Q:
5/4/2010

What's the best part of your job?

Michael L.

 

A:
5/11/2010

My first answer to this question is always, "I get paid to play with toys all day." Although it makes most people smile or chuckle, I'm actually telling them the truth. I'm very fortunate to have careers that are also my passions in life, ones that involve things I do just for fun when I'm not getting paid. I also love the friendships I've made over the years at venues I work in regularly (showing up to work on a show with your friends makes even the most challenging days a breeze). With lighting, specifically, I enjoy being a part of evoking emotions and creating memories in the minds of audience members. The acting, choreography, set designs, and yes, even the lighting, all paint lasting images, sometimes lifelong, in the minds of those who attend your shows. I can still remember sights from the first concert I attended with my parents (The Beach Boys at The Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, Indiana) as a toddler.

Guy Rhodes

 

Q:
4/3/2010

What is your favorite moving light? Why?

Bradley C.

 

A:
4/7/2010

I'm not sure that I have a favorite moving light, per se. Moving lights are tools, and there's always the right and wrong tool for the job at hand. With that said, there are a few fixtures that I seem to chose over and over because I feel they perform well in a variety of situations. I spec. the Mac 2000 series from Martin, both the profile and the wash units, on many of the shows I design. They are very bright and are able to cut through conventional washes easily, even when gobos are introduced into the beam. I love the Mac 2000 Wash unit's ability to zoom in very tight for great aerial beam effects through haze. Another fixture I use quite a bit is the Studio Beam PC from High End. Like Martin's Mac 2000 Wash, the Studio Beam PC can be zoomed in for tight aerial beam effects, or out all the way to wash a large part of the stage, even at short trim heights. I like the solid color chips at the end of the Studio Beam's color mixing wheels, and bumping to and from these quickly produces some nice effects in time with music. The lower power draw of the Studio Beam PC allows the fixtures to be two-fered even at 120V. Because I'm often the master electrician on the same shows that I design (hanging and focusing the rigs with the crew as well), power and weight considerations often play into my fixture choices more so than if I was strictly a "hands-off" designer.

Guy Rhodes

 

Q:
3/9/2010

How did you first get interested in the theater and lighting design?

Amanda R.

 

A:
3/16/2010

As a five-year-old, I can remember being at the circus with my parents and spending more time looking at the spotlights which surrounded the rings than the actual show. I was also fascinated with the follow spots which cast shadows on the arena walls of the trapeze artists flying through the air. I even went as far as asking Santa for "spotlights and dry ice" on a Christmas list at the same age (my mother has this list preserved for posterity). I continued my casual interest with lights until my sophomore year at East Chicago Central High School, where I joined the tech crew in the school's auditorium. I specifically told the auditorium director, Chester Gregory, that I was interested in the lighting, and I was put on the board at the next school assembly. The rest is history!

Guy Rhodes

 

Q:
3/1/2010

Why do you live in Indiana?

Terry R.

 

A:
3/2/2010

I was born and raised in East Chicago, Indiana, where I still reside. East Chicago is just a short hop on the Skyway from downtown Chicago, which has a thriving theater and production scene. To the east, Gary, Indiana, is home to the West Side Theatre Guild, where I've been the designer-in-residence for the past six years. East Chicago is home, and I definitely consider myself a Hoosier. There's a lot of opportunity for creative people in the Midwest to be successful if they're willing to work hard and be persistent with their goals. It's also very easy to get stuck in a rut here, too, so you have to be careful to stay self-motivated if you expect to get anywhere. You can't expect handouts where I'm from.

Guy Rhodes

 

Q:
2/26/2010

Do you have any neat tricks, besides the fanned effects?

Mike B.

 

A:
3/2/2010

I enjoy making my own split-color gels to create depth to texture washes using conventional fixtures with gobos. I almost always do the split-color deal in my curtain warmer washes, which gives the audience something attractive to stare at while I'm backstage trying to hang all those lights that are all over the floor! Wait, I'm having that pesky nightmare again!!!

Guy Rhodes