-inchwoofer and a one-inch compressiondriver mounted to a CAD-optimized90 x 40 rotatable horn for high SPLapplications where minimal footprintis a main concern. The VL 62’s 16-Ohm operation isdesigned to allow up to eight cabinets to be connected inparallel to any Dynacord amplifier. Coupled with DynacordPowerH remote control DSP amplifiers, FIR presets optimizeperformance, resulting in linear-phase and equalmagnitude response over the operating bandwidth of 90Hz–20 kHz. www.dynacord.comElation ELED Tri-64B Par CanElation Professional’sELED Tri-64B Par Can is aDMX-compatible stagelight built with the company'stri-color RGB LED technologyfor color mixing andmulti-color shadow-freeperformance. The ELED Tri-64B is equipped with 18LEDs using tri-color technology so that all of the unit's 18lenses contain a combination of three different colored onewattLEDs (red, green and blue). The ELED Tri-64B is designedfor stages, concerts, displays and exhibits, generates virtuallyno heat and is energy efficient, drawing only 70 watts ofpower. Its LED lamps are rated for 50,000 hours. It is designedto product a brighter, more even field of light, for better illuminationof stages and performers. The MSRP of the ELED Tri-64Bis $999.95. www.elationlighting.comGerriets The WallGerriets new decorativewall covering called “TheWall” is available in Brickand Rock versions and isdesigned for a range ofdecorative applications.Brick has a realistic brickwall look; Rock is designedto imitate a quarry stonewall.It is made from Neopor, a lightweight, newly developedStyrofoam. Customized painting of all The Wall panels isdone onsite with standard scenic paint. The Wall includes arealistic appearance and flame-retardant material accordingto DIN 4102 B1. It is designed for quick and easy applicationand can be reused several times. www.gi-info.comHosa Technology DA11 “Stick” MicSpecially developed for theatrical applications, the DA11“Stick” Microphoneuses the same 2.5-mmdiameter Europeandesignedcapsule as theDA12 and DA04 microphones.In addition toa water-resistant capsule,the Stick featuresa long stem that can bebent to fit many theatreapplications, such as wig weaving and for sewing into costumes.The DA-11 is available in black or beige and has -35dB and -45 dB sensitivity configurations. They are designedfor a wide range of performers who must endure the heat ofstage or camera lighting since the mics are highly resistant tomoisture such as perspiration. www.hosatech.comShure UR1M Micro-BodypackThe Shure UR1M Micro-Bodypack offerswireless in an ultra-compact package thatweighs three ounces with two AAA batteries.The subminiature device uses the patentedShure Audio Reference Compandingtechnology to deliver its audio and comeswith a 60-75 MHz tuning range (regiondependent) — twice that of other bodypackson the market. It is tunable in 25 kHzincrements and provides a sum total ofup to 3,000 selectable frequencies. It canalso provide: selectable 10 mW or 50 mWRF power, up to nine hours of battery life,audio level metering and a backlit LCD display.Each UR1M’s circuit board is speciallytreated to greatly enhance the sweat resistanceand durability of the device, allowing it to be worn closeto the skin. The miniature bodypack comes with a choice of TQGor Lemo-3 connectors and selectable alkaline, lithium primaryor NIMH battery curves for accurate power metering. Availablesummer of 2008. www.shure.com14 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Light on the Subject|By Lenore DoxseeMore Than WordsTwo flavors of visualizershelp LDs bring life to theirdesign concepts.A rendered still from the WYG visualization of Is It Wrong for the Son of a Royal Family To Choose Acting as a Profession?, designed by Ma Lu and ultimately performed by BeiFang KunQu Opera TheatreAs visualizers go, Lightbox and WYSIWYG couldn’t bemore different. Lightbox is a software and hardwaresystem that gives the lighting designer the tools to lightscale models of scenic designs using the actual matboardand-glueset model and tiny fiber optic “lekos.” WYSIWYG is asoftware suite with which a designer can render lighting ideasin three-dimensional virtual space. WYG further allows thedesigner to create light plots and the associated paperwork ofthe design and to upload commands like focus and positionfrom the computer model to the actual lightboard. These commandscan then be used to write cues quickly on the console.(This also works in reverse — WYG can take cues from an actuallightboard and show them in virtual space.)While set and costume designers come to design meetingswith sketches, models and swatches to help explain theirideas, lighting designers traditionally bring words to theseconversations. Lightbox lets the lighting designer actually lightthe model and make design choices in real three-dimensionalspace. The designer gels the little lights in Lightbox, and findsout what those colors look like in a source that is approximately3200° Kelvin and how they affect the swatches of costumefabric and the colors of paint that the other designers contribute.The realness is all. With WYSIWIG, or any other computervisualization, one is dependent upon the computer screen’s(or printer’s) rendering of the gel color as well as the color ofcostumes and scenery. It will always be an approximation.LightboxThe little “lekos” of the Lightbox come in 10°, 19°,26° and 50° beam angles and illuminate via a fiber opticstrand. Each dimmer can accept many fibers. Thematics(the manufacturer of Lightbox) is now selling a nifty LEDilluminator. This unit has 24 individually controlled LEDs,each of which accepts one fiber. This is really great for specials,whereas the standard dimmers can be used for wholesystems. The LEDs dim nicely down to zero, but their colortemperature does not quite match the MR-16 illuminators.In addition to the fiber optic fixtures, Thematics offers anMR-11 wash unit that plugs into a dimmed Edison outlet.The Edison dimmers allow for inexpensive expansion tothe system, as any source of appropriate wattage can beused with them. The Lightbox can be controlled throughany DMX controller.Every Lightbox is custom designed in order to emulate the client’stheatre spaces. Lightbox can have many adjustable featuresin order to serve several different theatres. This flexibility is anasset, but it increases the time it takes to get started. One must setup the theatre space proportions and lighting positions and sortout the tangle of fibers before beginning a new design. Usingthe Lightbox is very much like putting a show into the theatre; ittakes a significant amount of time to position the lights and getthem patched, colored and focused. Then the fun begins.I think Lightbox is a great teaching tool primarily for itsrealness. The computer visualizers always seem computer-yand somehow distant from what I like about theatre. I alsofind that many directors respond better to looking at modelsthan at computer renderings. But there are certainly thingsthat WYSIWYG does that Lightbox does not and cannot.WYSIWYGWYSIWYG is a very powerful program. It is marketedby Cast Software as a “start-to-finish” tool for the lightingBob MoyersZack TinkelmanA moment from the NYU undergrad production of HairThat same scene from Hair as visualized within the LightBox system.16 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Vadim LedvinLenore Doxsee (center) works on a Lightbox unit with NYU Technical Production Track students Shawn Duan (left) and Reece Nunez.designer and technicians. The designer begins by defininga theatre space and placing lighting positions within it,and then builds scenery from the extensive library of scenicobjects or imports a design from AutoCAD or SketchUp. Thedesigner then adds lights to the positions, colors and focusesthem, and begins to create looks. The fixture library includesall of the major manufacturers of both conventional andmoving lights and the truss to hang them on. There are colorand template libraries that facilitate manipulation of eachfixture. The designer can make decisions about color, texture,composition and the movement of light quite quickly. Cuescan be saved and then played back as an on-screen demonstration,or they can be rendered and printed or saved aspdfs. Using the WYG-it, the cue information can be loadeddirectly into a DMX console, potentially saving huge amountsof cueing time in the theatre.The types of equipment that are available in the fixturelibrary of WYG are countless, and the attributes of those fixturescan all be manipulated. In Lightbox, we have “lekos” butthey do not have shutters like they do in WYG. One can applya bit of blacktack to the front of the barrel to shape the beam,but it is not like a real shutter. The Lightbox lights will accept atiny acetate template, and sharpen or soften somewhat, but ittakes a great deal of patience to get those 1/4”-diameter templatesproperly into place. In WYG that template goes in withone click. The Lightbox wash units are fabulous if you wanta full stage, single-source look. But if the reality of your theatre’sinventory is that you don’t have any 5k or 10k Fresnels,you might be mocking up something in the Lightbox thatyou can’t really achieve in full scale. With WYSIWYG, you canchoose equipment that matches your inventory. WYG alsoemulates atmospherics very well. It defaults to a general hazethat reveals the beams in the air. If you are doing rock ‘n’ rollthis is perfect; for your standard kitchen drama this might notbe appropriate. The atmospherics are all user-controllable,though it is not simple to make the rendering look like a stagewithout fog or haze.Learning to use WYSIWYG is not difficult, but its masteryis a longer journey. There are a number of things that I wishthe program would do, yet I have thus far been unable toachieve. One of these things is to make objects transparent.There are stock windows in the scenery library, but if you tryto shine light through them, it does not pass through. Thereare various check boxes that I have used in an effort to makeglass transparent, but to no avail. [In a conversation about this,a Cast Software rep explained that the windows in their libraryare “solid” objects. Users can access WYG’s Boolean function,released last year, to cut windows into sets to allow light to passthrough. — ed.] Another different but related issue I have withthe program is that you can decide if an object should castshadows or not. This is a check box that infuriates me. Anyopaque object should cast shadows, right? In Lightbox, realobjects cast real shadows. [Cast has said that real-time shadowsare coming in the next release later this year. — ed.]If your show includes moving lights, WYSIWYG providesfeatures that Lightbox cannot possibly offer. A hugenumber of moving fixtures are available in the instrumentlibrary, and the appropriate attributes of these lights arecontrollable within the program. When playing back cuesthat include movers, the designer sees very clearly the resultof failing to preset the fixtures. Just as it will in the theatre,the mover that goes from its home position to a designedfocus point will sweep across the stage (meanwhile changingcolor and beam attributes) as it fades up. It is certainlypreferable to see that ugliness in the privacy of the computerscreen rather than live in the middle of a rehearsal. Thevalue of pre-cueing moving lights is obvious, and especiallyso in situations where the controller is not really designedto manipulate movers. In a teaching environment, it is oftendifficult to provide enough cueing time for each student tomake moving light cues with an actual console and movingfixtures. But a Learn site license for WYSIWYG and a fewcomputers can allow those students to work simultaneouslyand independently on this.While many people may believe that the best aspect ofWYG is that the light plot and paperwork are created as partof the natural process of visualizing, I do not encourage itsuse as a drafting tool. I feel that the paperwork that WYSIWYGgenerates does not conform to industry standards, and it isnot possible to manipulate the drafting to the level that isnecessary to create a professional-looking light plot. I certainlybelieve in WYG as a visualizer, but I prefer VectorWorksand Lightwright for drafting and lighting paperwork.What is the best visualizer? It depends what your prioritiesare. WYSIWYG is fast and flexible, but the renderings doretain a “virtual” feel. Lightbox has limitations, but its resultsare tangible. Both WYSIWYG and Lightbox can be greatteaching tools, and rendering one’s design ideas in any formatis certainly more effective than just using words.Lenore Doxsee is associate teacher of drama with expertise inlighting for theatre, opera and dance at NYU. Ms. Doxsee is theresident lighting designer for Target Margin Theater and hasdesigned in many New York theatres.www.stage-directions.com • June 2008 17

Sound Design|By Bryan ReesmanStay CoolJohn Shivers makes sure theaudio matches the talentfor the Broadway revival ofCat on a Hot Tin RoofThe key to being a successful sound designer is embracingdiversity and adapting to ever-changing situations.With his rock ‘n’ roll background, Sound Designer JohnShivers has certainly learned about that. In his younger years,Shivers dreamed of rock stardom, so he picked up the guitarand played in bands, learning about amplification and eventuallyrecording. His first professional gig was as a recordingengineer in Philadelphia, and he also worked for a while atthe famed Electric Lady Studios in Manhattan’s West Village.He later went on tour with Dionne Warwick. All of this studioand touring experience dovetailed into the theatre work thatis now his life’s work.When I last spoke with Shivers three years ago, he hadjust completed work as an associate sound designer onBilly Crystal’s autobiographical one-man show 700 Sundays.Deceptively simple in terms of sound and lighting design, itwas a moving piece about coming to terms with the death ofCrystal’s father during his teen years and his subsequent riseto fame. Since then, Shivers has been a busy man, overseeinga production of Aida in Korea and moving the Sydney productionof Lion King to Melbourne in Australia that same yearbefore tackling In My Life, Tarzan, Mary Poppins and The LittleMermaid during the last three years. With ongoing responsibilitiesto numerous current productions, he has been quitethe workhorse.His latest Broadway endeavor as a sound designer is DebbieAllen’s revival of Tennessee Williams’ immortal drama Cat on A HotTin Roof, starring Terrence Howard, Anika Noni Rose, James EarlJones and Phylicia Rashad. Beyond its powerhouse casting andacting, the show is a rarity these days: a three-act, three-hour showwith one main set that barely changes. The miking is discreet andeffective. An added touch is a saxophone player who wandersthrough the set and out into the audience at the start of each act.Stage Directions tracked Shivers down in London to get thescoop on Cat and his future plans.Stage Directions: The soundof Cat on A Hot Tin Roof isvery natural. Were there micson all of the actors, and didyou use any foot mics?John Shivers: I am veryhappy you had to ask. Yes, weused wireless microphones onJohn Shiversthe actors. We started with justfoot and area mics, but it quickly became apparent somethingelse was needed. The Broadhurst is not a particularlysmall theatre, and there were many intimately acted scenes.We first experimented with transmitters on just two of theactors and found with a bit of finesse that we were able togently lift the dialogue to an intelligible yet natural soundinglevel. We then committed to miking the entire cast to maintainthe same tonal quality and level.Were there mics placed in the back area of the stage, i.e.the “outdoors” of the plantation? Did you worry aboutbleed through into the main mics?We tried a few methods before settling on recording thedialogue. The first was having the actors stand in locations onthe stage to provide the needed imaging, but in some cases,this proved physically impossible. We next had them speakinto a microphone in a sound booth located off stage left androute the output to various speakers around the set; however,the bleed from the booth pulled the image too far in thatdirection. In the end, recording the actor’s dialogue enabledus the best control over imaging, level and ambience.Which console and effects were you using? What types ofmics and transmitters did you use and why?A Yamaha M7-CL, a great little console, and QLab for playback.We used a bit of reverb and echo on the sax to give it18 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

some depth and small amounts of EFXprocessing on a few of the playbackcues. As far as mics, we used SennheiserSK-5012 with MKE-2 Golds. Sennheiseris the industry standard based on theirreliability and sonic quality. The SK-5012is also one of the smallest transmittersavailable, which makes for more concealmentoptions.Among the all-star cast assembled for this production wasPhylicia Rashad and James Earl JonesWhat was the biggest challengeof working on thisshow?The biggest challengewas integrating the muchfrowned upon wireless systemas surreptitiously aswe did.How was working on Catdifferent from other productionsyou’ve done inthe past? Was it a nicechange of pace after tacklingThe Little Mermaid?It is really hard to compare.The scope of the sound designfor Cat versus the sound design forThe Little Mermaid was worlds apart,from the time commitment, fiveweeks versus six months; to the numberof inputs/outputs, 40/20 versus112/80; to the number and complexityof the sound effects, maybe twodozen versus hundreds. I can say this,though — I loved working on Cat. Notonly is it one of the best plays everperformed, but working with DebbieAnika Noni Rose and Terrence Howard in another moment from Cat on a Hot Tin RoofAllen, a brilliant cast, and GeneralManager Nina Lannan and Associatesmade for a creatively supported andfulfilling experience.How involved was Director DebbieAllen with the sound design?Debbie and I collaborated onthe selection of nearly all the soundeffects (35 in total). She was also veryactive in pushing forward the mikingof the actors.www.stage-directions.com • June 2008 19

Sound DesignHow did Associate Sound Designer David Patridgecontribute to your work, and how well did you worktogether?David has a great set of ears and excellent technicalknowledge. Pretty much anything I am able to dream up hecan make happen. We have had a lot of experience workingtogether, and with that comes great ease in communication.Terrence Howard stars as Brick and Anika Noni Rose as Maggie in the Broadway revival ofCat on a Hot Tin Roof.What projects do youhave coming up, andwhat new challengeswill they present foryou?I am scheduled todesign 9 to 5, which willstart up in L.A. this summer,and then we willbe opening our thirdproduction of Tarzanthis fall in Hamburg.Also, I continue towork on a number ofLion King productions,one of which will beplaying Taipei thissummer in an arena. Iam in the process ofspecifying a large rigto accommodate thatvenue. Challenges? Ithink scheduling is oneof my biggest challengesat the moment.I believe I still have aspouse and daughterat home.Wireless mics were used to to benefit the intimately acted scenes, like thisone between Terrence Howard and James Earl Jones.20 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

School Spotlight By Dave Glowacki|Cross-PollinationOberlin College leverages its strength in all arts for theatre students.Oberlin College, an ivy-covered institution with a longand distinguished history of providing a quality liberalarts education, is comprised of a College of Artsand Sciences and a Conservatory of Music sharing a 440-acrecampus. It has a student enrollment of just less than 3,000and an average student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1. Its innovativeTheatre and Dance program regularly collaborates with theConservatory of Music and other departments of the college,strongly supports student playwrights and directors, annuallyproduces approximately 40 theatrical and dance events in avariety of performance venues, and is one pillar of a thrivinglocal arts community.Collaboration on CampusOberlin is well known for its Conservatory of Music program,and its Theater and Dance department collaborates often withthe musicians and artists in the Conservatory program, as wellas other performing arts disciplines at the college, includingthe Cinema Studies program, the department of art and theDramatic Literature/Playwriting program within the Englishdepartment. The connection to the Conservatory of Musicgives performance students opportunities for vocal coachingand singing instruction, and its dance department offers extensiveclasses in physical movement study and training. Overall,the campus has a strong creative flair, as evidenced by the factMa Rainey’s Black Bottom by August Wilson, directed by Caroline Jackson Smith, on the Hall stageThe mainstage facility for Oberlin is Hall Auditorium, a500-seat venue where they produce three faculty-directedtheatrical productions each year. Hall is also where theConservatory of Music stages their fall and spring operas. Ablack box space called the Little Theater is in the Hall Annex,which plays host to up to nine student-directed productionsannually, as well as a 10-Minute Play Festival and a One-ActPlay Festival. Warner Center is home to department offices, andcontains a former gymnasium converted into a dance studio.“Lots of hardwood floor, lots of glass windows, and we canseat up to 200 for performances there,” says Paul Moser, chairof the department for the past eight years and member of thefaculty for 18. “There are also a number of less-formal spacesaround campus that are used by extracurricular groups thatstage upwards of 20 productions annually.”Oberlin is also in the preliminary stages of planning a newstate-of-the-art arts complex that will be as “green” as possible— Oberlin was recently ranked number one among greenschools by the Sierra Club, and has ranked in the top 10 ofgreen schools in an EPA report.that last year 39 percent of the graduating class majored in thearts. There is a real sense that the college is an arts community,with a vibrant mixture of ideas and different disciplines workingtogether.With such a strong focus on the arts, the theatre programhas been able to attract good students and develop a challengingprogram for them.“We believe we have developed an exceptional acting curriculum,”says Moser, “which has the best aspects of a highlyselective preprofessional conservatory program, while maintainingthe best aspects of a B.A. program within a liberal artsstructure.”Thanks to large number of productions faculty encouragestudents to experience all aspects of theatre, including acting,the technical disciplines and directing.“We have a strong commitment to creating opportunitiesfor students to direct productions,” says Moser. “Nearly 30percent of our majors train to become directors, and we doeverything we can to get them the valuable practical experiencethey need to become successful.”22 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Oberlin was recently ranked number one amonggreen schools by the Sierra Club.Teching OutJoseph Natt is the technical director of the department,running the shop and teaching classes in stagecraft.He describes his approach as very hands on andinvolved for all the students. Early classes stress thebasics of design and construction, while advancedcourses cover such topics as rigging and advanced useof materials.Designs for productions in the Hall Auditorium aremainly handled by staff and guest artists, but studentswork hand in hand with them to realize the designs.More fertile ground for student techs comes in the LittleFocus on the StudentsIn addition to sending a large contingent of graduateson to programs at Yale, Columbia and NYU,Moser points to a list of successful grads, includingJohn Kander (Broadway composer with lyricist FredEbb) Natasha Katz (multiple Tony Award-winninglighting designer), Bill Irwin (won a Tony Award forBest Actor In A Play for his appearance in the 2005revival of (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) and JulieTaymor (The Lion King). And it’s a group that givesback, too.“Our alumni regularly return to Oberlin to speak,Associate Professor of Theater Matthew Wright directed thisproduction of Tennessee Williams’ Vieux Carre.Theater, which is entirely student directed, designedand built — although the scene shop resources areavailable for students to use for the Little Theater aswell.In terms of gear, lighting in Hall is controlled by anETC Expression board. It controls 280 dimmers in threeETC Sensor dimmer racks, which are doubler capable.Sound for Hall is run through a Behringer EurodeskMX3282 32-channel mixing console. Speakers includetwo EV SX300E two-way loudspeakers front of houseand an additional two Yamaha SV-12s in back. Onstageare two EV Eliminators and two Nady FWA-15 poweredwedges. All are powered by five QSC Audio RMX 850amplifiers. Sound cues are run in Q-Lab software on a2.4GHz iMac with an Audiofire-8 interface.The Little Theater has a 48/96 ETC Express board and48 Unison dimmers also by ETC. Sound is run througha Mackie 1642-VLZ Pro board, and four JBL model 4411speakers are powered by two Alesis RA-100 amps.A moment from the December 2006 production of Shaw’s Major Barbara, directed by Paul Moserteach and participate in productions,” says Moser,before he tells us that Avery Brooks (Sisko fromthe TV show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, amongother roles) will be returning to campus duringthe fall term of 2008 for a production of Death of aSalesman. And bringing the focus back to campusand the current students is what motivates Moserand the faculty at Oberlin.“Our greatest asset is our students,” assertsMoser. “They are multifaceted and multitalented,and are very supportive of each other in everythingthey do.”Dave Glowacki has been the resident designer/technicaldirector at Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio, for thepast 12 years. This fall, he will be assuming the positionof Production Manager for the Rozsa Performing ArtsCenter at Michigan Tech University.www.stage-directions.com • June 2008 23

Educational Feature|By Erik VikerBring the HeatWilliam DunhamDesigning for summer stock theatre means morethan just taking the weather into accountRob Andrusko’s scenic design for Gigi at the Merry-Go-Round PlayhouseAmerican summer stock theatre became popular afterWorld War II. By the 1960s, the tradition of a summertheatre season in resort areas and vacation hotspots was already well established, providing employmentopportunities for theatre practitioners and entertainmentfor off-season theatergoers. For many years, summer theatrecompanies have served as “proving grounds” for new scenicdesigners eager to develop their careers. Summer stock theatreposes special challenges for the scenic designer, includingthe fast-paced nature and limited resources of a multiproductionsummer season. For many design professionals,the opportunity to work in excellent locations with energeticcolleagues far outweighs the inconveniences and challengesof summer stock theatre: available space, travel distances,weather issues, less-experienced staff, in many cases, andvery short turnaround times for construction and painting.Scenic designers are often trained to temporarily ignorebudget and resource issues when approaching a text, firstletting creativity rather than practicality guide their vision.Designers may become accustomed to well-staffed productionshops with generous budgets effortlessly realizing everythingincluded in a scenic design. When designing for summerstock theatre, it is best to consider the unavoidable limitationsimposed on the production team. Production ManagerShaminda Amarakoon of Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in NewYork says, “While I never feel designers should limit themselvesat the beginning of their design process, I do believethat having an understanding of a theatre’s technical capabilitiesbefore finishing the designs is important to an efficienttechnical process.” Amarakoon advises the scenic designerto become familiar with experience levels of the theatre’stechnical staff, as well as the company’s inventory and stockitems. He suggests new designers send concept materials tothe production manager or technical director long before theestablished design deadlines to get feedback before committingto an overly ambitious design.Brett Henry, technical director at the University of Minnesotaagrees. Every summer, he works with the U of M ShowboatPlayers to produce an interactive, vaudeville-style show aboardthe Minnesota Centennial Showboat on the Mississippi River.“Working on our boat, the smallness of the space affects thedesign in a big way,” says Henry. “A standard-sized couch is hugeon our stage. We have to look for furniture that is 3/4 scale.”Work With Your CrewHuman resources will also impact execution of the designvision. Scenic designers fresh out of school may be accustomedto a professionally managed scene shop and paintteam. Most summer stock theatre depends on the efforts ofeager but often unskilled interns and young technicians, andthe inevitable trial-and-error approach to technical solutionscombined with frequent “how to” sessions will result in a lessefficientconstruction and finish process. In summer stocktheatre, it is not uncommon for scenic designer contractsto include several days of hands-on work by the designer,and those who are accustomed to transferring responsibilityto a scenic charge artist may be surprised to learn that thedesigner is sometimes more than an honored guest duringtech week. Some theatres depend on the scenic designer’sfinish painting skills or properties design experience to bringthe production to life by opening night.Certain building materials are often less available in moreisolated summer theatre locations and supplies can be expensivedue to transportation costs in rural areas. Designers who24 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Russell PaRkmanStar Players’ production of Carousel with scenic design by Joel Thayerare accustomed to using plastics, Vacuform materials andeven some fairly common building materials, such as mediumdensity fiberboard, may have to think in terms of basicboard lumber and plywood instead.In many cases, a summer stock theatre must rely on creativesolutions for workspace. Scenery construction for theStar Players in Massachusetts takes place in two separateshops, a large barn approximately two miles away from thetheatre and a smaller space adjacent to the stage. Star PlayersScenic Designer Joel Thayer must consider how and wherehis design elements can be assembled, painted and installedbefore he begins to conceptualize his approach to the text.Sometimes two productions are under construction while athird is on stage. It’s no different in Minnesota.“Once we have moved down to the boat it starts to getcramped,” says Showboat’s Henry. “We set up a small areaon the stern where we can cut and do some rough carpentrywithout covering the space in sawdust.” Although thetransportability and storability strategies involved in designexecution are the responsibility of the technical director, agood scenic designer will consider these issues when planningfor a production.Summer Goes By QuicklyThe rapid turnaround time for summer stock theatre canalso influence what design concepts can be effectively realized,and advance consultation with the technical director iscritical. “In summer stock, the build phase will typically be oneto three weeks,” says Amarakoon, “with at most a two-dayload-in.” Can the design be constructed in sections that willfit through doors and on the truck? Can the crew navigatestairs or other obstacles with the scenery pieces? Can theengineering requirements for your load-bearing structuresbe met within the construction time available? Will the timeavailable for load-in be adequate to thoroughly assemble,fine-tune and finish your design?The weather plays a part in summer stock design execution,especially for theatres using outdoor workspaces by necessity.Regional humidity will effect the drying time of paintand adhesives, sometimes delaying the entire build schedule,and rain can hinder scenery transportation plans betweenthe shop and the theatre. Weather sometimes combines withworkspace weaknesses to adversely effect production, andmany summer stock veterans can recount tales of sudden roofleaks or even minor flooding causing all work to stop as theThe Weston Playhouse’s production of Urinetown, with scenic design by Russell Parkmanhalf-finished scenery is moved to safer locations. Some summertheatres take advantage of generally good weather andperform second-stage or even mainstage productions in outdoorarenas. Consider the adjustments including weatherproofmaterials and finishes that might be necessary for an outdoorscenic design. Although a brief rain shower earlier in the daymight not result in a performance cancellation, your scenerymay need to include slip-resistant stair treads or other accommodationsfor post-rain conditions.Know Your LimitsWhen designing for summer stock theatre, Scenic DesignerRussell Parkman thinks in terms of reducing the total amountof scenery rather than compromise on the finished product’squality. Parkman’s work is frequently produced by WestonPlayhouse Theatre Company in Vermont. “The fact that Westondoes not have a fly loft has also been a limitation that I haveused to my advantage, by not spending all my time paintingdrops or trying to evoke illusionistic locations,” says Parkman.“I treat the Weston space more sculpturally.” Parkman alsosuggests rethinking traditional approaches to large-scale productionssuch as musicals. “I often try to do the big musicals ina unit or single adaptable set,” he says. “One certainly has tobe flexible and every inch counts on a small set.” Recognizingthat the whole is sometimes greater than the sum of its parts,Parkman also notes how collaboration with other designerscan make a difference in summer stock theatre. “Obviously, ithelps to have a top-notch lighting designer,” he states.When evaluating designs for production, technical managerswill often cite the “Golden Triangle” rule, which says onlytwo of the following three goals can be achieved: good, fastand cheap. This Golden Triangle adage applies to almost anytheatre production work, but is especially valuable when dealingwith the special limitations of summer theatre. If a designmust be built quickly, which is often the case in summer stocktheatre, it will either cost more money or lack a certain level offinish quality. Working in cooperation with colleagues, includingthe artistic director, fellow designers and technicians, asummer theatre scenic designer can find the balance betweenideal artistic vision and available resources.Erik Viker is an assistant professor of Theatre at SusquehannaUniversity, where he serves as faculty technical director forthe Department of Theatre and teaches courses in theatreoperations and stage management.www.stage-directions.com • June 2008 25

Theatre Spotlight|By Michael S. EddyCharlesState-of-the-Art Summer StockCharles Morgan sets the stage for Peterborough Players’ summer stockFounded in 1933, the Peterborough Players in southwesternNew Hampshire has established a reputationas the premier destination for theatre in theMonadnock Region. As the only professional producingtheatre in the region and one of the oldest summer stockcompanies in the country, the Players has staged morethan 300 different productions over the years includingworks by Shaw, Ibsen, Wilde, Wilder, Beckett, Williams,Miller and Mamet. The Players is distinctive from the programmingof many other summer theatres by also havingpresented a variety of world and regional premieres ofworks by contemporary playwrights.Since its inception, the Peterborough Players has presentedworks in an intimate theatre located in a converted 18thcenturybarn at historic Stearns Farm. Having completedthe most extensive renovations in the company’s history in2006, the space now holds 249 theatergoers in state-of-theart,air-conditioned comfort. Traditionally, the Players had afive-show mainstage season until the summer of 2000, whenthey extended to a six production season. In 2007, the Playersadded a seventh show, now making award-winning theatreavailable in the region until late September.Scenic Designer Charles Morgan has worked with thePeterborough Players for the last 11 seasons. He alsois a resident designer at Mystic Scenic Studios, Inc. inNorwood, Mass. The 2008 season at the PeterboroughPlayers will have him designing Our Town, Private Lives andAn Ideal Husband.Where did you go to school?Colby College in Maine. I graduated with a Bachelor ofArts in Chemistry. While at Colby, I had a work-study job atthe theatre and the TD got me involved in summer theatrewhere I went as an intern carpenter. After seeing the scenicartist work, he agreed to teach me how to paint and Istarted painting.What are some of your recent designs?Inherit The Wind, Picasso At The Lapin Agile, Our Town, TheMan Who Came to Dinner, The Importance of Being Earnestand Candida. I would love to do a Shakespeare play. I havedone a lot of Shaw andhundreds of other playsbut, oddly enough, nevera Shakespeare.What is the biggest downsideto what you do?That I can’t afford to doonly theatre. I have a familythat I love, and the waylive theatre is structuredin this country, you can’tafford to have a family anda normal lifestyle and workonly in the theatre.MorganI am excited by a project if…I enjoy working with the director if it is a good collaboration.I always enjoy working with a new director, butthere is also a strong group of directors and designers atPeterborough, and we share a good collaborative process.What scenic designers, past or present, inspire you?Jo Mielziner would be one from the past. Different designersat different times have inspired me.Is there a scenic solution you are proudest of?I did Shirley Valentine on a thrust stage and still managedto get the beach onstage in a blackout. That was pretty good.I had the whole beach on a wagon, but no one could tell; Iwas pleased with that solution.What would you tell people wanting to break into thebusiness?Get to know people. It is the teams of people you workwith, the people you meet in school and on shows that it isimportant to get to know. Know as many people as you canand remember who they are because 20 years from nowyou will bump into someone and next thing you know youare working together again, sometimes in a whole differentdirection.All Photography By Deb Porter-HayeA moment from Inherit the WindJon L. Egging, Jim Whitmore and Jim Whitmore Jr. in Inherit the WindMorgan designed the set for the Players’ production of Picasso At The Lapin Agile.

Special Section: Musical TheatreJoan MarcusThe finale of Jersey BoysInstallHarmonyAll load-ins are a testament to the beauty of cooperationand madness. This gets amplified when you’re puttingup the set as they’re finishing the theatre.“They’re kind of building around us,” says Jim Fedigan,production electrician for the install of Jersey Boys in theJersey Boys Theatre at the Palazzo Las Vegas — Resort, Hotel,Casino. We’re standing on the lip of the stage looking at lightsthat have been hung onto truss and then wrapped in plasticbags to protect them from the dust, which is everywhere.Fedigan started the load-in in a theatre that was far fromcomplete.Three weeks later and I’m sitting in those seats (nowinstalled and free of dust) talking with Steven Ehrenberg, VPof technical production for BASE Entertainment, one memberof the producing entity that brought Jersey Boys to Vegas.Ehrenberg’s self-described job is to act as the producer’srepresentative when dealing with the Palazzo and theirarchitects and consultants, ensuring that the creative andtechnical team has everything they need to mount a successfulproduction.They need a producer’s rep because the theatre’s architecturaldrawings were done more than five years ago whenthere was no specific show to design for. The original designwas a Vegas-style showroom model that the casino architectshad made for planned casinos in Macau and other Asialocations. The theatre had a large cross-aisle with a hard tearwall separating the front and back of the orchestra section, abalcony which sat fairly far back from the proscenium, a stagedeck designed like a regular floor and a backstage that wasdesigned to support a hotel kitchen.“So there were some serious challenges to our cominghere,” quips Ehrenberg.Steven Ehrenberg in the lobbyof the Jersey Boys theatreMake It CloserOne of the first things the producers insisted on waspulling the balcony closer to the stage, eventually gettinglip of the balcony less than 60 feet from the back ofthe proscenium. In a normal Vegas showroom, the lip canbe 100 feet or more from the back of the proscenium.The director, Des McAnuff, and the producers wanted tokeep the space intimate for what Ehrenberg describes asa “small show.”But the steel had already been bought. If they pulled thebalcony forward, the new support steel couldn’t be purchased,so the balcony support columns also had to moveforward. The result is two large columns that push into theback of the orchestra section a few rows. They are spacedto be the same width as the control booth that sits at backof the orchestra seating, and the area framed by them hasbecome the audio front-of-house mixing position, but it stillrankles Ehrenberg.“I was like, ‘I hate them, I hate them,’” he says. “But if that’swhat it takes to move the balcony forward.”They also eliminated the cross-aisle and tear wall from thedrawings, which enabled them to pull the last row of orchestraseats 15 feet closer to the stage.Losing Stage SpaceCasino operations impinged on the stage footprint.“I’ve got a stairway that’s totally encroaching on the stageleft space,” says Ehrenberg. “I’ve got a stairway in the basementon stage right. They put a kitchen in half of the basement— all done when the building was designed — thatservices the ballrooms. That’s got half our footprint under thestage. All of which is traditional backstage area. Gone.”28 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Jimmy Fedigan, backstageduring the Jersey Boysload-inThe drum lift for Jersey Boys had to be cut into steel and concrete, andreinforcing steel placed back in.Perhaps the biggest problem is the stage itself. It was builtlike a normal hotel floor, with concrete poured over the structuralsteel. As built, there was no way to trap it, but Ehrenbergwas told that they couldn’t rebuild the stage due to moneyand time concerns.Ehrenberg and Erik Tuomy, the onsite rep from HKSArchitects, found a way to cut through the steel and concreteof the stage floor to make trap doors for the drum lift, mic liftand scenic elements. Ehrenberg cut a 10-by-10 hole in thestage for the drum lift that was bigger than necessary in caseDirector McAnuff wanted to move it.Ringing Out, Plugging InWhile the stage may have given everyone fits, the processof cabling up the theatre for lights and control wentconsiderably more smoothly. Buddy Pope at 4Wall handledthe electrical install, with Pat Best working as steward for theelectrical engineers. The show uses an ETC dimming system,using ETC Smart Switches and ETC Net to distribute controlsignals. An ETC Obsession console sends MIDI to fire bothmain and backup GrandMa's and fire show video contentand live camera cues. All coventional fixtures, scrollers, MDGHazers and Star Strobes are also controlled by the Obsession.The AF-1000 Strobes, all portal Color Blast LEDs, under bridgeColor Blaze LED's and VL's are controlled by the GrandMAs.In terms of the lights themselves, Fedigan describes it as “apretty simple rig.” They’ve got a normal side pack, heavy onVari*Lite VL2500 Spots and Washes.“There used to be tons of PAR cans in here, but they addedthese movers, and they do everything that the PARs weredoing,” says Fedigan. The VL2500 was a hit with directorMcAnuff because of the low fan noise.“It’s a book musical with a lot of quiet scenes,” Fedigannotes. “And he didn’t want the fan noise going all over it.”Color Kinetics ColorBlast72s line the upper bridge to addfill and effects to the performers when they’re behind themics downstage, and Colorblast6s are used for truss warmerson the side proscenium portals. They are placed every 10 feetin the steel structure, shooting up and down.“It gives it a nice a toner, plus we’re getting different colorchases through them now,” explains Fedigan. “In New York,we have a scroller mounted to the bottom in the floor andscroller at the top. Basically that does everything. Up here, it’sVegas, so we gotta triple it up.”The Jersey Boys Theatre from the stageThe orchestra seating in Jersey Boys theatreLeft to right: Rick Faugno, Erich Bergen, Jeremy Kushnier and Jeff Leibow as the Four Seasons in theVegas production of Jersey BoysMaking TimeOne of the biggest additions to the show was the incorporationof more video screens. The show added two LED videoA scene from Jersey Boys depicting when The Four Seasons were backup session singers.

Special Section: Musical Theatre“I’m always playing in the world of differencebetween the construction schedule,which is a year out, 12 months out,and the production schedule, which ismore like 12 weeks out.”— Steven EhrenbergThe signature Jersey Boys moment from the end of the first act with the stadium lightsscreens on either side of the house, flanking the stage andtwo more video screens that fly down-center during intermission— sorry, the “short break.”While casino officials wanted the show intermission-less,in order to shorten its running time and return patrons tothe gambling floors more quickly, the producers and creativeteam lobbied hard to keep the intermission to give a senseof the passage of time. In the end, a compromise was struck.Two new center LED video screen arrays fly down from therigging at the end of Act One. A smaller array (approximately2.5 m wide by 2 m high) made up of 12 Lighthouse R-10 panelsshows a clock counting down the time until the short breakends, while a larger wall below the clock (approximately 7m wide by 3 m high) made up of 28 Lighthouse R-16 panelsshows vintage road trip footage, which is meant to evokethe life of the Four Season on the road and their travels toVegas. This content is integrated with two new additionalscreen arrays stage left and stage right of the proscenium.These arrays are also made up of the R-16 panels and measureapproximately 4 m wide by 3 m high. Pete’s Big TV’s suppliedthe LED walls, while Sound Associates manages the front endof the video system and also supplied the content.The video is distributed via a Dataton Watchout system, withthree different Medialon systems running content: One for theshow, one for backup and one to run the break footage. Cuesare run off MIDI that the consoles supply to the Medialon, butsound sends SMPTE signal to video for both the intermissionsequence and the end of show finale video content.Audio Companies In PhaseDan Saenz with PMK Consultants designed the acousticsound signature of the room as well as the initial audiosystem design for the building, not including the productionspecific audio gear. Other major players include SoundDesigner Steve Canyon Kennedy, installers SpecializedAudio-Visual Inc. (SAVI) and Masque Sound.The center speaker cluster is madeup of 28 L-ACOUSTICS dV-DOSCspeakers. The audio for the show isrun through an A/B system to preventphase canceling when performersand their wireless mics are closetogether.Meyer powered speakers providefold-back onstage, while EAW JF80s(also run in an A/B system) comprisethe under-balcony system. The leftand right stereo music system ismade of EAW KF850 speakers andSB850 sub-woofers. Genelec poweredspeakers are used for front-fill, whileside and rear surround come throughd&b speakers.Fed by a Yamaha M7CL the musicianscan control their own monitormix by using an Aviom A16 personalmixing system. The result of all of thisis one of the best-sounding theatresin Vegas, as evidenced from the veryfirst crisp, booming drum beat.Jersey Boys starts with a Frenchhip-hop rendition of “Oh, What aNight” and ends with the crowd leapingto their feet. If they knew whatthe production team went throughto deliver such a fine theatre, they’dstart the show with a standing ovation,too.30 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Special Section: Musical TheatreSinging Secrets of Musical TheatreA vocal expert offers advice for protecting amusical theatre actor’s most important instrument.By Kevin M. MitchellKaren Farnum Surmani, vocal coach and author of the book Sing at First Sight“Singing in theatre is hard work. People don’trealize how rigorous it is.”— Karen Farnum SurmaniYou’ve got to warm up to sing your best. Leslie Uggams took the stage as Lena Horne in the world premiere musical Stormy Weather during thePrince Music Theatre’s 2006-2007 season.Karen Farnum Surmani is in a theatre,watching a musical, andshe is cringing.It’s not because of the quality of theproduction, the actors, or the direction— it’s the singing. And it’s not becauseof the quality of the singing… it’s whatthe actors are inadvertently doing totheir vocal chords.“A lot of times, I hear actors trying tofill the auditorium, pushing their voicein an unhealthy way,” Surmani says.“They try to ‘belt’ without using thediaphragm, so instead of using those bigmuscles down there, they use only themuscles in the throat, which is fatiguingand damaging to the vocal cords.”Surmani is the author and co-authorof several books including Teach Yourselfto Sing, Basix Rock Singing Techniques andSing at First Sight. She edits vocal books forAlfred Publishing and, as a voice teacher inSouthern California, has instructed manywho go on to sing in the theatre.“Singing in theatre is hard work,”Surmani says emphatically. “People don’trealize how rigorous it is. You have tokeep the body in shape. This meanseating well, exercising, getting sleep —you’re an athlete and need to act like it.”Get WarmOver the years as a performer, teacherand fan of musical theatre at all levels, theclassically trained Surmani has collectedan extensive list of do’s and don’ts. Mostwho come into musical theatre havesome vocal training, even if it’s just havinga good choir director in high schoolwww.stage-directions.com • June 2008 31

Special Section: Musical Theatre“Don’t let the character’s idiosyncrasies getin the way of healthy, good singing.”— Karen Farnum Surmanior college. But there are plenty of goodactors with great but untrained voiceswho end up on the boards singing. Manydon’t know the secrets to maintainingand making the most of his or her voice.First on her list: warming up.“Tension in the jaw, neck and shoulder…none of that is conducive to agood, healthy rehearsal or performanceand often affects the pitch and contributesto a harsher tone,” she explains.“Getting in a good warm-up is importantand should never be skipped.” Makingsure the vocal cords are as relaxed aspossible means taking the time to gothrough some simple exercises.Basic vocal warm-ups include goingup and down a five-tone scale by halfnotes with an “ah” sound. After that,progressing to different sounds over awider range is good. One thing for sure:Lack of time is not an excuse for skippingthese important exercises — theycan be done in the shower, or in the caron the way to rehearsal, or even walkingaround backstage.She says to also keep the cordshydrated — though not too hydratedless the performer finds him or herselfneeding an unscheduled bathroombreak. Also, the performer should becareful with what is doing the hydrating.Soda can lead to… er, burping — andunless the musical is Li’l Abner, that’sprobably something one doesn’t want tohappen on stage. Beverages with sugaror caffeine should be avoided, and hotdecaffeinated tea is preferred over coffee,which can dry out the voice. “Fruitydrinks to me make my throat gummy,though everyone is different and shouldfind what works best for you.”Physically stretching is good too, asthe body is the instrument. Legs, arms,back — any basic exercise found in anygym or on any track can help the actor.“It feels good to stretch out and that willmake a difference in the performance,and will put your mind and body in apositive place.”Nervous? No. Excited? Yes.But what can an actor do when heor she is just plain nervous? The sheerbutterflies and sweaty palms are not conduciveto having a relaxed body andvocal cords. Yet the performer doesn’twant to not be nervous at all before aperformance because it is the source ofa lot of the energy that propels having agood show.32 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

To protect your voice, “marking” a song may be acceptable during rehearsal. This shot is from a rehearsal for All That He Was, at the PalosVerdes high school as part of the Festival of New American Musicals.Surmani has a trick for that: “Instead of thinking ‘I’m nervous,’ which is a negative,turn it into ‘I’m excited.’ When you’re nervous, it is controlling you; when you’reexcited, you’re in control of the situation.”She says that she and many teachers work with singers as actors. In other words,their “singing persona,” while an extension his or her own personality, is a “character”nonetheless. But it can go too far the other way…“Actors need to remember that singing is still singing, and while you don’t wantto leave acting behind while performing a song, don’t let the character’s idiosyncrasiesget in the way of healthy, good singing.” She sites beloved characters likeGoose in Mame, or the mobsters in Guys and Dolls as examples where while theactor will want to take on odd voice mannerisms typical of the character, carryingthose into the songs unabridged is not a good idea. “Songs in musicals developthe character and provide back story, but the singer in you has to find a balancebetween staying true to that and doing a great job on the song.”Singing in a musical is grueling work, and the person to best take care of his orher voice is the performer. Be sensitive to aspects of rehearsals where the actordoesn’t need to give 100%. “If a director is running a scene six, seven times in a rowjust to get the timing right, that’s going to take a toll on you. Tell the director you’regoing to ‘mark’ the song — that is, sing it gently. It should be done whenever whateveris happening on stage during rehearsal is not about the singing.”There are other issues that hit those singing on stage, especially in smaller communitytheatre productions: Sometimes a performer can be cast because they aregreat for the part overall, though perhaps the range of the character’s vocal part is nota perfect match for the actor’s range. Surmani says it does no one any good to ignorethis problem, and the performer should speak with the musical director about it.“Simply say, ‘I’m not feeling confident about this — is there something we cando so we can feel more confident about it?’” That brings the issue up in a positiveway. In these cases, several things can be done. If it’s a solo, it can usually be loweredor raised to fit the actor’s range. If a note or two is just out of one’s range, thenote can be “covered” one way or another — taking the octave note, for example,or giving a part to the chorus. But struggling, straining and sweating over the issueis not the answer and will not lead to an actor’s best possible performance.Surmani has a final word of advice regarding something she sees too much inmusical theatre, and that’s actors trying to sound like someone they are not.“Be true to yourself and don’t try to sound like someone else,” she says. “Thebest sound is always going to be your own natural sound because that’s what yourbody is programmed to do. Trying to sound like Kristin Chenoweth or Brian StokesMitchell is going to keep you from being the best you can be. They had to make iton their own, not mimicking others before them, and you have to make it on yourown and that includes singing in your own voice.”Kevin M. Mitchell is a produced playwright of several musicals. He has worked withsingers for over 20 years.www.stage-directions.com • June 2008 33

Special Section: Musical Theatreake Your OwnFestival opportunitiesabound for composersand book writers oforiginal musicals.By Lisa MulcahyThere are scores of terrific festivals worldwide dedicatedto fostering and presenting original musicals. Mostof these fests are eager to embrace new musicals andhelp their participants hone their material through intenseworkshopping and performances paired with audience andin-house critiques. Here’s three of the country’s most highlyrespected new works fests, where raising new musicals totheir highest power is a core mission.Empowering the ArtistTheatreWorks in Palo Alto, Calif., has developed some ofthe most acclaimed and influential musicals of the past threedecades, including work by Stephen Schwartz, Henry Krieger,Hunter Foster and Paul Gordon. Developing lasting relationshipswith strong talent is one of TheatreWorks’ main objectives.The company’s annual New Works festival, presented throughits New Works Initiative program, gives composers/book writersa full production forum for promising pieces and provides themwith clear-cut feedback, yet allows these artists the freedom tocontrol their material’s creative direction.“We began the New Works Initiative with the idea that if weconcentrated on supporting artists, work we wanted to producewould be generated,” says Kent Nicholson, New Works director.“So, the whole program became centered around creating anartistic home for writers and composers. We provide ongoingand consistent support to a growing family of artists, many ofwhom we have gone on to produce.”Once Nicholson identifies an artist’s potential, their material ishandled individually and uniquely in terms of the developmentprocess. A lot of how precisely a piece will be workshopped, performedand evaluated is actually left up to the artist to decide.For instance, in terms of feedback, New Works has a tried-andtrueformula for procuring it, but lets each writer choose how touse what’s collected.“We don’t do talkbacks — we do a written questionnaire,which is stuffed into people’s programs. The questions areThe Festival of New American Musicalspresented Love, Janis at Wilshire Theatredeveloped by the writers themselves,” says Nicholson. “Wegather up the questionnaires, give them to the writer after theperformance, and the writer can read them right away, putthem in a drawer for a year, throw them away — it really doesn’tmatter to us.”This kind of creative atmosphere builds both skill and confidence,and the writers Nicholson has nurtured used those qualitiesto succeed. “Jenny Giering has become a valued artistic collaboratorand friend,” he enthuses. “I loved working on Striking12 and watching it move to a successful off-Broadway run.It’s wonderful to have gotten to work with Duncan Sheik andSteven Sater before they won the Tony for Spring Awakening.”Nicholson encourages established writers to interact closelywith these fresh, promising voices. “Our festivals and workshopsare always filled with a mix of artists we have workedwith before, and new ones with whom we hope to work withagain,” he says.Preserving and Pioneering the Art FormPrince Music Theater in Philadelphia has two distinct aims:It’s committed to protecting the best traditions of the musicaltheatre genre, while at the same time staging the most groundbreakingnew shows possible. The company’s founder, MarjorieSamoff, as well as its legendary associate/namesake, HaroldPrince, especially embrace maverick writers who they see as thetheatre’s future. As Samoff leads the company forward, she’sseeking to develop artistically daring, fresh material, just as she’sdone from the start.The Prince was originally known as the American MusicTheater Festival; Samoff began that entity 24 years ago to fill ahole she saw in much of this country’s theatre programming.“In 1984, there was very little interest in new music theatre,”says Samoff. “New musicals generally opened just on Broadwayor in London. I had spent time in Europe as a performer, and Iloved seeing theatre of all kinds. I became drawn to the idea thatyou didn’t have to separate music theatre — you didn’t have to34 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Kind OfusicDaviD allenMark GarvinAnil Margsahayam, Kavita Matani, JanakRamachandran and Rashmi Rustagi in BabyTaj at TheatreWorksA moment from the Anaheim’s Chance Theatre’s productionof Brain From Planet X as part of the Festivalof New American MusicalsPrince Music Theater’s 2003 production of an original musical,Green Violin, by famed composer Frank London, starred an upand-comingperformer named Raul Esparza (right).separate opera from experimental singing work, for example.”Samoff saw the opportunity to draw an untapped audiencein Philadelphia. “We thought, let’s have a festival in June andJuly, attract the tourists, showcase some new works, and also doa great classic.” This formula proved brilliant, and the AmericanMusic Theater Festival started an annual run, holding performancesin many of the city’s diverse theatre spaces.Harold Prince’s support and inspiration became so valuableto the theatre that it officially changed its name to honor himin 1999. Like Prince, Samoff is a true believer in artists who createoriginal material, and has deep respect for the writers thePrince works with. “I really, really love new works, and love thedevelopment process,” she enthuses. “In terms of collaboratingduring that process, though, I don’t think there’s one recipe. It’sa discovery — for each project I try to learn, to understand theartist, the research involved with a new work. Innovative, newtakes are at such a premium in the theatre!”Samoff is eager to work with brand-new writers, especiallythose who are imaginative when it comes to incorporatingmultimedia and technology into their scripts. “Musical theatreis changing,” stresses Samoff. “Young artists are combiningdesign and content, and moving effortlessly from one format toanother in this time of new technology. I find it very exciting!”Ambition Meets ActivismThe Los Angeles-based Festival of New AmericanMusicals, which premiered in May and continues to runthis June, is bringing original works to the masses as it’snever been done before. This huge cultural event, whichspans all of Southern California, consists of new musicalperformances held everywhere from the Hollywood Bowlto the Old Globe to South Coast Rep to the Rubicon to theLa Jolla Playhouse. Its highly motivated organizers havelaid out three big goals for the fest: to bring many differentcultures and people together through musicals; toencourage and support a new breed of composers/bookwriters; and to get young audiences hooked on musicaltheatre, especially those who have never seen live theatrebefore.The fest began out of an appreciation its foundersfelt for musical theatre as an art form. “I was one of thefounding board members of Reprise! Broadway’s Best,” saysBob Klein, the fest’s co-executive producer. “After sevensuccessful seasons of revivals, Reprise’s founding artisticdirector Marcia Seligson (now the festival’s other executiveproducer) and I decided that there was the beginningof a renaissance in American musical theatre, and wewanted to celebrate it. We also thought it was about timethe world knew about the incredible wealth of creativeand performing talent in southern California musical theatre;we wanted to showcase it.”In terms of choosing the writers whose work is beingpresented, many different sensibilities co-exist. “I thinkwhat’s so great is that these artists are exploring all kindsof diverse stories in many diverse styles,” raves Klein. “Alot of the material (presented at the 2008 festival) reflectsAmerican history, society and issues, like Ricky Ian Gordonand Michael Korie’s Grapes Of Wrath, or Glen Roven andJerry Kass’s Norman’s Ark.” Not all the featured new worksare thematically serious, however. “Some are just purefun,” Klein points out. “Musically, the styles range fromrock to more traditional, with strong influences fromSondheim, and I’d say considerable effect from JasonRobert Brown.”When it comes to goals for his fest’s future, Klein is seton building a new generation of musical theatre audiences.“The growing involvement of high schools and collegesdoing new material, rather than traditional revivals onan annual basis, has been very important to us,” he says.“Also, our vision is to establish the world’s first and onlyfull-time, 52-week-a-year workshopping facility for newmusicals here in Los Angeles. That’s a dream!”www.stage-directions.com • June 2008 35

Show Biz|By Tim CusackTitle of CodeThis July, [title of show] will open at the Lyceum Theatrein New York. Aside from its unorthodox name and notbeing based on a Disney cartoon, what marks this asa notable event in contemporary Broadway history is that itwill become the first show from the New York Musical TheatreFestival (NYMF) to make it all the way to the apex of Americantheatrical production. It also just so happens to be a selfreflexivelook at a songwriting/performing duo as they race tofinish their show in time to meet the deadline for submissionsto, yes, the NYMF. Whether this will be of any interest totourists from Tampa remains to be seen, but the off-Broadwaytransfer won its creators a fistful of OBIEs.Regardless of how [title of show] does on the Great WhiteWay, what is indisputable is that after only four years of theNYMF’s existence, this relative newcomer to the indy theatrescene has firmly established itself as one of the must-go-tocultural events in ADD-addled Manhattan. Tickets to many ofthe shows are sold out soon after they become available, andunlike many other off-off-Broadway festivals, the chances aregood to excellent that powerful folks in the industry will bethere scoping out the next hot property or talent. Shows thatpremiered at the NYMF have gone on to have productions inboth nonprofit and for-profit venues, garnering awards alongthe way. But the NYMF baby whose success producers wouldmost like to emulate is Altar Boyz. On track to becoming oneThe NYMF’s success led to changes tothe Equity code it operated under.of the longest-running off-Broadway shows ever after morethan 1,000 performances, these boyz are practically a cottageindustry onto themselves.The NYMF’s remarkable success hasn’t come without somegrowing pains, however. After its first year, Actors’ Equityreceived enough complaints from union members who hadappeared in NYMF shows that it held a special town hallmeeting for them to air their grievances. As a member of theoff-off-Broadway committee at the union, I heard many of theconcerns: inadequate changeover time between shows, overdesignedproductions that didn’t have enough tech rehearsal tomake the actors feel safe and secure onstage, and the suspicionthat for at least some of the productions, high-profile membersof those casts were being paid more than the standardtravel reimbursement mandated in the Showcase Code. Inresponse, AEA imposed tighter budget restrictions on productioncosts; demanded a higher uniform stipend of $300 for eachof its members; and determined that there must be a minimumchangeover time of two hours between each show.So while the NYMF can be an effective way to jumpstartmany a career, there are some things producers should knowbefore committing the time, money and energy to bring a newmusical to the festival. To find out more, I recently sat down withIsaac Robert Hurwitz, the executive director and producer of theNYMF. The deadline for this year’s festival has already passed,but it’s not too soon to start planning fornext year’s. Applications will be acceptedbetween January and March 2009.In fact, advance preparation is thebiggest piece of advice Hurwitz has tooffer. Because each production sharesits performance space with several othershows, it’s in everybody’s best intereststo keep design to a minimum. “Theshows that work best are conceptual.Plan ahead. What exactly is it about thispiece that you are trying to convey?”says Hurwitz. He cites an adaptationof Jane Austen’s Emma from last yearthat effectively evoked Regency Englandwith just a miniature church, a chandelierand piano. Not only does thisapproach save money, but also meetsthe NYMF’s stringent storage spacerequirements. The technical directorat each NYMF venue is empowered to“edit” any design that can’t be set upor struck in the allotted time. However,the NYMF staff does everything it can tomake the experience manageable. Theytry to put shows in the same space thathave similar technical requirements tohelp keep down costs.[For a fuller look at the practical productionelements of working the NYMF, checkout “Rebooting the Musical” in the December2007 issue of Stage Directions — ed.]36 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Things That Go “Creak” In the Set“I checked it yesterday.” — Now Unemployed TD Somewhereon more than one occasion. I remember a toy gun I used for athe end, it turned out beautifully — as everyone told me thatit would — and I received the requisite pats on the back fromthe requisite folk. The run did not proceed without issue, though,and it brought to mind a basic idea that I have not yet discussed inthis column. Remiss of me perhaps, and too basic to some maybe,but it merits open discussion.About two days into the run, I noticed during light check thatwhenever the ASM would walk across a certain spot on one of thesmall triangular platforms stage right, I would hear a disturbingcreak. I had been walking and checking the set for weaknessesalong the way, but this sound had eluded me. Upon inspection,I found that the frame itself had developed a crack on the downstageside. The frame was holding, but this issue needed immediateattention — and not just because of the creaking.The frame of the triangular platform in question used leverageprovided by the adjacent 4 x 8 platform’s frame to supportthe stage left edge. In essence, they functioned as one unit whenassembled, but the crack in the 4 x 8 frame caused weakness inboth, which presented a safety issue. Both were weight-bearingshow once that actually fell apart in my hand during the checkbefore opening night. Had I not checked it, it would have doneso during the show. The parts all over the platform could havecaused an actor to trip and potentially sustain an injury, not tomention that the show would have ground to a halt.Most importantly, though, check everything every day. Don’tskip. Yes, it gets tedious, especially as runs wear on and nothingout of the ordinary pops up for days, months, years — but it’s farbetter to check when you don’t need to than to skip it when youneed to check. It never fails. The one time a malfunction occurs willbe the one day in 50 you thought it would be alright. We might beright 99% of the time, but Murphy’s still batting a thousand.Every facet of every production should be checked every timethe show runs. The fact of the matter remains that theatres aredangerous places, no matter the show, and it’s our job to makethat environment as safe as possible for those who work there.A cast and crew who trust your proven safety track record willalways do a better job. That’s just one more way we help makeevery show better.at some point over the course of the show.Of course, the crack was easily mended, and the run proceededDave McGinnis is an assistant professor of theatrewithout incident, but it illustrates how important dailysafety checks are for your set. No material — whether wood, steel,at St. Leo University. Tell him what fell apart on you atdmcginnis@stage-directions.com.aluminum or synthetic — lasts forever. Asweight and time take their toll, integralparts wear and tear, and it’s up to us tocatch these minor issues while they canstill be easily repaired and before theypresent a hazard.The most basic way to inspect a setis to simply walk it. Watch for bowing.Anywhere you see the top of a platformbending requires either bracing in theframe underneath or repair to the existingframe. Creaking implies a weaknesssomewhere as well. If either of theseissues appears when you walk your set,take time to visually inspect the platformfor potential weaknesses and correct anyexisting issues immediately.We all have heard or experienced thestories about flats falling in performance.Honestly, this should never happen. Withdaily inspections of your support systems,you can make sure that all of your wallunits are sturdy enough to handle thecoming day’s issues. Make certain thatany weight used to counterbalance theflat is adequate, and check every jointwhere a given unit connects to somethingelse. Falling flats not only ruin the show’sforward motion — they also put actors inphysical danger.Any functional props should bechecked not only for location, but forfunctionality. This practice has saved meTD Talk| By Dave McGinnis www.stage-directions.com • June 2008 37Irecently closed a show about which I initially had my doubts. In

Off the Shelf|By Stephen PeithmanBoth Sides NowNew books on playwritingand actingActors need a play to perform. Playwrights needactors to perform their plays. The quid pro quo isobvious, and so it is with this month's roundupof recently published books, focusing on the writing ofplays and their performance.The writer's perspective is ably covered in Writing:Working in the Theatre. For more than 30 years, the AmericanTheatre Wing's "Working in the Theatre" programs haveoffered discussions by playwrights, lyricists and directorsto enthusiastic audiences. Those experiences, insights andadvice have been distilled in the book's 10 sections (editedby Robert Emmet Long), each focusing a different theme("Writing for the Stage," "The Workshop and Development,""Actors," "The Director"). Contributors include Edward Albee,Arthur Kopit, Christopher Durang, Marsha Norman, TerrenceMcNally, John Guare, August Wilson, Arthur Miller, TonyKushner, Theresa Rebeck and Wendy Wasserstein, amongothers. The result is fascinating — not only because of theindividual perspectives, but the way they often mesh inunexpected ways. [$14.95, Continuum Books]Playwright/Author Julie Jensen says that her favoritebook on writing is Strunk & White's classic Elements of Style,so it's no surprise that her Playwriting: Brief & Brilliant issimilarly succinct in its approach to the essentials of dialog,character and plot. Jensen takes a pragmatic approach,offering the playwright (or wannabe) excellent advice,while emphasizing how each writer must also find his orher own voice. Also included are sections on writer's block,rewrites and marketing a play. [$14.95, Smith & Kraus]Pulitzer Prize-winning Playwright Frank D. Gilroy (TheSubject Was Roses) counts himself as fortunate in his career,but finds that the college students he talks with aren’tinterested in his success. "What they want to know is howI got there, which might shed light on what they’ll have togo through." With that as a starting point, his new book,Writing for Love and/or Money, recounts a career that hashad more than its share of zigzags along the way. While nota self-help book, it offers a great deal of insight into boththe writing process and forging a career in the theatre.[$19.95, Smith & Kraus, Inc.]As with good writing, the best approach for improvingone's acting ability may vary from person to person.The best-known process was developed by ConstantinStanislavsky, who taught that actors should draw frombasic human experiences in order to create a truthfulperformance. Since his approach is often misunderstoodor misapplied, two recent books attempt to make the systemsimpler to understand and use. John Gillett's Actingon Impulse: Reclaiming the Stanislavski Approach, isdesigned as a workbook, drawing on Stanislavsky's booksand written records of his directing process and studioclasses. It provides an excellent overview of the system,as well as specific ways in which an actor can put it towork, [$34.95, Methuen Drama]Stanislavsky believed that actors should immerse themselvesin the era in which a play is set. Robert Blumenfeld'sUsing the Stanislavsky System: A Practical Guide toCharacter Creation & Period Styles shows how to do justthat, with examples of period styles from Ancient Athensand Rome to the mid-20th Century. Each chapter discussesa particular era and how men and women stood, sat andmoved in the clothing they wore; how they used accessoriessuch as fans, gloves, hats and swords; their greetings,bows and curtsies; table manners; plus habits of thoughtand social interaction that are all quite different fromtoday. Nicely done. [$19.95, Limelight Editions]In Telling Stories, Mark Rafael brings together Stanislavskyand other modern approaches to acting to demonstrate hisbelief that each leads to the same thing — the sharing of acompelling story with an audience. Acting exercises illustratevarious approaches, allowing the actor to pick from thosethat seem to be most relevant. Especially helpful is a discussionof the differences between acting in classic plays andworking on new scripts. [$19.95, Smith and Kraus]As its title suggests, Anne Johnston-Brown's revised andupdated The Ten Commandments of Theater providesbasic rules of the theatre that must be respected for asuccessful performance, as well in one's acting career. Shealso provides good insight into the audition process, againbreaking it down into 10 sections, dealing with everythingfrom headshots and resumes to dealing with rejection —and acceptance. [$14.95, Smith and Kraus].Rejection and acceptance are also central to MarkusFlanagan's One Less Bitter Actor, which seeks to help shortenthe learning curve about how things really work in theacting trade. Flanagan discusses the nature of professionalacting today, in terms of agents, managers, casting directors,auditioning, working through doubt and fear and appreciatingthe rewards of a creative career. Flanagan writes in anencouraging, down-to-earth style that sounds like one actortalking to another, which is really what this helpful book isall about. [$15.95, Sentient Publications]38 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

The Play’s the Thing| By Stephen Peithman www.stage-directions.com • June 2008 39Let’s Get SeriousDramas, from tragic todarkly comic“Atalent for drama is not a talent for writing,” writesGore Vidal, “but is an ability to articulate humanrelationships.” That point is clear in this month’sgroup of recently published plays, which range fromtragedy to heavy drama to dark comedy.Tragedy seems to have gone out of style in this country,but not so elsewhere. Spanish Playwright AntonioBuero-Vallejo (1916-2000) came to prominence in thelate 1950s with his deeply serious, moralistic playsthat frequently depict characters eaten up by despairand frustration. Antonio Buero-Vallejo: Four Tragediesof Conscience, edited and translated by Patricia W.O'Connor, includes two works never before translatedinto English: Before Dawn (1953) and Mission to theDeserted Village (1999). Mission is of special interest ashis final play and the only work in which he dealt directlywith the Spanish Civil War. Also included are Storyof a Stairway (1949) and The Basement Window (1967).While a tragedian in many respects, he also believesin the redeeming presence of hope for those who canconfront reality without self-deception. In each, Buero-Vallejo has his characters share their sensory and imaginaryperceptions in a way that is startlingly original anddramatically satisfying. [University Press of Colorado]Shakespeare’s Richard III is sometimes classifiedas a tragedy, but it actually belongs with the historiessince it chronicles the fall of an actual English monarch.Despite the villainous nature of the title characterand the grim storyline, Shakespeare manages to infusethe action with a considerable amount of comic material.Richard himself is a remarkable combination ofevil and wit, making him one of those roles an actorcan revel in, as are several of the other lead characters.Richard III is the latest in the Yale Shakespeare series,edited, fully annotated and introduced by BurtonRaffel, with an essay by Harold Bloom. Twenty males,three females. [Yale University Press]Jon Klein's Suggestibility centers on the lives ofthree people at a financial institution. Chad and hisfemale coworker, Shawn, have worked there for sometime, and have developed a love/hate relationship.Then hotshot financial advisor Kenneth comes onboard, and begins an affair with Shawn. Chad wantseither Shawn’s or Kenneth's job, and works to underminethem and their relationship via suggestion anddisinformation. He doesn't start out to cause anyoneactual harm, but his machinations gradually build inintensity as the play develops. Suggestibility successfullyjuggles drama and dark comedy in its dissectionof a lethally competitive erotic triangle. Two males,one female. [Broadway Play Publishing]For six years, Granville, N.H., has lived in fear froma mysterious, almost supernatural, figure named Joe.Then seven people stage a revolt and murder the manwho has destroyed their community… or have they?That's the crux of Massacre (Sing to Your Children),by Jose Rivera. At first, the attackers contemplate newlives, but soon entangle themselves in petty grievancesand philosophical questions. What role did they play intheir own suffering? Was violence the proper responseto violence, and, if it was, can those who have tastedblood now just walk away free? And, every once in awhile, they think they hear a sound outside. Is Joe —and all he represents — really gone? This isn't a bullyat work, Rivera seems to say; this is a plague, a cursebrought upon the people by their own imperfections.Five males, three females. [Broadway Play Publishing]In an attempt to claim the family inheritance, amother and her headstrong college-aged son visit theirlong-lost cousin. The catch: Mary is living in an asylumand has barely spoken in years, forcing mother and sonto use radical means to get through to her. Though thedialogue in Crazy Mary is similar in style to vintageGurney works (The Cocktail Hour, The Middle Ages),its point of view is a fresh one for this dramatist. Thecharacters — who also include a plain-spoken nurseand an ineffectual doctor — are often reminiscent ofthe distinctly un-Gurney-esque worlds of Harold andMaude and Tennessee Williams. Three females, twomales. [Broadway Play Publishing]Eugene O'Neill examines issues of race and class inThe Hairy Ape, an early drama now offered in a newperforming edition, edited and introduced by William-Alan Landes. The one-act play centers on Yank, a brutal,powerful man who is master of the boiler room of agreat transatlantic liner, but who sees himself as thedriving force of the modern world. A casual visit froma slumming, rich female passenger destroys his fantasy— making it obvious that he is merely an anonymouslaborer. His rage leads to violence and a gut-wrenchingand tragic end in a city zoo. Seven males, three females,extras. [Players Press, www.ppeps.com]

FeatureBy Bryan ReesmanSecrets of a Makeup MasterAngelina Avallone researches, updates andeducates for every showPaul KolnikAngelina Avallone’s expertise was called on to create monstrous looks for Young Frankenstein.Angelina Avallone is one of the busiest, most prominent,and most talented makeup artists on the Great WhiteWay. Even if you don’t know it, you’ve certainly seen herwork in any number of productions: The Little Mermaid, YoungFrankenstein, How The Grinch Stole Christmas!, Is He Dead?,Curtains, and smaller productions like Love Musik. Prior to herBroadway experience, the Bulgarian-born Avallone attendedthe School of Fashion Design in Florence, Italy, during the ‘80s,then studied costume design at graduate school at Yale. Afterher graduation from Yale in 1994, she designed costumes fora decade before delving into makeup full time, and she’s beenquite busy ever since. During one of the rare breaks from herwhirlwind schedule, Avallone spoke about life as a mastermakeup artist on Broadway and the challenges that entails.Stage Directions: How do you compare working on amajor musical show like The Little Mermaid with a periodpiece such as Is He Dead?Angelina Avallone: The tricky thing with Is He Dead? wasthat, first of all, we had to transform a male actor in a very, veryshort amount of time into a Victorian woman, which is morechallenging because he wouldn’t be using a lot of makeup. Heplayed the fictitious sister of the deceased artist he also played,Millet, so although she's eccentric, she shouldn't appear madeup. To do that in a very short amount of time, we had to be verycareful with what kind of makeup we chose and what wouldreally make that dramatic difference. We had to make sure wecovered that five o’clock shadow, which was crucial. It was allabout the skin tone — blush placed in the right places, but verysoft colors. We had to change eyebrows and lashes, and it wasdone in stages, but so quickly that the hair and makeup supervisorwas waiting there with lashes in hand. It was timed thatas he was running, she stopped and put the lashes on, and heran off as they dried on his eyelids. The quick change was superfast. He had this in-and-out of Victorian costumes, and themakeup was done under a bite light, so you had to have everythingprepared. We had everything made into a palette. Weknew exactly what we were going to do when, what followedwhat, because if you changed the order it wouldn't work.Do you use a standard kit with a palette and foundation,or do you work from scratch with every new show?I arrive with a suitcase, and it's probably 100 pounds. I'mnot exaggerating. I arrive with a suitcase that has basics, anddepending upon what kind of project I’m working, then I gointo research. On Little Mermaid we use a lot of lashes, but wedon't use standard lashes. We use lashes with different colorsand with feathers. We have swans and birds and differentkinds of fish and amazing sea creatures. All of those actorsrequired fantasy lashes.I had to research lashes, and we probably had over 200styles of lashes that we looked at and picked out. We wereresearching lashes from every company out there; buyingthings in bulk, researching what was available, what we coulddo. Could we layer the lashes? Could we add? Could weextend? We used lashes on top of eyebrows. There was lots ofglitter and lots of different colors of lipsticks; unusual colors,glue, and sparkly lipsticks. Hot oranges, hot pinks, violets.There are certain things that are specific to a certain project,and you really have to research those products to seewhat the best product is and how it will work within our settings.Can you take the product off? Is it something that youcan incorporate into a quick change?It's interesting because you discover what's out there —all the new products, new technology and companies thatmanufacture products. You talk to other artists and othermanufacturers. A lot of manufacturers are very responsive,especially the smaller ones. They're willing to mix colors foryou and create a color to your specifications. So, over theyears, I’ve developed relationships with different companiesand smaller manufacturers, and we've made things forshows. We've made unique colors for our productions.You did some costume design prior to being a makeupdesigner. How did that experience inform your sensibilitiesas a makeup artist?I studied fashion design and then went into set andcostume design. I think it's all related, but having thoseexperiences in designing in different capacities for theAngelina Avallone had so much good stuff to say, we couldn’t fit it all here! Go online to www.stage-directions.com/angelinaavallone to read the whole interview.40 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Joan MarcusJoan MarcusFor The Little Mermaid, Avallone researched eyelashes and different, unusual colors of lipstick.theatre has really taught me how to think in terms of thetotal picture. Nothing is truly isolated. I see the wholepicture and understand character development. You can'tjust paint pretty makeup. It has to be related to the character,to the look of the costume, and to the look of the wig.So it's helped me tremendously.How much do you have to educate certain actors aboutmakeup?Surprisingly, a lot of actors need a lot of help, and itdepends upon the degree or the complexity of the makeup.For a basic or simpler makeup show, we always have amakeup session prior to going to the theatre. I start to map orsketch the ideas for the show. Once we’re in the theatre we’llhave another session with the actors in their wings and pos-Norbert Leo Butz (left) had to transform into his character’s “sister” in a quickchange,requiring a light, but specific, makeup transformation.sibly in costume. Sometimes, it’s before the dress tech wherewe have another session with the wigs. Sometimes, I’ll dohalf of their face, and they'll do the other half. Then it's verygood because you see where the difficulties are for someactors. Or we take pictures, and the next time around theydo the makeup as an observer. Then we can find whetherthe actors can do the makeup or where the problems are orif they need help in a specific area. With The Little Mermaid,it was tough because all of the makeup was fantasy makeup.There is hardly any simple makeup.To find out just how little backstage space there is on Broadwayand to read about how she keeps the show look on track overthe run of a show, visit www.stage-directions.com/angelinaavallone to read the complete text of this interview.www.stage-directions.com • June 2008 41

Feature|By Gene FlahartyStretchingYourMakeupHow to make your makeup last and keep it safe when you share itOver the years I’ve been asked, as a makeup artist,“How do I know if my makeup has gone bad?” Onetheory holds that makeup should be replaced everysix months. That would be nice for the suppliers, but not forthe budget.Here is my thinking on the subject: If you take care ofthe makeup, it will last until the bottom of the container.Generally speaking, makeup will not go bad unless youexpose it to extreme heat, cold or a contaminate. Just whatdoes that mean? Most cream makeup is made of some kindof wax or petroleum products. When they get over-heatedthey will start to break down and separate. The same products,when cold, will stiffen and become hard to apply.When the product keeps changing temperature over time,the ingredients will start breaking down. Keeping makeupstored at a stable temperature and not exposing it to a lot ofdirect sunlight will keep it intact until you reach the bottomof the container.To the credit of themakeup manufactures,there are companiesthat actually are tryingto manufacture makeupthat lasts longerand is safer.In dealing with contaminates, letting makeup sit around orbe stored without a lid is one of the worst things you can do;this exposes it to all the dust, lint, hair and other elements ofa dressing room. Another contamination factor is exposureto dirty applicators. If you apply makeup from the containerand double dip your applicator, you will expose the makeupto the germs and contaminants that are on the skin. Makeupartists will scoop the makeup out of the container and put iton a palette or paper sheets. This allows the artist to doubledip the applicator, without having to shared it with others.Pressed powders (eye shadows, rouges, etc.) don’t havethe same potential of going bad because they don’t containas much moisture. But if they are cracked or crumbling, thenthey are bad. You cannot repress the makeup or add moistureto restore the product — just throw it away.As Much As PossibleMascara will go bad if you pump the brush and push airinto the container, because the air contains contaminates.If the product is getting low in the container, pumping itdoesn’t bring the product up to the lid. However, if you storethe container upside down, the product will move to the lidand you will be able to apply product evenly on the brushuntil it is gone. Also remember you should never share mascarawith anyone — the brush will spread contaminates toanother actor. Sharing lip and eyebrow pencils can be done ifyou sharpen the pencils between each person’s application.You can then sanitize the sharpener with rubbing alcohol.If you are a school or production company that has alot of kids and you need to provide the makeup when thebudget is already tight, there is a way that you can do it andnot have them share. The concept is a lot like what makeupartists commonly do for their clients. Buy the colors you needin a cream formula — cream stick or pot. Then buy plasticdisposable plates (the new ones have clip on covers) andmark the actor’s name on the plate. Scoop out foundation,highlight, contour and lip colors and zone them on the plate.This becomes their palette. If your plate doesn’t have a lid,use plastic wrap to cover it. This procedure will give you allthe colors you need and safe palettes to work from (sincethe actors won’t be sharing from the same container) andis easy on the budget. After the show, the actor’s plate canbe thrown away and whatever’s left in the containers can beused in the next production.There’s a school of thought that says makeup has a shelf life.To the credit of the makeup manufactures, there are companiesthat actually are trying to manufacture makeup that lasts longerand is safer. They have been adding antioxidants for healthy skinand color fastness, UV absorbers to keep it from breaking downfrom the sun and preservatives to prevent bacterial growth. Thisis not required, nor is it done by all manufacturers, so it’s advised42 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Use a paper plate to create a makeup palette to share makeup safely.to check if the brand you’d like to buy does this. Another factorto consider is that over-the-counter makeup may not containenough pigment to read well on stage. Stick with performancemakeup to keep the high pigment and quality ingredients.Preventing Adverse ReactionsEven if you follow all these safety guidelines, there maystill be some problems with actors breaking out or having anallergic reaction.Some actors break out with little bumps along the hairline.This is generally caused from not removing the makeupafter the show, resulting in oil buildup and acne. The rule toremember is that most makeup removers contain oil, and thisoil has to be removed with soap and water. So, wash after youhave removed the makeup.If an actor has sensitive skin, they may react to an ingredientin the makeup. Test for a reaction on the inside of thewrist. A reaction will result in redness, itching or burningsensations. The other thing to remember about a reaction isthat it won’t happen on the first application if the person hasnot been exposed to that type of makeup before (first dressrehearsal). The second application or exposure is when youwill see the reaction (second dress rehearsal, panic time). Sothe best time to test an actor who might be sensitive is duringa costume fitting. You can try to change brands of makeup orcheck with the manufacture to see if they have a barrier sprayor cream that would protect the skin from reactions.Makeup should be fun to use. You shouldn’t have to sitaround and worry about how long you’ve had it, if it’s gonebad, if you can use it if someone else has or if you will breakout from it. Makeup shouldn’t hurt going on or coming off. Ifyou take care of the makeup it will take care of you by makingyou look the very best. Enjoy.Gene Flaharty a makeup artist and sales manager for MehronInc. He also serves on the Stage Directions Advisory Board.www.stage-directions.com • June 2008 43

Costumes, Makeup, Wigs & Costume Supplies911costumes.com329 Moody St.Waltham, MA 02453P: 800-924-6836W: www.911buycostume.comAccessory Wholesale, Inc.5845 River Rd.Harahan, LA 70123P: 504-736-0357F: 504-734-8638W: www.awnol.comAeo Studios2200 Forsyth Rd. Suite K-20Orlando, FL 32807P: 407-677-8706W: www.aeostudios.comAkron Design & CostumeCo.3425 Manchester Rd.Akron, OH 44319P: 330-644-0425F: 330-644-7425W: www.akrondesign.comAll Dressed Up Costumes150 S Water St.Batavia, IL 60510P: 630-879-5130F: 630-879-6783W: www.alldressedupcostumes.comAllbrands.com SewingMachines, Vacuums &Appliances20415 Highland Rd.Baton Rouge, LA 70817P: 866-255-2726F: 225-408-7137W: www.allbrands.comAlteryearsP.O. Box 98Rosemead, CA 91770P: 626-569-9919F: 626-569-9909W: www.alteryears.comAmazon Drygoods, Ltd.411 Brady St.Davenport, IA 52801P: 800-798-7979F: 563-322-4003W: www.amazondrygoods.comAmerican ConservatoryTheater Costume Rentals1117 Market St.San Francisco, CA 94103P: 415-439-2379F: 415-487-1784W: www.act-sf.orgAmerican Costume Company1526 Blake St.Denver, CO 80202P: 303-893-8899F: 303-892-5747W: americancostume.comAshley Nostalgia105 N 3rd St.Midlothian, TX 76065P: 972-723-9794F: 972-723-5072W: www.nostalgiasite.comAssociated TheatricalContractors451 S Union Ave.Springfield, MO 65802P: 800-672-8277F: 417-862-0036W: www.associatedtheatrical.comAttention Getters Design1385 N Johnson St.Ste. 101El Cajon, CA 92020P: 888-284-3883F: 619-441-8902W: www.attention-getters.comAll Dressed Up901 N. Batavia Ave.Batavia, IL 60510P: 630-879-5130F: 630-879-6783W: www.alldressedupcostumes.comBackstage Prosthetics Inc./Theatrix Costume House284 King St. WToronto, Ontario M5V 1J2P: 800-977-8749F: 416-977-4749W: www.theatrixcostumehouse.comBaer Fabrics515 E Market St.Louisville, KY 40202P: 800-769-7778F: 502-562-7030W: www.baerfabrics.comBen Nye Company, Inc.5935 Bowcroft St.Los Angeles, CA 90016P: 310-839-1984F: 310-839-2640W: www.bennyemakeup.comSee their ad on page 46Big Image Systems USA4208 Ottawa Ave. SSt. Louis Park, MN 55416P: 888-626-9816F: 952-400-3397W: www.bigimagesystems.comBroadway Costumes, Inc.1100 W Cermak Rd.Chicago, IL 60608P: 800-397-3316F: 312-829-8621W: www.broadwaycostumes.comBroadway Wig Company,The555 8th Ave.Ste. 1409New York, NY 10018P: 212-244-5885F: 212-244-3706W: www.broadwaywigs.comBurman Industries13536 Saticoy St.Van Nuys, CA 91402P: 818-782-9833F: 818-782-2863W: www.burmanfoam.comBuycostumes.com5915 S. Moorland Rd.New Berlin, WI 53151P: 800-459-2969W: www.buycostumes.comC&h Chemical222 Starkey St.St. Paul, MN 55107P: 800-966-2909F: 651-227-2485W: www.fresh-again.comCapezio DallasThe Pavillion5600 W Lovers Ln.Dallas, TX 75209P: 214-351-2555F: 214-351-2577W: www.capeziodance.comCapezio East136 E 61st St. & LexingtonNew York, NY 10021P: 212-758-8833F: 212-980-1013W: www.capeziodance.comCapezio East Uptown1651 3rd Ave. 3rd Fl.New York, NY 10128P: 212-348-7210F: 212-426-7593W: www.capeziodance.comCapezio Flagship StoreAnd Professional Division@ 51st1650 Broadway2nd Fl.New York, NY 10019P: 212-245-2130F: 212-245-2235W: www.capeziodance.comCapezio Hollywood1777 N Vine St.Hollywood, CA 90028P: 323-465-3744F: 323-465-9704W: www.capeziodance.comCapezio Las VegasRampart Commons1043 S Rampart Blvd.Las Vegas, NV 89145P: 702-938-1425F: 702-938-1428W: www.capeziodance.comCases For Visual ArtsLos Angeles, CAP: 818-981-4238W: www.casesforvisualarts.comCapezio 57th St.1776 Broadway2nd Fl.New York, NY 10019P: 212-586-5140F: 212-262-1747W: www.capeziodance.comCapezio AustinGateway Courtyard 9901Capital of Texas, Hwy NSte. 120Austin, TX 78759P: 512-502-1150F: 512-502-1025W: www.capeziodance.comCapezio Boston330 Washington St.Wellesley, MA 02481P: 781-237-5526F: 781-239-0544W: www.capeziodance.comCapezio ClevelandThe Greens of Lyndhurst5658 1/2 Mayfield Rd.Lyndhurst, OH 44124P: 440-442-8377F: 440-442-8378W: www.capeziodance.comCenter Stage Costumes420 2nd Ave. SECedar Rapids, IA 52401P: 319-366-1005F: 319-866-9078W: www.centerstageinc.comCenter Stage Costumes &Magic3210 SW 35th Blvd.Gainesville, FL 32608P: 352-374-3754W: www.centerstagestar.comChivalry Sports, Inc.P: 800-730-5464W: www.renstore.comCine Shoppe1311 Chemical St.Dallas, TX 75207P: 214-350-8990F: 214-638-2038W: www.cineshoppe.comCinema Makeup School3780 Wilshire Blvd. 3rd Fl.Los Angeles, CA 90010P: 213-368-1234F: 213-739-0819W: www.cinemamakeup.com44 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Costumes, Makeup, Wigs & Costume SuppliesCinema Secrets, Inc.4400 Riverside Dr.Burbank, CA 91505P: 818-846-0579F: 818-846-0431W: www.cinemasecrets.comCostume Co., The489 Massachusetts Ave.Arlington, MA 02474P: 781-643-9422W: www.costumecompany.comCostume Gallery638 Monmouth St.Newport, KY 41071P: 888-838-1486F: 859-655-9277W: www.costumegallerynewport.comCostume Holiday House3038 Hayes Ave.Fremont, OH 43420P: 419-334-3236F: 419-334-7372W: www.costumeholidayhouse.comCostume Lady, The4425 Date St.Colorado Springs, CO 80917P: 719-596-8443F: 719-574-7018W: www.thecostumelady.netCostume Society OfAmerica203 Towne Center Dr.Hillsborough, NJ 08844P: 800-CSA-9447W: www.costumesocietyamerica.comCostume Workshop417 Reinicke St.Houston, TX 77007P: 800-351-8688F: 713-681-9569W: www.thecostumeworkshop.comCostume World950 S Federal HwyDeerfield Beach, FL 33441P: 800-258-0333F: 954-428-4959W: www.costumeworld.comCostume-izer, Ltd.P.O. Box 90755Brooklyn, NY 11209P: 718-833-2272W: www.costume-izer.comCostumer, Inc.1020-1030 Barrett St.Schenectady, NY 12305P: 518-374-7442F: 518-374-0087W: www.thecostumer.comCostumes By Dusty324 Exchange Dr.Arlington, TX 76011P: 817-548-5767F: 817-277-8889W: www.costumesbydusty.comCostumes By Patti Jo2339 5th Ave.Moline, IL 61265P: 800-499-6938F: 309-736-2413W: www.costumesbypattijo.comCostumes Galore1070 N Batavia St. Ste. EOrange, CA 92867P: 714-639-1010F: 714-639-8006W: www.costumesgalore.comDance Distributors50 S Cameron St.Harrisburg, PA 17101P: 800-333-2623F: 717-234-1465W: www.dancedistributors.comDanny’s Warehouse9443 B Venice Blvd.Culver City, CA 90232P: 800-552-5385F: 310-837-8308W: www.dannyswarehouse.comDazian Fabrics124 Enterprise Ave. SSecaucus, NJ 07094P: 877-232-9426F: 201-549-1055W: www.dazian.comDc Theatricks747 Main St.Buffalo, NY 14203P: 716-847-0180F: 716-847-018ƒΩ6W: www.costume.comDiscount Dance Supply5065 E Hunter Ave.Anaheim, CA 92807P: 800-328-7107F: 714-970-9075W: www.discountdance.comDisplay & CostumeP.O. Box 75209 11201Roosevelt Way NESeattle, WA 98125P: 888-562-4810F: 206-368-6870W: www.displaycostume.comDowry Costumes704 Floyd Blvd.Sioux City, IA 51105P: 800-470-8007W: www.dowrycostumes.comDr. Bob’s Theatricity5325 Cleveland St. Suite 306Virginia Beach, VA 23462P: 757-499-0720F: 757-499-2723W: www.prolightingsupplies.comDreamtime Creations21089 Lawrence, #1215Aurora, MO 65605P: 866-TRIMS-4UF: 417-678-2759W: www.dreamtimecreations.comDudley Theatrical3401 Indiana Ave.Winston-Salem, NC 27105P: 336-722-3255F: 336-722-4641W: www.dudleytheatrical.comEasley’s Costumes509 W McDowell Rd.Phoenix, AZ 85003P: 602-271-9146F: 602-271-9151W: www.easleys.comExtreme Halloween Inc.1206 Stirling Rd. Ste. 10ADania Beach, FL 33004P: 877-413-8747F: 954-926-1178W: www.stageandtheatermakeup.com46 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

100%Theatre EditorialTheatre AudienceThe ONLY BPA Audited Magazine Serving the Technical Theatre Industry!• Wireless audio infiltrates high school• Sine wave dimming’s bright future• Westlake High turns its tech aroundSEPTEMBER 2007Keep Your Company’s Image Visibleto Theatrical End-Users Around the WorldAnd Watch Your Profits Soar!www.stage-directions.com• 19,942 Qualified Subscribers!*• 80% of Stage Directions readers make purchasingdecisions on lighting products.**• 65% of Stage Directions readers make purchasingdecisions on staging products**to Turn UP the Heatin Your Production300.0709.CVR.indd 5 8/9/07 3:15:03 PM• 43% of Stage Directions readers indicate theircompany or venue will spend over $100k in productsand services in the next 12 months.***Dec. 2007 Initial BPA Audit Statement **Publisher’s 2007/08 Reader SurveyLook how our advertisersrate Stage Directions.“Advertising in Stage Directions has been a rewardingexperience. My target audience is well addressed. Newownership has taken it up another notch with greatercirculation and even better customer service.”Charles H. Stewart –Backdrop Rental“Stage Directions gives us the highest ROI of any mediain our marketing mix.”Scott Church – Selecon“Stage Directions delivers friendly, professionalservice, along with great exposure and lotsof positive customer feedback — a winningcombination.”Leigh O’Connor – Eartec Co.www.stage-directions.com/mediakitGetYour SDMedia Kit

Costumes, Makeup, Wigs & Costume SuppliesFarthingales3306 Pico Blvd.Santa Monica, CA 90405P: 519-275-2374F: 519-275-2376W: www.farthingales.on.caHamilton’s Theatrical Supply2065 Midland Ave.Scarborough, ON M1P 4P8P: 800-487-1958F: 416-299-1671W: hamiltonstheatrical.comKinetic Artistry, Inc.7216 Carroll Ave.Takoma Park, MD 20912P: 301-270-6666F: 301-270-6662W: www.kineticartistry.comMakeup Trailer ByMakeupmania182 Allen St.New York, NY 10002P: 212-533-5900W: www.makeupmania.comMyriah’s Polynesian BazaarP.O. Box 1029Royse City, TX 75189P: 972-853-0621F: 972-853-0905W: www.myriahs.comFira Cosmetics50 Ramland Rd.Orangeburg, NY 10962P: 845-398-3340F: 845-398-3357W: www.firacosmetics.comFrank Bee Costume3435 E Tremont Ave.Bronx, NY 10465P: 718-823-9792F: 718-824-2979W: www.costumeman.comFred Frankel & Sons, Inc.Jeweltrim, Inc.19 W 38th St.New York, NY 10018P: 212-840-0810F: 212-391-1214W: www.fredfrankel.comFullerton Music Theatre218 W Commonwealth Ave.Fullerton, CA 92832P: 714.526.3832F: 714-992-1193W: www.fclo.comGraftobian Make-up Co.510 Tasman St.Madison, WI 53714P: 608-222-7849F: 608-222-7893W: www.graftobian.comSee their ad on page 51.Grishko241 King Manor Dr. Ste. DKing of Prussia, PA 19406P: 800-474-7454F: 610-239-6441W: www.grishko.comHandloomed Textiles Of Nepal770 Tolman Creek Rd.Ashland, OR 97520P: 541-482-4866F: 541-482-4866W: www.textilesnepal.comHeatwave8227 Woodmont Ave.Bethesda, MD 20814P: 301-951-0351W: www.heatwaveshirts.comHigh Output, Inc.495 Turnpike St.Canton, MA 02021P: 800-787-4747F: 781-364-1900W: www.highoutput.comInside LegW: www.insideleg.comInternational Fun-shop2114 Seabrook CircleSeabrook, TX 77586P: 281-291-0707F: 281-291-0718W: www.fun-shop.comJ & M Costumers, Inc.5708 Gentry Ave.North Hollywood, CA 91607P: 818-760-1991F: 818-980-4449W: www.jmcostumers.comJoe Blasco Cosmetics1670 Hillhurst Ave.Hollywood, CA 90027P: 800-634-0008F: 323-664-7142W: www.joeblasco.comKingsley Costumes Of NewYork229 Old Tarrytown Rd.Greenburgh, NY 10603P: 914-948-0318Kryolan Corp.132 Ninth St.San Francisco, CA 94103P: 800-866-1329F: 415-863-9059W: www.kryolan.comLandes Costumes By Rachel811 N Capitol Ave.Indianapolis, IN 46204P: 317-635-3655F: 317-635-2707W: www.landescostumes.comM&J Trimming1008 6th Ave.New York, NY 10018P: 800-9-MJTRIMF: 212-704-8092W: www.mjtrim.comMagic Makers Costumes Inc.National Costumes SupplyHouse 545 4th Ave.Huntington, WV 25701P: 800-233-5810W: www.magicmakers.comMainstage TheatricalSupply, Inc.2665 Broad Ave.Memphis, TN 38112P: 800-757-6884F: 901-452-1878W: www.mainstage.comMakeupmania1642 S Parker Rd. Ste. 113Denver, CO 80231P: 303-671-4441W: www.makeupmania.comMake Up Designory School/Mudshop375 W Broadway Ste. 202New York, NY 10012P: 212-925-9250W: www.mud.eduMask Arts Company203 West 14th St.Studio 5FNew York, NY 10011P: 212-243-4039W: www.maskarts.comSee their ad on page 51.Mehron, Inc.100 Red Schoolhouse Rd.Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977P: 800-332-9955F: 845-426-1515W: www.mehron.comSee their ad on this page.Minifies Makeup194 Wairakei Rd. BryndwrChristchurch, New Zealand08005P: 0800 MAKEUPW: www.minifies.co.nzMusical Theatre Southwest2401 Ross Ave. SEAlbuquerque, NM 87106P: 505-265-9119F: 505-262-9319W: www.musicaltheatresw.comNatalie Dance Wear4915 E Hunter Ave.Anaheim, CA 92807P: 888-223-1878F: 714-779-1227W: www.nataliedancewear.comNorcostco-Atlanta2089 Monroe Dr. NEAtlanta, GA 30324P: 800-241-5356F: 404-873-3524W: www.norcostco.comNorcostco-California3606 W Magnolia Blvd.Burbank, CA 91505P: 800-220-6915F: 818-567-1961W: www.norcostco.comNorcostco-Colorado4395 Broadway St.Denver, CO 80216P: 800-220-6928F: 303-615-9115W: www.norcostco.comNorcostco-Eastern333-A Rte. 46 WFairfield, NJ 07004P: 800-220-6940F: 973-575-2563W: www.norcostco.comNorcostco-Minneapolis825 Rhode Island Ave. SMinneapolis, MN 55426P: 800-220-6920F: 763-525-8676W: www.norcostco.comNorcostco-MinneapolisStore815 N Hwy 169Minneapolis, MN 55441P: 800-220-6920F: 763-546-9684W: www.norcostco.comNorcostco-Tacoma2421 S Union Ave.Ste. L-1, #113Tacoma, WA 98405P: 866-419-9875F: 253-627-4430W: www.norcostco.comNorcostco-Texas1231 Wycliff Ave.Ste. 300Dallas, TX 72507P: 800-657-1887F: 214-630-4474W: www.norcostco.comOrlando Theatrical Supply2400 E Colonial Dr.Ste. 28FOrlando, FL 32803P: 407-895-5555F: 407-894-881848 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com

Palladia Passementerie1459 Mackubin St.St. Paul, MN 55117P: 651-488-1603F: 651-488-5239W: www.palladiapassementerie.comParon Fabrics W206 W 40th St.New York, NY 10018P: 212-768-3266F: 212-768-3260W: www.paronfabrics.comPegasus Theatrical, Inc.20570 W 8 Mile Rd.Southfield, MI 48075P: 248-353-6130F: 248-353-5013W: www.pegasustheatrical.comPenn & Fletcher, Inc.21-07 41st Ave. 5th Fl.Long Island City, NY 11101P: 212-239-6868F: 212-239-6914W: www.pennandfletcher.comPerforming Arts Supply, Inc.11421-B Todd St.Houston, TX 77055P: 800-351-8688F: 713-681-9569W: performingartssupply.comPeriod Corsets10002 Aurora Ave. N, #36PMB 5584Seattle, WA 98133P: 206-264-0997F: 206-264-1657W: www.periodcorsets.comPierre’s Costumes211 N 3rd St.Philadelphia, PA 19106P: 215-925-7121F: 215-925-9616W: www.costumers.comPirates Treasure Cove6212 E Kracker Ave.Gibsonton, FL 33534P: 813-677-1137F: 813-671-2915PNTA, Inc.615 S Alaska St.Seattle, WA 98108P: 800-622-7850F: 206-267-1789W: www.pnta.comPremier Designs HistoricClothing76 Jefferson St.Huron, OH 44839P: 800-427-0907F: 419-433-6574W: www.premierclothing.comPremiere Products, Inc.10312 Norris Ave. Ste. CPacoima, CA 91331P: 800-346-4774F: 818-897-7458W: www.ppi.ccPro Eto CostumeP: 512-288-3096Rhinestones Unlimited3947 Excelsior Blvd. Ste. 101Minneapolis, MN 55416P: 800-340-3525F: 952-848-0134W: www.rhinestonesu.comRichard The Thread10405 Washington Blvd.Culver City, CA 90232P: 800-473-4997F: 310-936-4996W: www.richardthethread.comRobert Schmidt Costumes,Inc.18 W Ferguson Ave.Wood River, IL 62095P: 618-251-6338W: robertschmidtcostumes.comRosecolours Cosmetics, Ltd.10250 Constellation Blvd.9th Fl.Los Angeles, CA 90067P: 703-627-7673W: www.rosecolours.comSatin Stitches Ltd.11894 Round Lake Blvd. NWMinneapolis, MN 55433P: 800-48-SATINF: 763-427-5039W: www.satinstitches.comSchenz Theatrical Supply,Inc.2959 Colerain Ave.Cincinnati, OH 45225P: 513-542-6100F: 513-542-0093W: www.schenz.comSeaside Music TheaterCostume Division Rentals1640 Mason Ave. Dock 4Daytona Beach, FL 32117P: 386-274-2200F: 386-274-4434W: seasidemusictheater.orgSetwear Products, Inc.8030 Remmet Ave., #14Canoga Park, CA 91304P: 818-340-0540F: 818-340-6434W: www.setwear.comShowbits Theatre Gifts2425 Bexley Park Rd.Bexley, OH 43209P: 614-231-9447F: 614-231-3485W: www.showbits.comSlide Presentations,Publishers4169 Via Marina, #211Marina Del Rey, CA 90292P: 800-871-2040F: 310-827-2214W: www.slidepresentationspublishers.comSnazaroo1214 Metro Park Blvd. Ste. 201Lewisville, TX 75057P: 800-451-4040F: 972-221-8625W: www.snazaroo.comSpecial Effect SupplyCorporation164 E Center St.North Salt Lake, UT 84054P: 801-936-9762F: 801-936-9763W: www.fxsupply.comSpotlight Costumes, Llc1503 E Carson St.Pittsburgh, PA 15203P: 800-256-8645F: 412-381-0260W: www.spotlightcostumes.comStage Door Costumes804 State and 8th PlazaQuincy, IL 62301P: 217-224-9174F: 217-641-0473

tedns aCostumes, Makeup, Wigs & Costume Suppliesofngess.”Stage Supply803 Highland Dr.Chambersburg, PA 17202P: 206-350-4503W: www.stagesupply.comStar Styled Dancing SuppliesP.O. Box 119029Hialeah, FL 33011P: 800-532-6237F: 800-634-4628W: www.starstyled.comStein’s Theatrical And DanceSupply3100 Clarendon Blvd.Arlington, VA 22201F: 703-522-5864W: www.steinstheatrical.comSterling Name Tape Co.9 Willow St. P.O. Box 939Winsted, CT 06098P: 800-654-5210F: 860-379-0394W: www.sterlingtape.comStudio Makeup Academy1438 N Gower St. #14Studio 308Hollywood, CA 90028P: 323-465-4002F: 323-465-6078W: www.studiomakeupacademy.comSyracuse Scenery & StageLighting Co., Inc.101 Monarch Dr.Liverpool, NY 13088P: 800-453-7775F: 315-453-7897W: www.syracusescenery.comTDF Costume Collection601 W 26th St. Ste. 325New York, NY 10001P: 212-989-5855F: 212-206-0922W: www.tdf.org/costumeTeener’s Theatricals1517 Central Ave. NEMinneapolis, MN 55413P: 612-339-2793F: 612-339-9116W: www.teenerstheatricals.comTestfabrics, Inc.415 Delaware Ave.P.O. Box 26W Pittston, PA 18643P: 570-603-0432F: 570-603-0433W: www.testfabrics.comTextile Fabric Consultants,Inc.521 Huntly Industrial Dr.Smyrna, TN 37167P: 800-210-9394F: 615-459-3744W: www.textilefabric.comThe Costumer1995 Central Ave.Albany, NY 12205P: 877-218-1289W: www.thecostumer.comThe Theatrical Shop145 5th St.W Des Moines, IA 50265P: 800-383-7469W: www.theatricalshop.comTheatre Company1400 N Benson Ave.Upland, CA 91786P: 909-982-5736F: 909-982-8965W: www.theatreco.comTheatre Service And SupplyCorp.1792 Union Ave.Baltimore, MD 21211P: 410-467-1225F: 410-467-1289W: www.stage-n-studio.comTheatre Under The Stars800 Bagby St. Ste. 200Houston, TX 77002P: 713-558-2600F: 713-558-2650W: www.tuts.comTheatrical CostumeCompany1226 Linden Ave. Ste. 122Minneapolis, MN 55403P: 612-339-4144F: 612-332-9604W: www.theatricalcostumeco.comTheatrical Makeup SuppliesInc.213 Virginia Beach Blvd.Virginia Beach, VA 23451P: 757-642-4642W: www.theatricalmakeupsupplies.comTheatrical Mementos4222 Lamdale Ct SE, #D9Grand Rapids, MI 49546P: 616-957-3251W: www.timementos.comTheatrical Services, Inc.128 S Washington St.Wichita, KS 67202P: 316-263-4415F: 316-263-9927W: theatricalservices.comTheatrix Costume House284 King St. WToronto, ON M5V 1J2P: 416-977-3113F: 416-977-4749W: www.theatrixcostumehouse.comSTAGING • LIGHTING • SOUNDTracy Theatre Originals70 High St.Hampton, NH 03842P: 800-926-8351F: 603-929-9773W: www.tracytheatreoriginals.comTressallure5800 NW 163rd St.Miami Lakes, FL 33014P: 305-823-0600W: www.tressallure.comUnited Mask & PartyManufacturing, Inc.Sebring, FL 33876P: 863-655-6275F: 863-655-4350W: www.unitedmask.comWarner Bros. StudioFacilitiesCostume Design Ctr 4000Warner Blvd. Bldg. 153Burbank, CA 91522P: 800-375-3085F: 818-954-3685W: www.wbsf.comWild Ginger Software, Inc.1055 Wildlife TrailKingston Springs, TN 37082P: 888-929-9453F: 615-952-3304W: www.wildginger.comWildfire, Inc.5200 W 83rd St.Los Angeles, CA 90045P: 800-937-8065F: 310-645-9009W: www.wildfirefx.comWenger Corporation555 Park Dr., P.O. Box 448Owatonna, MN 55060P: 800-493-6437F: 507-455-4258W: www.wengercorp.comSee their ad on the insideof the front coverWilshire Wigs & Accessories5241 Craner Ave.North Hollywood, CA 91601P: 800-927-0874F: 818-761-9779W: www.wilshirewigs.comZFX, Inc.611 Industry Rd.Louisville, KY 40208P: 502-637-2500F: 502-637-7818W: www.zfxflying.comZucker Feather Products,Inc.28419 Hwy 87 P.O. 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Answer Box|Nick Van HoutenIlluminated ManuscriptConcealed Wireless LED technologyfor a SoCal production of Joseph...The pages of the “bible”The vellum peeled away to show the LitePad underneathAll PhotogrAPhy by Nick VAN houteNThe battery and DMX-Controlled, 2-Channel Wireless Dimmer,underneath the LitePad layerThe Rosco LitePad illuminates vellum pages.For the Glendale Centre Theatre’s spring production ofJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, I wasasked to design an elegant glowing book for the show’sepilogue. The director wanted a very God-like “shaft” of lightto come from the book; however, limitations by battery andillumination sources were obvious.Naturally, using LEDs for the solution came right to mind.After seeing one of the first versions of Rosco’s LitePad, I wasamazed by the intense, pure output of light. I requested two6-inch-by-6-inch panels for use within the prop. Since theentire prop was custom, it was built to fit one LitePad panel ineach half. The panels run from a 12V power source and utilizea textured bounce material combined with rows of LEDs toachieve an incredibly bright, soft light source.For control, I turned to a wireless dimming control, theRC4 Magic system from Soundsculpture. Utilizing the system’sminiature 2-channel receiver, I was able to controleach half of the book from the lighting desk, ETC’s new IONconsole. The control system worked beautifully, never failingto deliver a smooth dimming curve as the LEDs illuminatednight to night.For power, a simple, 12V, 2.5Ah gel cell battery was used.While slightly large for the application, it easily worked withthe size that the prop needed to be to read on stage. Theprop was charged every night, and no problems occurredfrom battery charging/health issues.From an aesthetics standpoint, the prop was always meantto be elegant, almost beautiful; it was not to look tacky orgimmicky. For the interior pages, I happily discovered thatdrafting vellum can be run through a color laser printer. Thevellum provided a translucent material to diffuse the lightsource even further and hide the internal electronics. Afterprinting actual Gutenberg Bible text on the pages, they werecut out and adhered on top of the LitePad panels on each halfof the book. A white card stock cutout underneath each sheethid the areas of each half that did not contain the LitePad.The final effect was a great success and added a beautifultouch to the show’s finale. The radiant glow cast by theprop lit up not only the actor’s face, but also the surroundingatmosphere. Without the advent of wireless dimming andLED technology, an effect such as this simply would not havebeen possible.Nick Van Houten is a lighting and SFX designer at the GlendaleCenter Theatre in Southern California.52 June 2008 • www.stage-directions.com