Who's Who and Who’s New At LDI…And Why You Need To Know Them...Part Three.
There are almost 200 of them: industry experts who donate their time and savoir-faire to the week-long professional training program at LDI. Some of them are on 90-minute panels. Some of them teach for several days. All of them deserve a round of applause. Here are two that are new to LDI—as speakers anyway—so we’d like to welcome them aboard.
Brett Copes, Owner/Head Rigger, Fight or Flight Entertainment
LDI: Rigging for Aerial Acrobatics, Circus, and Dance: Advanced Topics
Brett Copes is a former stuntman, ropes course administrator, and theatre technician. Acrobatic rigging became his new career path, rigging for stunts, circus, and aerial productions for TV, film, and live shows. Holding several certifications, he attended the North American Association of Flying Directors, a recognized Competent Person/Competent Inspector, SPRAT Technician, and is CM Hoist Certified. He has been the head rigger of four different circus and aerial festivals in the US, and rigged acrobatics and flying FX for Cirkus Smirkus, Verdigo Flying, Dream World Cirque, Aerial Experience, CAVALIA International Tours, Peter Pan 360, Mille +UNA (Italy), and Mar Del Zvr (Panama). For most of 2014, he served as head acrobatic/stunt performance rigger of the touring show Marvel Universe Live.
He has been a member of the rigging teams at Cirque Du Soleil shows: “O” and Iris, the CDS venue Light, and at The Beatles: LOVE. He specializes in problem solving, rescue systems, crew training, and has developed a successful Rigging for Aerialists Seminar, having taught across the USA, Central America, and the UK. He also specializes in rescue systems for performers and crew, choreographs as a flying director, and consults with performers on act development.
Paul Reams, Operations Production Manager, The Beatles: LOVE, Cirque du Soleil
LDI: Technical Challenges at Cirque du Soleil
Paul Reams, aka Chumley, manages the technical operations for Cirque du Soleil at The Beatles: LOVE. He has served as operations production manager, technical director, and head of carpentry for Zarkana, Viva ELVIS, and LOVE since he joined the company 11 years ago, and has also provided his technical skills and touring knowledge to the re-working and delivery of several Cirque touring shows.
Prior to Cirque, he toured nationally and internationally with various Broadway tour companies in many operational positions. Most recently he worked on Disney‘s theatrical productions of Beauty And The Beast and The Lion King. He has over 28 years in the theatrical operations industry.