Rogues balance elegance and rock at IYRS Gala
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Supplied by JDI Productions, the fixtures were part of the event's lighting design created by Megan Alksninis.
“The first part of the night was a dinner and auction where I chose to stick with select colours. I tried to create a warm look through magenta and amber that was not too distracting,” said Alksninis. “In transitioning to Kool and the Gang, I used the four Rogue RH1 Hybrids in my floor package to create a rock-and-roll feeling. All the while, I wanted to keep my lights harmonious with the surroundings. Newport is one of the most beautiful places to work.”
In addition to four Rogue RH1 Hybrids, Alksninis’ rig featured 12 Rogue R2 Washes and six Rogue R3 Washes. The wide zoom range (12° to 49°) of her RGBW wash fixtures, along with their smooth color mixing, also helped her pick up the lighting pace once Kool and the Gang performed.
“When the band performed, I took the Rogue R2 Washes that I was using to light the tent and repurposed them to backlight the performers,” she said. “Kool and the Gang is a band that you can have a lot of fun lighting with colour changes and movement. The Rogue R2s and R3s made colour changes seamless for me at this event.”
During the early part of the evening, Alksninis relied on the six Rogue R2 Washes on upstage truss and the six Rogue R3 Washes flown near the rear of the tent to light the general area of the gala, selecting subtle low-keyed colors. For stage washing during the auction, speeches and presentations, she flew six Rogue R2 Washes on downstage truss.
Although the setting of the gala provided a beautiful backdrop, it was not without its challenges. “The venue is located on the water, our stage was set up on their parking lot, and we had a tight load in,” said Alksninis. “It required a lot of team work, so Freddy Thompson, our ME, as well as our techs Dylan Webster, Jenna Iorfida and Steven Fennell deserve a lot of credit. We all had a lot of fun. You really can’t ask for a more picture-perfect setting.”
(Jim Evans)
