Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2012 - 14

Brandston sought out mentors from early on and throughout his
education. He put the philosophy taught by his mentors of "going to
the source" into action. While attending Brooklyn College, Brandston
asked Stanley McCandless for advice on how to approach a particular
lighting design challenge. This action began their relationship, and
he subsequently became his assistant in 1958. Through this mentorship with Stanley McCandless, and driven by his curiosity to pursue
what light could do to enhance the audience's theatrical experience,
Howard Brandston began his prolific career. Imagine the amazing opportunity to assist Stanley McCandless. What a way to enter our profession.
My initial introduction to Brandston was by reading his Learning to See, A Matter of Light, published in 2008 by the Illuminating
Engineering Society of North America. Although he is primarily known
for his work at an elite level in architectural lighting design, his book
is detailed and accessible. It offers insight into his approach to the art
of lighting design. It reveals the aspects of his creative aesthetic that
are rooted in the theatre.
Brandston's impressive list of career accomplishments includes
over 3,000 projects in sixty countries. Among these are the Statue of
Liberty, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Decorative Arts Galleries at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the master lighting plans
for Central Park and Battery Park in New York City, and so many more.
I can remember experiencing one of his projects when I was a child.
My parents took me through Disney's It's a Small World - a Salute to
UNICEF at the 1964 World's Fair in New York.
I admit that I felt a little intimidated when I learned that I had
been chosen to organize some events for Brandston at the 2012 USITT
Conference & Stage Expo because I knew of his reputation as a nononsense professional. However, he very graciously accepted the Institute's invitation to attend the conference, and, my nervousness was
dispelled by his wry wit, his openness to discuss anything about his
experiences, and by his insistence that I call him Howard. His stories
were intriguing, especially the ones about the pioneers of lighting design, and I knew that his passion as a designer would be an inspiration to everyone at the conference.
Brandston has achieved so much during his career. He has forged
his own path from an emerging young professional to an international
award-winning architectural lighting designer while never forgetting
that his roots were firmly planted in the theatre. I was fascinated to
hear him recount what it was like to work alongside Stanley McCandless and other lighting giants like Chuck Levy and Eddie Kook, whose
very successful Leko ellipsoidal reflector spotlight bears their names.
This opportunity to learn from the top lighting practitioners of
the day, which Brandston refers to as "just another day in the office,"
is an example of how "going to the source," something Brandston always recommends, has brought him great rewards during his career.
Recently, my husband and I were invited to visit Brandston and
his wife Melanie at their farmhouse in the Hudson Valley in New York.
During the course of our conversations we spoke about philosophy,
perception, and politics; about his approach to his work, his teaching methods, and about many of the people who have enriched his
career. It was a personal master class for me. The following are some
highlights.

theatre design

& technology

2012

DL: How did your family background influence your career? You have
told me that your father worked in the knitting industry and your
mother was a bookkeeper. Your brother was a successful school
psychologist. There must have been encouragement from your family
to pursue what you were passionate about. Clearly, you are still very
passionate about it.
HB: They were equally passionate that I shouldn't go into the theatre.
They couldn't imagine what benefit it would be. They wanted me to
be a professional-a doctor, a lawyer, or a CPA. My early education
was in Canada. In Canada, they used ability, not age, as guideline.
You worked up to the level that you were capable. The teachers were
looking out for what I was doing or not doing. The teachers were
always giving me something that challenged me. After moving to New
York, I was still very lucky with having good teachers. It was my ability
to draw that caught the attention of my grammar school teacher,
Mrs. Grayson. She assisted me to attend a high school that was out of
my district. That's where I met Leon Freund, Gustav Blum, and Leon
Braverman.
DL: How did their mentorship shape your career?
HB: My high school art teacher was Leon Freund, I became a member
of his "Art Squad," and Gustav Blum was my theatre teacher. Looking
at projects would take me back to high school. Leon Freund would
put out all these materials, paper, watercolors, oils, pastels, and say,
"In front of you is a blank piece of paper. It has the potential for a
work of art. Let's see what you can do." Hearing that over and over,
year after year, stuck with me. Every time I get a new project it has the
potential for a work of art. How am I going to turn this project, no
matter what the budget is, into something I consider a work of art?
DL: You place a high importance to the role mentorship played
throughout your career.
HB: Mentorship is key to achieving and benefitting from what a good
education can provide. I had all kinds of mentors. I consider that
Aristotle was one of my mentors even though he was long dead
when I read his words. I look at all kinds of people that had an
influence on me. How can someone put together words that were so
meaningful? Look at Shakespeare, Copernicus, or Sigmund Freud; he
had a lot to say.
DL: How did you meet your early career mentor, Stanley McCandless,
the recognized expert in the stage lighting field and the author of the
seminal text, A Method of Stage Lighting?
HB: I just called him. Why not? He answered his own phone; he did not
have any filters.
DL: You have told me that you were able to ask him about a design
challenge that you were working on while at Brooklyn College.
HB: I went to the best source for advice. He was the guru. After I
explained what I wanted to do, he wished me good luck and said to
let him know how it turned out. I did, and he came to see my work.
McCandless told me to come see him when I was done at Brooklyn
College. I did and got hired as his assistant.
DL: How did your theatre training translate into your design approach
in architectural lighting design? What was the fork in the road that
pointed you in the direction of architectural lighting?

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2012