Historical research on stage lighting

[phil000]

(http://www.northern.edu/wild/LiteDes/ldhist.htm)
http://www1.appstate.edu/orgs/spectacle/Pages/18thlighting.html

Every date here is the result of google and stubborn-ness: I added in Robert Edmond Jones because I like him.

Sebastiano Serlio (1475-1554
Nicola sabbatini (1574-1654) wrote some nice books, more popular for scene changes.
Robert Edmond Jones (1887-1954) –wrote a really cool book called the “Dramatic Imagination”
Norman Bel Geddes (1893-1958)
Stanley McCandless' (1897-1967) THE formula
Jo Mielziner (1901-76)
Abe Feder (1909-1997) “Houdini of the switchboard” was all about federal theater gigs, and architectural lighting
Fred Bentham 1911-2001
Jean Rosenthal (1912-1969) (duh…)
Howard Bay (1912-1986)
Margaret Bronson Clark (Clark Kelly) (1916-1996)
Josef Svoboda (1921-2002)
Tharon Musser (the reason we have digital boards) (born 1925)
Leland H. Watson (1926-1989)
Thomas R Skelton (1928-1994)
Richard Pilbrow (1933-)
Gilbert V. Hemsley Jr (1936-1983)
Jules Fisher (1937-)
David Hersey (1939-)
Beverly Emmons ( 1943- )
Ken Billington (1946-) Lit Chicago
Arden Fingerhut (1946-1994)
Peter Kaczorowski (1956-) (lit the producers)
<things get iffy here>

Willard F Bellman (contemporary)
Linda essig (contemporary)
J. Michael Gillette (contemporary book writer)
Steve Cohen (http://www.sacpltd.com/)
Guy Smith (http://www.guysmithlighting.com/)
Donald Holder (http://www.calarts.edu/faculty_bios/theater/faculty/donaldholder/donaldholder)
Abigail Rosen-Holmes (very contemporary, rock concerting)

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Fine, you win this round, but I'll be the one to make something out of it.

 

[phil000]

Fine, you win this round, but I'll be the one to make something out of it.

the game is AFOOT! I have the advantage of age, I mean once you get to be 20 , the whole world changes.

Hopefully our next category is All things 360 Q, or else I'm gonna get dusted.

 

[TimMiller]

I havent had any background history as far as school goes on designers. What i have learned i have learned on my own.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

the game is AFOOT! I have the advantage of age, I mean once you get to be 20 , the whole world changes.
Hopefully our next category is All things 360 Q, or else I'm gonna get dusted.

I might play yet, I knew of those websites, but remember, I have Fuch's book on my side.

Also, "All 360Q", you're on.

 

[phil000]

Sadly, the majority of my information other than the link up top came from NYtimes online obituaries, poor gilbert (only 48)

...strangely I didn't find any theater accident deaths among those...

 

[derekleffew]

Phil000, dude you like totally pwn'd greenia. I'm so disappointed with Greenia, but sloop there may be hope for the future after all. You're just about equidistant between these two. Maybe next should be a practical shoot out between these two, in your facility. Play "Bench that Leko" , "Name that Gel" , or "Light that Scene" and win fabulous trips and prizes!
And Phil, don't think I wouldn't notice you sneaking in Guy Smith! I'll have to tell you the stories privately. I like his work, but can't put him in the same class/league as the others.

Well, this was over too quickly, and should have been a question of the day. Now I have to think of a prize.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

*Hangs head in shame*

Sorry Derek, homework won over me spending time searching out all the names.

 

[derekleffew]

(http://www.northern.edu/wild/LiteDes/ldhist.htm)

1971- Altman Lighting introduces the 360Q axial ellipsoidal reflector spotlight. Sickly Altman brown.
Although I didn't put any restrictions on the "game," I didn't even know that site existed. So I can't cry fowl [for Van]. See I know he's busy with a show, so I can pick on him. I have to say I'm most proud of myself for just grabbing those 30 names off the top of my head. Oh, and Phil doesn't score 100%, even if cheating. Bellman can't be considered contemporary, and must be dead. He was OLD (70?) in 1980 when he spoke at USITT.

Oh, and I'd order the last five this way, based on age, and when they first reached prominence:

Steve Cohen (http://www.sacpltd.com/)
J. Michael Gillette (contemporary book writer)
Donald Holder (http://www.calarts.edu/faculty_bios/...r/donaldholder)
Abigail Rosen-Holmes (very contemporary, rock concerting)
Linda Essig (contemporary)
Guy Smith (http://www.guysmithlighting.com/)

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Oh I thought you knew about that site, all the Googling you do. That's why I haven't been going crazy today to win this race. Besides, when I do post, I think it will be good.

 

[phil000]

listen. Derek. If you put 'smith' in the list of lighting designers, you do realize it's fair game to pull whatever google tells me.

I win I win I win I win I win
sigh, now to go learn how to weld then look at some VL5s b/c our school has none, so they're like holy grails when anything moving comes into our theaters.

 

[derekleffew]

listen. Derek. If you put 'smith' in the list of lighting designers, you do realize it's fair game to pull whatever google tells me...

Oops! You know of course that I meant Oliver Smith, and it was sort of a trick question, but then if there's no scenery, all an LD gets to light are the moving props (actors)!

 

[phil000]

Or dancers.

And I'm ok with not scoring 100%. How many perfect dimmer checks have YOU done? I have like 5 or 6...because we put FEL's in 360Qs...

 

[SteveB]

I have worked with only 2 on the original list - Ken Billington and Tom Skelton, sad to say.

I tend to think of the history of Lighting Design in the US as having 3 (currently) generations:

The original with designers such as Jean Rosenthal, Howard Bay, Lee Watson, Jo Mielziner, McCandless, Abe Feder, some of whom were scenic designer primarily, who also were proficient LD's..

I consider the 2nd generation as the earliest Lighting Designers only - even though Jean Rosenthal really only did lighting.

Tharon Musser
Richard Pilbrow
David Hersey
Peggy Clark
Arden Fingerhut
Tom Skelton
Bev Emmons
Peggy Eisenhauer
Martin Aronstein
Jennifer Tipton
Gil Wecshsler (long-time Met Opera LD)
John Gleason

Etcetera

I then think of the current crop as many of those who assisted the 2nd generation in the start of their careers.

Thus you have 2 LD's listed in the original, who are part of the "3rd" generation - Donald Holder and Peter Kaczorowski. To those I would add:

Brian MacDevitt
Brian Nason
Natasha Katz
Howell Binkley
Craig Miller
David Grill
Kevin Adams
Mark Stanley
Ken Posner
Robert Wierzel
Richard Winkler
Frances Aronsen
Clifton Taylor
Stan Pressner
John Mckernon
Duane Schuler

Plus a whole bunch of newer folks from the other side of the pond, who I know little about, in terms of age, or backgrounds -

Patrick Woodruffe, etc...

And of course, all the Big Event and TV folks: Alan Branton, Alan Adelman, Bill Klages, Imero Fiorentino, Bob Dickenson

Lot of great folks out there.

FWIW and as a sobering thought to the up and coming youth, a friend who's day job is as a CNN LD, in NYC and is on the exam committee for USA 829 Lighting Design, commenting to a question from one of our students, that he thinks the average is One (1) newbie makes it on Broadway, every ten (10)( years on avg.

Lot's of other work out there, though....

Steve B.

 

[derekleffew]

Nice, SteveB, but I think you've misplaced Peggy Eisenhauer. Either that or she looks incredible for a person her age, or both! Technically, she's 3rd generation if you follow the Musser-Billington/Fisher-Eisenhauer line.I would define the 2nd generation not specifically as those who assisted the first, as there were a few who were contemporaries who didn't assist. And the 4th may already be upon us, as often a new Broadway show opens with Lighting by... someone I've never heard of. But perhaps that's just because I'm too far from NYC.

Now if we expand to corporate theatre, John Ingram and John Featherstone and a few others comprise the lion's share.

 

[SteveB]

Nice, SteveB, but I think you've misplaced Peggy Eisenhauer. Either that or she looks incredible for a person her age, or both! Technically, she's 3rd generation if you follow the Musser-Billington/Fisher-Eisenhauer line.I would define the 2nd generation not specifically as those who assisted the first, as there were a few who were contemporaries who didn't assist. And the 4th may already be upon us, as often a new Broadway show opens with Lighting by... someone I've never heard of. But perhaps that's just because I'm too far from NYC.
Now if we expand to corporate theatre, John Ingram and John Featherstone and a few others comprise the lion's share.

Nope, you're correct about Peggy Eisenhauer as being a more recent LD, having joined Jules many years after he was already established as an LD in his own right.

And not everybody assisted, but some of the current crop at the top of the game, did assist the 2nd gen., especially the LD's who work Broadway. Don't forget that Natasha worked for Ken B. for a short time, as example so there are all sorts of links that are not well known. In reality, there is no defined timeline for when a person is 1st, 2nd or 3rd generation, as they are all of different ages, and there are many folks that were very prominent early in their careers or vice versa, or who moved on to work that has less publicity attached, or some on huge stuff, such as a Rolling Stones tour, or a Broadway show.

Still, to see the list and to have known and worked with many others not listed, it always amazes me to see how much talent there is in the business.

Steve B.

 

[phil000]

FWIW and as a sobering thought to the up and coming youth, a friend who's day job is as a CNN LD, in NYC and is on the exam committee for USA 829 Lighting Design, commenting to a question from one of our students, that he thinks the average is One (1) newbie makes it on Broadway, every ten (10)( years on avg.
Lot's of other work out there, though....
Steve B.

I'm ok with that
Phil

 

[derekleffew]

Thank you for sharing, Phil. SO HOW DO YOU FEEL THIS MORNING?

 

[soundman]

I'm neck deep in 'real' school work but for those of you playing at home "The speed of Light" by Linda Essig while lacking much meat and potatoes as far as design theory is like sitting at a bar talking shop with some LDs and others including a member of this very message board.

Another book that will help is Pilbrow's "Stage Lighting Design" this costs a bit more but goes a bit more in depth as far as theory goes and the interviews are a bit more structured but still tons of stuff to pick at.

Best of luck, Vectorwroks is flashing at me so that either means my rendering is done or I need to save.

 

[sloop]

this has been a great discussion... I hate benching Lekos.. That's the beauty of the new designs.. that 4 screw method is.... tedious.