Tony Award-winning lighting designer Ken Billington, guest on the Artistic Finance podcast, discusses how he has managed his personal finances during more than sixty years of designing on Broadway and running a design studio. With over 100 Broadway shows to his credit, not to mention a slew of other shows from Las Vegas to SeaWorld and beyond. He has been nominated for nine Tony Awards for Best Lighting Design, and won for the musical Chicago. Thanks to Ethan Steimel for this interview with one of my favorite LDs. Listen Here. Actually Thursday, January 21 is one of the busiest days we've seen online a while, with a panoply of choices, so roll up your sleeves and dig in.
Training & Webcasts:
• January 21@ 12pm Eastern: Isadora Guru Session #20: Remote Performance: Past, Present and Future: Isadora's creator Mark Coniglio will be joined by long time collaborator and co-founder of Troika Ranch Dawn Marie Stoppiello for a lively "co-interview" focused on remote performance. Starting with practices they first explored in the nascent days of the Internet, this dynamic duo will present their ideas on what will be crucial dramaturgically and technologically for online performance as we ride out the pandemic. Watch Here,
• January 21 @ 1pm Eastern: Ahead Of The Curve: Business and technology. Two things that constantly challenge each other. Finding a balance between the two is a very tricky thing to fully understand. In a world that is constantly evolving and changing you need to be on your “A” game to stay on top of the technology, projects and ways to provide affordable solutions to your clients. Join Geoffrey Platt and Andrew “Drew” Atienza from VYV as they have a discussion about the things they are very passionate about. Entertainment technology and business during these transitional times. Be part of the conversation! Watch Here.
• January 21 @ 10am Pacific: Elation Innovation Hour; Explore Color: A discussion of the various types of color-mixing systems found in today’s modern automated luminaires and the pros and cons inherent in each. The ability to create millions of different hues from a single lighting fixture is perhaps the greatest benefit of an intelligent luminaire. Join Elation National Sales Manager John Dunn and Global Product Manager Matthias Hinrichs as they examine additive and subtractive color mixing including the different types of RGB color mixing systems, CMY color mixing, DTW, and Elation’s proprietary SpectraColor™ system. Watch Here.
• January 21 @ 3pm Eastern: AES @ NAMM: We Make Events North America—Pandemic: Panic of Pivot: We Make Events North America will present a panel of industry professionals, who will discuss the organization and its successful event on September 1, RedAlertRESTART. They'll also look at what they have been doing to successfully survive while the industry is closed down. Moderated by Ellen Lampert-Gréaux, creative director LDI/LiveDesign; Speakers: Vickie Claiborne, training manager for disguise in the Americas; Cosmo Wilson, lighting designer for AC/DC and a long list of over 40 rock bands; Brandon Blackwell, production manager and FOH engineer; Andrew Bongardt, monitor engineer with Clair Global; and Tim “Quake” Mark, production manager, tour manager, and FOH engineer. Register Here.
Looking Ahead, Register In Advance:
• January 22 @ 4pm Eastern: USITT Education Commission Discussion: Part of the Education Commission's series of conversations; all members of USITT invited to join. Register Here.
Podcasts & Webcasts:
• Featured podcast: Changing The Landscape: In 2020, a group of theatre designers, directors, actors, managers, and technicians, produced an open letter titled ‘We See You White American Theatre," and laid it square in the public eye. The letter detailed the many transgressions accumulated toward theatre-makers identifying as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, by the predominantly white American theatre in the United States, and has reverberated through management structures, teaching institutions and theatre producing organizations at all levels prompting a new, thorough, unavoidable level of public conversation and accountability. Joining host Alan Edwards to discuss these topics: Award-winning scenic & costume designer and activist Clint Ramos; assistant dean and assistant professor adjunct in Theater Management for Yale School of Drama and general manager of Yale Repertory Theatre Kelvin Dinkins, Jr; and managing director of the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts at Northwestern University Al Heartley. Listen Here.
• GLP 10 Out Of 10: Cosmo Wilson: This week on GLP's 10 Out Of 10, Mark Ravenhill is joined by lighting designer Cosmo Wilson, who has worked with artists such as AC/DC, Aerosmith,The Scorpions, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, and Foreigner. He also works on the 9/11 Tribute in NYC. Watch Here.
• Artistic Finance, Episode 37: Bridging the Gap in Theatre with USITT's VC of Wigs and Makeup Jerrilyn Lanier Duckworth:
Ethan Steimel invites Jerrilyn Lanier Duckworth on the podcast to have a conversation about African American hair and makeup in theatre. Jerrilyn is a costume designer based out of Mississippi. She is Vice Chairperson of Wigs and Makeup for USITT and consulted with stage makeup brand Ben-Nye as they developed an African-American Colors makeup kit. Watch Here.
• Light Talk with The Lumen Brothers: EPISODE 198: An interview with Thaddeus Strassberger. Join Thad, David, Stan, and Steve as they pontificate about: Working as a set, lighting, and video designer in the opera world; How the design process is incorporated into the stage rehearsals; Understanding and working with the holistic nature of theatre; Integrating prop design into the reality of the dramatic world; Informing singers about the lighting atmospheres; Communicating with international casts; Working in Beijing and Russia; Stagione and Repertory productions; Lighting advantages in a repertory season; The joy of working with well-rounded directors; "Secret Sauce Tricks"; The differences in theatrical and aesthetic practices in various countries; Laser Pointer focusing; Freelance healthcare access; Alternative healthcare systems; and The holes in theatrical union healthcare plans. Listen Here.