Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2001 - 60

KB: I can only make a show look as good as I can if I know what it is...
I like to see pages of costume sketches, swatches... scenic floor plans,
color treatments... and details. I once designed a production of Our
Town where a particular dress never appeared in any renderings or
swatches until it actually arrived on stage for a dress rehearsal. The
dress was yellow and was to be used during a final scene of one of
the acts. This particular scene was a night scene and made use of
the traditional convention of using blue light to suggest the night's
darkness. When the dress arrived on stage its appearance was altered so that it appeared green under the blue light-basic color
theory-but the change in color was a big surprise to the costume
designer. In hindsight, the problem would have most likely never
happened if the costume designer had presented something to the
rest of the production team that indicated that
the dress was going to be yellow. Someone
would have spotted the color problem much
earlier in the process.
Fiorentino had a similar experience while lighting a television special for Carol Channing and
Pearl Bailey. He knew that there was going be a
problem balancing the light and contrast ratios
for the cameras because of the performers' drastically different skin tones. Nevertheless, he felt
he could pull it off, but specifically asked that
there could be no other extreme contrasts in the
shoot. At the first production meeting he asked
the other designers to avoid using white materials in their work. The costume designer was absent from this meeting but other members of the
production team indicated that they would get
the message to the other designer. At the second
meeting Fiorentino repeated his request and
once again the costume designer was not present
although everyone agreed to pass on the message
relating to the avoidance of white materials. Of
course, at dress rehearsal both stars showed up
for their opening number in large-collared white
silk gowns. Bailey actually disappeared on the
monitor and everyone looked at Fiorentino and
asked what was wrong with the lighting! He was
redeemed, when at the end of the number they
peeled off the gowns revealing two bright red
dresses that were gorgeous under the lights and
cameras.

compels them to excellence is their commitment to their art. Each of
these men have risen to the very top of our profession and remains
active today. Fortunately-or unfortunately, depending on your ambitions-none of them see retirement in the near future. I want to again
express my thanks to each of them for sharing their time and talents
with us and wish them success as they continue to design in this
wonderful medium of light. ❖
Rich Dunham is assistant professor of design at the University of
Georgia and is currently co-commissioner of the USITT Lighting
Commission. An NCQLP-certified lighting designer, he is principal
of Dunham Design Associates/Lighting Concepts, specializing in
theatrical, architectural and landscape lighting.

2-c pms reflex blue option

Syracuse Scenery & Stage
Lighting Co., Inc.; Reflex Blue;
new film; drop rules

While it's fun to share in some of the war
stories of our celebrated guests I believe that these
conversations have helped us to discover something
more about our profession. Through their sense of
humor and interaction we have seen something
about the early days in the industry... something
about the workings of major design figures...
and something about the business and process of
lighting design. They've even given us a couple of
glimpses into the future. While each designer credits some portion of his success with being at the
right place at the right time, we have seen that what
TD & T

W I N T E R

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2001