Master Class

Yesterday was first tech, and we got almost all the way through the show. For lighting, we’re about three cues from the end, which we’ll pick up in the first hour today (it’s our ten out of twelve day today). For a show that takes place on a supposedly bare stage (an empty stage where a master class is taking place), it’s actually a rather complex show, especially when you add in the music and the projections.

Speaking of projections. . .

. . . here’s one of the directors (James and Jill are co-directing) James with Chris, the projection/sound designer, working through some things.

A view from the tech table of the image they were working on. It’s the ceiling and chandelier of La Scala projected onto the bandshell of the set. The projectors are hidden on the booms stage right and stage left, obscured by old lighting instruments (the play takes place when Maria Callas was giving a series of master classes at Julliard) and are surprisingly strong. Often you worry about a careful balance between actor light and projections, but beside the strength of the projectors, a very helpful thing is that the projections are used only during Maria’s monologues, when she retreats/reveals/confronts the past and most of the stage light drops out.

There are some moments when I feel that this is turning into one of my best lighting designs.