themuzicman
Well-Known Member
I just got back from a trip with my drama department to New York City. We saw three Broadway plays, did some other things, good times. I saw Gypsy (which was horrible), Spamalot (Hilarious), and Mary Poppins (amazing tech), but one thing was consistent throughout the entire thing and that was the ridiculous amount of spot light use. Gypsy was by far the worst offender, and every time a person spoke, a spot would hit them full in the face. Mary Poppins wasn't as bad, but it was annoying when the operator wouldn't anticipate a fast move. Spamalot used it sparingly, so the rant is mainly on the other two shows.
Why is it that the designer felt that the follow spot had to be used EVERY time a person spoke, no matter who it was. They each had four spots apiece, and Gypsy became a massive game of connect the dots, watching the spot move from character to character. It seems to me that this massive use of spot was a massive cop-out so they wouldn't have to make decent washes. I will be the first to admit that I am not the best lighting designer, but even to my untrained eye, it was just too much.
I have seen other Broadway shows, and they use it once and a while, on important monologue's and when a solo actor is on stage, but this (is it a trend?) was astonishing, to have it in every scene, on every person. It gives me a headache!
Why is it that the designer felt that the follow spot had to be used EVERY time a person spoke, no matter who it was. They each had four spots apiece, and Gypsy became a massive game of connect the dots, watching the spot move from character to character. It seems to me that this massive use of spot was a massive cop-out so they wouldn't have to make decent washes. I will be the first to admit that I am not the best lighting designer, but even to my untrained eye, it was just too much.
I have seen other Broadway shows, and they use it once and a while, on important monologue's and when a solo actor is on stage, but this (is it a trend?) was astonishing, to have it in every scene, on every person. It gives me a headache!