Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2008 - 10

Kevin Rigdon

KEYNOTE

The Greeks * Scenic and Lighting Design * Alley Theatre * Houston, 1997

Thank you for allowing
me the opportunity to
speak this morning
I was honored and surprised to be invited. My first impulse was total and
immediate acceptance. Houston? March 19, 10:00? Any subject? Thirty
minutes? Paid and a conference pass? Sure, love to do it, no problem!
This was immediately followed by total terror. Why me? There must be
someone important that should stand before you and impart pearls of
wisdom. What could I possibly have to offer the membership of USITT? I
spent the next several weeks of soul-searching angst desperate for a topic.
I questioned everyone I knew, "I am giving the keynote address for this
year's USITT conference-what should I talk about? What do you want to
hear?" Friends and family stopped returning my phone calls; even strangers avoided me in the street. Panic set in, then like a lighting bolt out of
the sky-my own words. The advice that I often give to students when they
enter the classroom as educators-just tell them what you know. That's
not so hard. Just tell them what you know.
But what is it that I really know. Again, my own words, actually the
words of the Timberlake Wertenbaker, as spoken by the character of Marie Celeste in her play Galileo's Daughter, "Never move forward until you
have the beginning right." This tag line has become both my mantra as an
educator and my touchstone as a designer. It is significant that this idea
grew out of work with a company, in this case the Peter Hall Company.
Company is a common thread that weaves in and out of my life in the theatre. So I began to look at my own beginnings and to examine the opportunities that I was presented with in this business and the journey I took
to see what might be inspirational or thought provoking for you to think
about this week while you enjoy all the opportunities USITT has to offer.
My journey has it roots in my passion for music. I was the principal
percussionist for the Highland Park High School marching band, the tympanist for the orchestra, drummer for the pep band, and a drummer for
a garage band. Unfortunately-or rather fortunately in my junior year I

realized that I was a drummer with little technique and less rhythm. I was
not only bad-but as my school friend and fellow musician Gary Sinise
will attest, I sucked.
That year our school's auditorium was closing for renovation and
the cafeteria was being converted into a small theatre. I was recruited by
a group of friends including Gary and Jeff Perry to help with that conversion. Without skipping a beat, I directed my energy toward theatre and I
was hooked. I always had an interest in theatre-my childhood friends
and I were always writing and putting on some show in our garage or
backyard. I was also a voracious reader-and it was there that my skills
lay, not drumming. Working in theatre allowed me to put to use many of
my better skills-working with my hands, problem solving, being creative, reading, and working with a group.
During my senior year we decided that the productions that the
school was presenting like Death of a Salesman, Look Back in Anger,
Camelot, and Guys and Dolls, wasn't the kind of theatre we were interested in, so we banded together with the blessings of our drama teachers
and Steppenwolf Theatre was born. I continued with that company for the
next twenty-three years.
I may have failed as a drummer, but as Sanford Meisner once said,
"It is OK to fall on your face as long as you are falling in the right direction." Theatre was definitely the right direction for me.
Our second production, Grease, was notable on several fronts. First
the lighting rig consisted of twelve #10 cans, lamped with both spot and
flood pars and a lighting desk of six rotary dimmers with a rubber band
master, (literally six dimmers bolted to a desk), Greased Lighting boasted

S P R I N G

2008

theatre

design

technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2008