Broadway Master Classes Course Descriptions 2008

Broadway Master Class Lighting Courses

Kevin Adams: The Fine Arts Influence A Lighting Designer

Kevin Adams discusses his journey from trained set designer to self-taught lighting designer and how that transition was influenced by fine artists that use light in their work. He also discusses the influence of those artists in his recent design of a trio of contemporary pop/rock musicals: Passing Strange, Spring Awakening, and Next To Normal. The discussion of these three designs will include his use of compact fluorescent light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, incandescent light bulbs, neon, and LED technology as illuminative devices as well as sculptural objects.

Christopher Akerlind: Throwing Out The Story: Light Plots Based on Spatial Ideas

An approach to lighting design through spatial analysis and close architectural scrutiny of set designs. The presentation will include the process used in creating the light plots for The Light In The Piazza, 110 In The Shade, and this season’s Top Girls.

Howell Binkley: Dissecting Real Estate

Working towards a collaborative effort with the set designer to establish lighting positions that will formally execute lighting positions for the show. This locating of lighting positions will be illustrated with examples from my currently running Broadway musicals, Jersey Boys and Cry Baby.

Peggy Eisenhauer: Emoting and Motion: Communicating With Movement

Peggy’s second Master Class Emoting and Motion: Communicating With Movement deals with her sense of movement in lighting, about which she says: "This talk is a discussion that was born of a series of questions that Jules asked me to answer philosophically, about using movement artistically and emotionally in theatre lighting. There are some practical aspects to it, but it's mainly about the emotion of integrating motion into one's work. It seemed like a natural level of discussion for designers, which is outside all of the technical aspects of automated lighting which occupies so much space in everybody's psyche, about what does what and how it's done. This is really about why and how one chooses motion, and what can you hope to create with it from the point of view of design."

Peggy Eisenhauer: Cueing The Musical–Sculpting Time and Rhythm

Peggy Eisenhauer and Jules Fisher are partners in Third Eye Studio, working together on lighting design for Tony Award-winning musicals and Oscar Award-winning films. Peggy shares her deep passion and precise knowledge of lighting in two presentations at the BLMC each year.

Peggy Eisenhauer’s Master Class Cueing The Musical–Sculpting Time and Rhythm will discuss both a practical and philosophical approach to creating dramatic and musical timing styles specific to every production. What is time in a dramatic sense in the theatre What makes time dynamic in a dramatic environment? How does music affect ones timing style? What is rhythmic within musical cueing? In addition, she will discuss practice and precision in the digital manipulation of time.

Beverly Emmons and Clifton Taylor: Color Therapy

Help for troubled designers to let go of unconscious fears of color. Session will focus on a deeper understanding of the dominant (and recessive) wavelengths underlying the choices you make. Use color with more confidence, learn to recognize color palette "issues" and acquire the tools to dynamically find color solutions before and during the cueing quot;process."

Jules Fisher: An Approach to Stage Lighting

In analyzing what I have been doing for the last fifty years, I have discovered what drives and compels my designs. There are numerous definitions of stage lighting to discuss that all contribute to holding on to this evanescent craft. I will try to communicate why the theatre and light is still magical for me.

Wendall K. Harrington: Who asked for these projections anyway?

Projected images are everywhere, and it does seem that they are more than just a fad, so we'll take a look at how to think about projections, when they're right, less right and just plain stupid. Lighting and projection must work together to create a unified stage image, so lets smooth out those edges.

Donald Holder: Storytelling Through Light

One of the most important roles that the lighting designer is often expected to fill in the theatre today is that of storyteller. Using several Broadway plays and musicals as examples, we will examine how a story can be told through light, both from a design and technical perspective.

Vivien Leone: Paperwork: It Is Not Just Paper

A step-by-step discussion of the collaborative process that exists between the Broadway lighting designer and those who turn the design into physical reality. Examples of the lighting paperwork generated along each step will be used to illustrate the process.

Brian MacDevitt: Visual Aids: paintings and photography for inspiration and communication in the theater

"The idea of the lecture is to describe the influences from outside of theater art that I can bring to the table with directors and other designers, so we can nourish and generate new ways of seeing and approaching our work. I feel that too many times I have fallen back on the conventions of the theater and my work regurgitating what we "know" and what "works," especially in the commercial world where there is a premium on the safety of not challenging our audiences."

Broadway Master Class Sound Courses

The Changing RF Landscape: What's Happening, How it Affects Production

A clear explanation of the FCC rules changes governing the TV broadcast RF spectrum used by production wireless equipment, how that wireless equipment will likely be affected, with the 700MHz band re-allocation and proposed white space devices being predominant considerations, and ways in which the sound designer can minimize potential problems. Followed by a short Q & A.

Jonathan Deans

Acclaimed sound designer Jonathan Deans, who delighted BSMC audiences last year with his in-depth—and often hilarious—discussion of his sound design for The Pirate Queen, is back this year to dissect the sound system and design concept—from microphones for monsters to loudpspeaker placement—for Young Frankenstein, the show that BSMC attendees will be seeing this year.

Chris Hubbard: Sound Design & Show Control Software

In the session Chris will be presenting an overview of "The CH Sound Design Process", using his three applications, Palladium, Micplot and Moves, a range of software products to assist the sound designer and operator from the very beginning of the sound design process, right through to running the sound system during performances.

Peter Hylenski—Cry Baby: From concept to stage

A discussion of system design from out of town through Broadway; its evolution and departmental integration.

Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen: Moving to Broadway—The Nuts and Bolts

A thorough and practical review of transferring a production from a regional stage to Broadway. The discussion will include a look at the original productions of both a musical and a dramatic play,and will explore the differences of working in a regional theatre versus a Broadway house. This session is designed to guide a sound designer through the varied details of successfully transferring a play or musical to Broadway.

Dan Moses Schreier: Sound Designers Collaborating With And Working With The Music Director And The Orchestrator

In an exceptional, first-time at the BLMC session, sound deisgner Dan Moses Schreier shares his insights into collaborating and working with the music diretor and the orchestrator. His special guests are Paul Gemignani, the acclaimed music director for more than 40 Broadway shows since the 1970s—including the original versions of Follies, A Little Night Music, Sunday In The Park With George, Zorba, Into The Woods....and the upcoming revival of Pal Joey; plus leading Broadway orchestrator Jonathan Tunick, whose numerous credits over four decades include Into The Woods, A Chorus Line, Follies, Company, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, and Sweeney Todd....just to mention a few of the outstanding credits for these two incredibly talented men. The BLMC is pleased to welcome them!

Steve Sockey: Designing acoustic and electro-acoustic solutions for both live events and permanent facilities

Steve Sockey, a partner at SIA Acoustics will explore the process of designing acoustic and electro-acoustic solutions for both live events and facilities where highly intelligible and tonally balanced sound is crucial to success. He will discuss the various stages of system and event design development and execution. The use of loudspeaker and acoustical prediction tools, digital signal processing and most importantly, practical issues of implementation and operation will be reviewed. Steve will critically examine the importance of an acoustical design that is highly integrated with that of the project's technical systems -- a methodology that has resulted in the creation of successful performance venues as well as successful events in acoustically-challenging spaces.