Awards

Designed lighting for the Washington Street Players' presentation of When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet, which won the Phillip Basset Ensemble Award at the 2008 EMACT.

Nominated for WATCH's Outstanding Light Design award for Bedroom Farce at the Silver Spring Stage. (2004)

Theatrical Experience Details

Harvard University

September 2009 to Present
Media Aide
Audio, video, and computer-based presentation systems

Presentation support for Harvard lectures and events

This job has been described as "a scene change every hour".

Support Harvard class lectures and special events across the Havard campus by providing a variety of resources for presenters:

• Audio enhancement for speakers and audience Q & A.
• Videorecord lectures and events for webcast and archival purposes. Track both lecturer and presentation.
• Computers of various configurations and types.
• Configure display system to select one or multiple projectors.
• Support older presentation technology (e.g. slides) as needed.
• Train student aides in videocamera operations and other technical services.
• Special event gear disbursed from main office to event locales, with the attendant setup & teardown considerations.
• Troubleshoot problems.

Musical Performances at TCAN

October 2010 to Present
Lighting Designer
Musical Performances at TCAN
The Center for Arts in Natck

I provide lighting on an ongoing basis for various musical performances at TCAN.

Each musical performance requires its own kind of lighting. While multiple performances of music from the same genre may inspire similar lighting, there is generally something different required to fit the specific circumstances.

We maintain a repertory plot, which we don't change for most performances, but it is used very differently for different types of shows.

Flying High

March 24 - April 1, 2012
Lighting Designer and Master Electrician
Flying High North Cambridge Family Opera

Flying High is a fun foray into the backstage side of the music business. Full of music and some fun evil characters, it ends happily for most.

The Peabody School's auditorium is a full-featured proscenium stage, but its dimensions are so diminutive that it is hard to work in there. Got to work with a Colortran Innovator, which I hadn't previously encountered. From its appearance, I expected it to be a clunky old beast. Well, it is, but once you get past some control oddities it is a remarkably competent board.

Stop Kiss

March 2 - 11, 2012
Lighting Designer and Master Electrician
Stop Kiss
TCAN Players

The TCAN stage is very small, but we fit a lot of settings into it. About half of this show was set in a single living room, but that half was every other scene, requiring that everything else be suggested with light and some minimal furnishings.

Ruddigore, or The Witch's Curse

February 24 - March 4, 2012
Lighting Designer, Master Electrician
Ruddigore, or The Witch's Curse
Sudbury Savoyards

This production of Ruddigore brought me back once again to the Kirshner Auditorium at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. This is a 46-foot proscenium stage with a very nice infrastructure (226 dimmers, extensive fly system, ETC Ion) and an unfortunate choice of stock lighting instruments.

The stylized set suggested locations to rather good effect, rather than bludgeoning the audience with explicit settings and multiple scene changes. The height of it was both a positive dramatic feature and a challenge to properly light at its extremes.

Once again I made good use of being able to bring in advanced equipment such as moving lights, dichroic color changers, and various moving pattern devices and manage them through a current-technology lighting control board. This makes a nice change from my usual crop of lighting work, which involves making the best out of much more limited resources.

Holliston Girl Scout Fashion Show

February 11, 2012
Lighting Designer, Master Electrician, & Audio Engineer
Holliston Girl Scout Fashion Show

Presented by the Girl Scouts of Holliston, MA as a benefit for Bridge Over Troubled Waters, this event featured girls in historic Girl Scout uniforms in addition to current fashions and an imaginative futuristic ensembles.

My preparations for this event involved rehanging lights in the Holliston Town Hall Auditorium to cover the extensive runway, checking the provided audio, and setting a microphone for the Master of Ceremonies. During the show, I manned the audio desk as well as ran the lighting, but since most of the complexity was in the preparations, it was possible to do both jobs.

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

January 19 - 28, 2012
Lighting Designer and Master Electrician
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
Arts After Hours

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change was performed in the The Neal Rantoul Black Box Theater. Despite its odd shape, this is a nicely appointed theater, with a small selection of high-quality lighting equipment. Using the area under the low part of the ceiling (where there is no grid) as part of the performance area does present some challenges.

The show is composed of many vignettes, each in its own setting. While it was possible to share lights for different scenes, the odd shape of the theater made lighting some areas difficult.

The Sorcerer

December 2 to 10, 2011
Master Electrician
The Sorcerer
MIT G&SP

Proof

November 11 to 20, 2011
Lighting Designer and Master Electrician
Proof
TCAN Players

Marisol

November 9 to 11, 2011
Lighting Designer and Master Electrician
Marisol
Pine Manor College

Pi-Con 2011

August 26 to 28, 2011
Technical Director and Audio Engineer
Pi-Con 2011

Managed the technical requirements for a small science fiction convention. Provided video projection and small audio reinforcement for various areas and minimal stage lighting for the main stage with the help of a small crew.

For the main stage, I ran audio for several musical groups.

Gianni Schicchi and Trial By Jury

June 11 - 13, 2010
Lighting Designer, Master Electrician
Gianni Schicchi and Trial By Jury
Greater Worcester Opera

Designed lighting for a pair of one-act operas - Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (performed in English translation) and Gilbert & Sullivan's Trial By Jury.

For this show, I served as Master Electrician as well as Lighting Designer.

Funny Money

June 3 - 12, 2011
Lighting Designer, Master Electrician
Funny Money
TCAN Players

Designed lighting to set moods and augment the TCAN Players' performance of Ray Cooney's Funny Money.

This show consisted of one interior set and so required very straightforward lighting that remained constant throughout the show. The one exception to that was the light coming in through the window, which dimmed over the course of the first act.

The Center for Arts in Natick is a challenging venue to design for due to its low ceiling and generally not having been designed as theater space (it is built into a historic fire station) but the performances that come from the TCAN Players make that extra effort worthwhile.

Trial by Jury and H.M.S. Pinafore

February 25 - March 12, 2011
Lighting Designer, Master Electrician, Light Board Operator
Trial by Jury and H.M.S. Pinafore
Sudbury Savoyards

Designed, set, and ran lighting for a double-billing of Giilbert & Sullivan shows. The hardest part of this plot was lighting people at the top of the oddball shape that was the Pinafore ship set, as it was very tall for the stage and set at an angle.

Lit primarily with the venue's limited inventory of Strand ellipsoidals and assorted PARs and fresnels. Any-color wash for the downstage area implemented with half a dozen Source Fours with ColorMerges. Arbitrary spot locations hit with various combinations of Vari*Lites. Lighting controlled via an ETC Ion.

Doubt

November 5 to 14, 2010
Lighting Designer and Master Electrician
Doubt
TCAN Players

StrowlerCon

October 8 to 10, 2010
Lighting Designer
StrowlerCon

to run October 8 to 10, 2010 at the Woburn Holiday Inn in Woburn Massachusetts.

Matt Haimovitz, Jonathan Crow, and Douglas McNabney

September 25, 2010
Audio Technician
Matt Haimovitz, Jonathan Crow, and Douglas McNabney
The Center for Arts in Natck

As the performance was acustic, audio work was limited to providing microphones for introductions and general commentary.

Boston Swing Dance with the Solomon Douglas Swingtet

September 11, 2010
Assistant Audio Engineer
Solomon Douglas Swingtet
Boston Swing Dance Network

Assisted in build, run, and teardown of audio for an evening of swing dance.

Equipment used included Yamaha O1V96 programmable audio mixer and Bose line array speakers.

Baitcon XXI

June 25 - 28, 2010
Audio Engineer
Baitcon XX

Ran sound for a contra dance in the woods with live musicians. Coordinated equipment from various seperate sources to provide for a complete PA system.

Die Fledermaus

June 11 - 13, 2010
Lighting Designer
Die Fledermaus
Worcester Opera Works

Designed lighting to fit the various moods of Strauss' Die Fledermaus. (Performed in English translation.)

For this show, I served as Master Electrician, lighting board operator and sound board operator as well as Lighting Designer.

Balticon 44

May 28 - 31, 2010
Lighting Designer
Balticon 44
Baltimore Science Fiction Society

Designed repertory-style lighting for a masquerade competition such that individual costumed acts could have lighting suited to their presentations. Used same gear to provide varied moods for a steampunk-style ball, Martian Croquet, hula-hooping to music and special effects, and a guest interview.

Designed lighting specific to individual entrants in the masquerade competition on the fly during their brief rehearsal slot, in consultation with the Show Caller.

Supervised the build and teardown of theatrical lighting into the hotel ballroom used for all events.

Pincushion Hill Montessori School Talent Night

May 21, 2010
Audio Engineer Talent Night
Pincushion Hill Montessori School

Set and ran sound and served as technical contact for a talent show event featuring very young children.

Dance Performances at NEFFA 2010

April 25, 2010
Stage Manager
Dance Performances at NEFFA 2010
New England Folk Festival Association

Coordinated dance performances by a series of groups, each presenting dances of a different style and country of origin.

Worked on installation and teardown of audio & lighting equipment.

Boston Swing Dance with Eight to the Bar

April 10, 2010
Assistant Audio Engineer
Eight to the Bar
Boston Swing Dance Network

Assisted in build, run, and teardown of audio for an evening of swing dance.

Equipment used included Yamaha O1V96 programmable audio mixer and Bose line array speakers.

Princess Ida

February 19 - 27, 2010
Lighting Designer
Princess Ida
Sudbury Savoyards

A seemingly simple show, Ida required special care to compensate for the (unfortunately flesh-toned) color of the backdrop in addition to the standard issues that come with lighting a large stage.

For this show, I served as Master Electrician and one of two lighting board operators as well as Lighting Designer.

Production Week was enlivened by learning to use the ETC Ion on the fly. Fortunately, I had an amazing team to back me up and together we made short work of learning the system.

I work in many theaters that are squeezed into inadequate spaces, but this one is a pleasant exception. Not every lighting angle is provided for, but there are plenty of lighting circuits, a full fly system, and a state of the art lighting board.

Lit primarily with the venue's limited inventory of Strand ellipsoidals and assorted PARs and fresnels. Any-color wash implemented with half a dozen Source Fours with ColorMerges. Lighting controlled via an ETC Ion.

Suburban Nutcracker

January 17, 2010
Lighting Designer, Master Electrician, Lighting Board Operator
Suburban Nutcracker
Children's Dance Theater

This version of the classic Nutcracker story was told in various forms of dance. Performed in the round and partially on stage and additionally throughout the hall, the performance drew the audience into the action.

While estheticaly pleasing, this required special effort to provide balanced lighting for all the various moods of the performance throughout the space.

For this show, I served as Master Electrician and lighting board operator as well as Lighting Designer.

The Mikado

December 4 - 12, 2009
Lighting Designer
The Mikado
The MIT Gilbert & Sullivan Players

Designed to evoke the feeling of a rural town in Imperial Japan, this show was staged in MIT's La Sala de Puerto Rico black box theater.

The Unexpected Guest

November 6 - 16, 2009
Lighting Designer, Master Electrician, Lighting Board Operator
The Unexpected Guest
TCAN Players

Designed lighting to set moods and augment the TCAN Players' performance of Agatha Christie's The Unexpected Guest.

The Center for Arts in Natick is a challenging venue to design for due to its low ceiling and generally not having been designed as theater space (it is built into a historic fire station) but the performances that come from the TCAN Players make that extra effort worthwhile.

For this show, I served as Master Electrician and lighting board operator as well as Lighting Designer.

Shir Tikvah

September 19, 27, 29, 2009
Audio Tech
2009 High Holidays Services
Shir Tikvah

Set & strike of audio reinforcement for high holiday services relocated to temporary larger quarters. Same setup was used twice.

Rotary Club Fund-Raising Event

August 3, 2009
Videocamera Operator
Fund-Raising Event
Framingham Rotary Club

Ran videocamera for meeting which included entertainment.

Our Town

July 26, 2009
Substitute Lighting Board Operator
Our Town
Sudbury Savoyards

Called in at not-quite-the-last-minute to run the board. Watched one show, ran one show. All was well.

Baitcon XX

June 26 - 29, 2009
Audio Engineer
Baitcon XX

Ran sound for a contra dance in the woods with live musicians. Coordinated equipment from various seperate sources to provide for a complete PA system.

Glengarry Glen Ross

June 19 - 20, 2009
Lighting Designer
Glengarry Glen Ross
Washington Street Players

A lack of wattage limited us to very little in the way of lighting. Good thing this was a staged reading and fairly stark material, so the harsh lighting actually added to the ambience.

For this show, I served as Master Electrician as well as Lighting Designer.

Balticon 43

May 22 - 25, 2009
Substitute Master Electrician
Balticon 43
Baltimore Science Fiction Society

Walked in expecting to just help out, only to find that the LD (who would normally have dealt with her own lighting hang) was terribly sick. Luckily, the plot was very similar to what we had been doing in that space for years, so it wasn't too difficult to hang without preparation. Our LD recovered in time to direct the focus, and all was well.

Pincushion Hill Montessori School Talent Night

May 15, 2009
Audio Engineer Talent Night
Pincushion Hill Montessori School

Ran sound and served as technical contact for a talent show event featuring very young children.

Boston Swing Dance with The Gordon Webster Band

May 9, 2009
Assistant Audio Engineer
The Gordon Webster Band
Boston Swing Dance Network

Assisted in build, run, and teardown of audio for The Gordon Webster Band, performing for an evening of swing dance.

Dance Performances at NEFFA 2009

April 25, 2009
Stage Manager
Dance Performances at NEFFA 2009
New England Folk Festival Association

Coordinated dance performances by a series of groups, each presenting dances of a different style and country of origin. Alas, there was no opportunity for a rehearsal of any kind.

Worked on installation and teardown of audio & lighting equipment.

Utopia, Limited

February 20 - 28, 2009
Lighting Designer
Utopia, Limited
Sudbury Savoyards

Outwardly a bright and sunny productions, Utopia has its share of the biting Gibert & Sullivan satire. In addition to simply illuminating the actors, lighting must create the vista implied by the outdoor setting and generally be in harmony with the set design and the vision of the Director.

For this show, I served as Master Electrician and lighting board operator as well as Lighting Designer.

School Dazed

January 25 - 30, 2009
Lighting Designer
School Dazed
Prana Productions

I designed the lights for this show in fairly short order, as I was asked at the last minute and I sandwiched the work into a small amount of time. For this Prana show, the runtime lighting crew are teenagers who I think will do a fine job.

For this show, I served as Master Electrician as well as Lighting Designer.

Philcon 2008

November 21 - 23, 2008
Technical Director
Philcon 2008
Philadelphia Science Fiction Society

Tech for regional science fiction conventions in the north-east United States is effectively a road show - we bring in a collection of rental gear and build a theater in a hotel ballroom. My task here was to extract requirements from the convention committee, arrange for equipment rental, make sure that we'll have the right mix of techs and skills on hand for the work required.

Dracula

October 31 - November 8, 2008
Lighting Designer
Dracula
Washington Street Players

Dracula is a dark and unsettling play. My challenge was to help create and enhance this mood within the limitations imposed by the venue and limited resources available. I designed and ran this show.

For this show, I served as Master Electrician and lighting board operator as well as Lighting Designer.

Shir Tikvah

September 28 - 29, 2008
Audio Tech
2008 High Holidays Services
Shir Tikvah

Helped install audio reinforcement for high holiday services relocated to temporary larger quarters. Supervised part of teardown.

2008 Hugo Award Ceremony

August 9, 2008
Technical Stage Manager
2008 Hugo Award Ceremony
Denvention 3 - World Science Fiction Convention

Assisted the Stage Manager by directing lighting (including a pair of follow-spots) and providing front-of-house feedback on the state of the show.

Denvention 3

August 6 - 10, 2008
Lighting Designer
Denvention 3
World Science Fiction Convention

Designed lighting for two venues used by Denvention 3: Korbel is a generic convention center ballroom - a huge empty rectangle. Its plot was very simple, in that it was used primarily for speeches and mostly needed just light on the stage. The Wells Fargo Theater is a 5,000-seat auditorium which required a fairly complicated repertory plot to cope with the Masquerade show.

For the Masquerade competition, I designed lighting for each entry on the fly, during their rehearsal, in conjunction with the stage manager. Ran lighting board for the masquerade show. (31 entries)

Design Challenges

The Wells Fargo Theatre is the largest facility I have ever designed for by at least an order of magnitude.

Even with plans and photographs, designing for a venue that I had not actually seen was fraught with unforseen difficulties.

Since when does a specification of "16 dimmable circuits" not mean 16 independently controllable circuits?!?

Working with a union crew...

EMACT - When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet

June 15, 2008
Lighting Designer
EMACT - When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet
Washington Street Players

I assisted in the lighting hang for the EMACT festival in addition to designing the lighting for our entry from the repertory plot.

Balticon 42

May 23 - 26, 2008
Substitute Master Electrician
Balticon 42
Baltimore Science Fiction Society

Our LD was off dealing with a family illness when it was time to hang the lights. We knew a short time ahead that this was a possibility, so I didn't walk in cold. Luckily, the plot was very similar to what we had been doing in that space for years, so it wasn't too difficult to step in with minimal preparation. Our LD returned in time to direct the focus, and all was well.

Simply Broadway II

May 16 - 17, 2008
Lighting Designer
Simply Broadway II
Washington Street Players

A musical review.

For this show, I served as Master Electrician and lighting board operator as well as Lighting Designer.

Dance Performances at NEFFA 2008

April 26 - 27, 2008
Stage Manager
Dance Performances at NEFFA 2008
New England Folk Festival Association

Managed Dance Performance events in which dances of various nationalities are presented. One session was performed by children. Each set of national dances was presented by a separate troupe.

Worked on installation and teardown of audio & lighting equipment.

Lunacon 2008

March 14 - 16, 2008
Lighting Designer
Lunacon 2008
New York Science Fiction Society

One Acts x 2: When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet & The Actor's Nightmare

February 6 - 23, 2008
Lighting Designer
One Acts x 2
Washington Street Players

Designed lighting for a pair of one act plays. The first show, When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet needed only a single outside look, with a special for Cleopatra's entrance and a spotlight for Juliet's apology. The second, The Actor's Nightmare required many different looks, as the Actor struggled his way through a variety of plays for which he had not rehearsed.

My dates for the run of the show start with the lighting hang on the Wednesday before tech week started.

Design Challenges

The auditorium at Holliston's Town Hall has a modern lighting system installed, but is short on hang points due to a desire to keep the hall's historic appearance.

While the stage is well supplied with dimmer circuits, the hang points in the house have a very limited number of them. Due to the arrangement of the room, running bulky power cables from the stage to house hang points would have been difficult, but running DMX cable to small four-channel dimmer packs (one on each side) was quite doable.

The Actor's Nightmare needed a flash effect. I didn't think that a standard theatrical strobe would have quite the same look as photoflashes, particularly as I wanted the flashes to come from multiple directions, so I rigged a couple of photoflashes with relays so that they could be triggered by power to dimmer circuits.

Because Actor had so many different looks, I ended up using every lighting instrument owned by Washington Street Players (20 ellipsoidals, 20 fresnels, plus a couple of rented ellipsoidals) and could have made use of several more ellipsoidals.

Arisia '08 Masquerade

January 18 - 21, 2008
Stage Manager
Arisia '08 Masquerade
Arisia, Inc.

Philcon 2007

November 16 - 18, 2007
Technical Director
Philcon 2007
Philadelphia Science Fiction Society

Little Women

October 10 - 21, 2007
Lighting Designer
Little Women
Prana Productions

I designed and ran the lights for this show. The cast were children from Prana Productions, and a couple of them made up a helpful lighting crew, which provided me with some opportunities for teaching. Holliston Town Hall was, as usual, challenging to design lights for.

Benefit Rock Concert

September 23, 2007
Lighting Designer
Benefit Rock Concert
Holliston Education Foundation

Festival@First

July 14, 2007
Lighting Grunt & Driver
Festival@First
Theater@First

Helped transport equipment from Methuen to Somerville, which turned into an all-day affair due to a scheduling SNAFU. Drove Van.

Helped build lighting into a church basement theater. Assisted in focus.

Balticon 41

May 25 - 28, 2007
Lighting Designer
Balticon 41
Baltimore Science Fiction Society

This was basically a reprise of the Balticon 40 lighting design, except that our equipment supplier came through with truss, which seems much preferable as uprights to the pipe & base we've been using.

Events included a Masquerade show, a play Da X Code by the Usual Suspects, concerts by Ego Likeness, Jeff & Maya Bohnhoff, Funny Music Project, presentations by guests Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Joe Bergeron, and more.

Dance Performances at NEFFA 2007

April 21 - 22, 2007
Stage Manager for Dance Performances
2007 New England Folk Festival
New England Folk Festival Association

Walked in expecting to run some shows and assist in others. Ended up running all six hours of dance performance at NEFFA 2007.

The dance performances consist of many short presentations by separate groups.

Arisia '07 Masquerade

January 12 - 14, 2007
Stage Manager
Arisia '07 Masquerade
Arisia, Inc.

Philcon 2006

November 17 - 19, 2006
Technical Director
Philcon 2006
Philadelphia Science Fiction Society

Balticon 40

May 26 - 29, 2006
Technical Stage Manager
Balticon 40
Baltimore Science Fiction Society

Arisia '06 Masquerade

January 12 - 14, 2006
Stage Manager
Arisia '06 Masquerade
Arisia, Inc.

Philcon 2005

December 9 - 11, 2005
Technical Director
Philcon 2005
Philadelphia Science Fiction Society

Macbeth

October 28 - November 12, 2005
Light Board Operator
Macbeth
Wilmington Drama League

Six Characters In Search Of An Author

September 23 - October 1, 2005
Lighting Designer
Six Characters In Search Of An Author
Out Of the Black Box Theatre Company

Balticon 39

May 27 - 30, 2005
Lighting Designer
Balticon 39
Baltimore Science Fiction Society

Philcon 2004

December 10 - 12, 2004
Lighting Designer
Philcon 2004
Philadelphia Science Fiction Society

Hamlet

September 10 - 11, 2004 at the Sellers Theater in Laurel, MD
September 16 - 18, 2004 at the DC Arts Center in Washington, DC
October 2, 2004 at Area 405 in Baltimore, MD
October 9, 2004 at the Producers Club, in New York, NY
Lighting Designer
Hamlet
The Rude Mechanicals

Bedroom Farce

June 25 - July 24, 2004
Lighting Designer
Bedroom Farce
Silver Spring Stage

Balticon 38

May 28 - 31, 2004
Technical Stage Manager
Balticon 38
Baltimore Science Fiction Society

Run For Your Wife

April 30 - May 16, 2004
Lighting Designer
Run For Your Wife
Rockville Little Theater

Balticon 37

May 23 - 26, 2003
Lighting Designer
Balticon 37
Baltimore Science Fiction Society