Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1998 - 23

scener~; and placing astrong emphasis on using light to reo.'ea! uIe entire composition of a stage, She be!ieo.'es that what she conceals from an audience is just as inIpoIt'Ult as that whidI she chooses to light.
ughting tedmology has made tremendous advances dllling TIpton's careet:
For hel; the most inIporL'Ult innovation is computeJized control. Her Irork is often
IIiUI cutting edge choreographers and directors, but she never uses new tedmology
for its own sake, "It is velY in1portan~" she 5<1)S, "U1<1t uIe teclUlology be used as a
tool for UIe lighting designer and not as an effect."
TIpton likes to do pre-production tasks on her own. She does all her olin
drafting and plotting (usually by h.'Uld), creates her olin sdIedules, inrentOlies and
shop orders. Once in production she works WiUI one or more assisL'Ults prOlided
by uIe production to do record-keeping dllJing rehears.lls, and to assist IIiUI hanging, focusing and cueing.

Teaching
In 1981, Tipton accepted an appointment to UIe faculty of Yale niversity's
School of Drama. She is now a full professor II~Ulin the department and continues to teach lighting regularly to the graduate design students. Despite
what many would consider to be an overwhelnling design and travel schedule
she faiuuully reltullS to 1 ell' Haven each Monday to teach a full day of classes.
"My teaching salary pa) my plane fares," she sa) . She also hies to design
one production a year at Yale Rep so UIat students can observe her working
lIiulin an actual production ahllosphere. On those rare occasions when her
production schedule prevents her from anending her weekly classes, she inI~tes pronlinent lighting designers to fill in for her. Tipton works in a maImer
that she hopes will stimulate a student's own ideas aIId hies not to inIpose her
personal ideas too much. "I don't want a number of Jennifer Tipton clones
out there," she say. Critical anal) is is as inIpOrtaIIt in Tipton's teaclling plli-

Get on the right track.
with Atlas Silk®!

losophy, as is technique. She wants her students to leaIll to e.\"Press ideas in light.
TIpton frequenuy shaI-es her e.\1Jeltise lIith students outside of her classes at
Yale. She 11<15 conduded workshops at Te.\aS A& M, 'niversity of :-Iorth CaI'Olina,
Vass.1r, and Bates Colleges, anlOng oUlers, and she has been afeatured speaker for
gaUIelings sponsored by uIe National Endowment for UIe Ms, OlSW', and 'ITT.

Directing and Writing Her Book
In 1991 Tipton directed a production of Tbe Tempest at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. She has also been an artistic associate at the
GoodmaIl Theatre and American Repertory Theatre. When asked if she
has fm1her aspirations in the area of directing she remains noncommittal but claims that at the present time she doesn't feel that her design
schedule can accommodate the demands of directing a production. Another aspiration that suffers due to Tipton's busy design schedule is writing a book. She feels sure that it will happen some day, but right now the
world of Lighting design is changing so rapidly, and she is so busy learning and exploring, that it's difficult for her to set down her ideas in something as permanent as a book.
Jennifer Tipton has the rare distinction of haling been recognized
with awards for excellence in dance, theatre and opera, She maintains a
busy production schedule (she has comnlitments well into the year
2000), and still manages to find time to teach and lecltlre. She is a master at crafting images with Light and understands fundaIllentaUy how Light
can be used to reveal or shape objects and performers along with manipulating the entire stage composition. Tipton's career as a lighting designer has, to this point, spaI1I1ed more than thirty years, Her longevity is
undoubtedly due to her passion for her work, She says, "I love what I
do-I love pUlling Light on the stage."

"1 OF THE TOP TEN
NEW PRODUCTS OF THE 90'S!"
SAYS ElIlN CLEVELAND PROO.JCT RMVICR ' TD.&T., SKlHlUNfS, SOOlHERN ]HEArn:, STAG!: IlRfCI'OOS

Stage Tracks
Curtain Machines
Counterweight Systems
Motorized Winches
Stage Rigging

:/
~
:;

Manufactured by:

YOUR ESSENTIAL SHOP SUPPLY

H & H Specialties Inc.

SCENIC, COSTUME, PROP, PAINT

P.O. Box 9327
South EI Monte, CA 91733
800-221-9995 * 626-575-0776
Fax 626-575-3004

NO MAlTER WHAT SHOP YOU WORK IN OR WHAT MATERIAlS YOU USE;

Sold nationwide through independent dealers.

FOAMS, FABRICS, WOClJS, PlASTERS, METAL,WlRE, PlASTlCS, PAPERS...VYHAlEVER

SCULPT OR COAT BRINGS IT ALL TOGETHER!
The Original Clear Coating

SCULPTURAl ARTS COAnNG, INC,
FOR DEALER LOCATIONS OR TECHNICAL ADVICE, CALL: 1-800-743-0379
E:MAlL SCULPTURALIIAOL.COM

T D& T

FAX: 1-336-379-7653

,\I

http://www.SCULPTURALIIAOL.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1998