Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Felt Like A Kid With A Magnifying Glass This Weekend

Running Spotlight #1 for "Hairspray" is fun, but it's challenging too. Every little nervous tremor shows up on a big scale on stage, so I have to remain perfectly still, except for those moments I have to sweep the beam quickly and confidently across stage to keep pace with the actors. I have to think three seconds ahead of the show, so I don't get taken by surprise.

I feel like a kid with a magnifying glass, capable of instantly smoking any audience member who stands up at the wrong time during the show. I see deer-in-the-headlights looks too, from actors occasionally caught in the beam (like Hannah), and even cat-like reflections off their retinas (like Megan). I don't know how some actors (like Deborah) tolerate the bright beam so close, or how others (like Patricia) adjust, when I abruptly dim the beam as they turn away and exit down dark steps.

In a theater, the people in charge of the lights have all the power....

No comments:

Post a Comment