Peter Lerohl achieved this feat in a recent production of 33 Variations with help from a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures acquired from Monkey Wrench Productions. Lerohl, the technical director of Theatre at Anoka Ramsey Community College, used six Ovation E-910FC colour mixing LED ellipsoidals, positioning three of them on each side of the playing area for downstage, centre stage and upstage side lighting. He also used four Rogue R2 Washes, arranged across the first electric, which for this show was at the upstage edge of the acting areas.
The performance features of the Chauvet fixtures helped Lerohl capture the elusive essence of Kaufman's modern masterpiece in light. "This is a very powerful and thought provoking drama that moves seamlessly back and forth in time and place," he observed. "There are multiple scenes in the present day and in the early 1800s, with characters from both time periods often appearing on stage simultaneously. I designed projection, lighting, sound and scenery for this production.
"I think the biggest challenge was to create a fluid and cohesive design that supported the story, without distracting the audience or calling attention to the technology itself. Having the Ovations and Rogue R2s in my plot allowed me to pull colors from my projection images and use them in my side and top lighting in ways that unified the design visually."
Using the Ovation E-910FC to produce a wide range of colours, from subtle tints to intense more saturated hues, allowed Lerohl to convey the movement of space and time on stage.
The Ovation E-910FC and Rogue R2 were also used in combination to colorize the stage in calming spiritual blue/green side light and lavender top light that unified the characters in a scene where they appear together outside the confines of normal time and place. Heavy saturated blues and violets were used during scene transitions.
When scenes in 33 Variations had characters from two time periods onstage simultaneously, the Rogue R2s made it possible to isolate and separate them with light. This made them appear as if they were in two different worlds, even though they were often standing only a few feet apart.
(Jim Evans)
