Photo Gallery Archive THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS 2009 through 2010 Lighted By RICHARD BONNER

(Reverse chronological order is employed so that photos
of the most recent events will be displayed first.)

A Chorus Line
Halifax West Players
The Bella Rose Arts Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia
May, 2010

Lighting here consists solely of four 1000-watt, 150-mm fresnels as seen in the upper part of the photo. They are in a steel blue colour and are barndoored so as to control spill. The reflections in behind are from a row of mylar mirrors placed at the extreme upstage.

A principal character dances in front of the mirror. Lighting is a front-of-house red wash and a single 600-watt, PAR 64 Raylight from above in white.

Lighting here is front-of-house 1000-watt, PAR 64 Wide Floods in medium blue. Top/rear lighting is from the four fresnels as discussed earlier. The foreground cast member is lit from the front of house with a single 26-degree, 1000-watt ellipsoidal using no colour.

The cast is bathed from the front and sides in colour-correction orange to bring out the gold in their costumes. From the sides are more colour correction orange. All are 1000-watt, wide-flood, short-throw PAR 64s. Green backwash comes from from 1000-watt, 150-mm fresnels. (Two are visible at the top of the photo.) The black curtain has 8,000 watts of light on it in a deep purple from four 1000-watt, medium-flood PAR 64s at an extreme top and side angle so as to light only the peaks of the cirtain pleats. Four 1000-watt, 150-mm fresnels on floor bases and in narrow focus complete the look by providing the green uplighting to compliment the green backlight.

Cabaret
Citadel Players
Quinpool Education Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia
April, 2010

Eight, 750-watt, 200mm ellipsoidals from the front-of-house boom wash the stage in straw colour. The sign is ringed in 7-watt chandelier lamps controlled by dimmer, while its letters are lit in red by two 575-watt ellipsoidals, one each from the stage left and stage right tormentor positions directly behind the proscenium. Although barely evident in these photos, this red is allowed to shine on to the rear, black curtain to form oval patterns.

Both this and the last photo have two front-of-house Comet followspots using high-output lamps in open white on the MC. Both lights are located on the lower tier of the balcony, near the house centerline.

This is a simple scene lit from two front-of-house ellipsoidals in straw and two, 600-watt raylights from above and behind in steel blue. The latter represent daylight streaming in through the railcar's windows.

Six front ellipsoidals light this set along with four 1000-watt, wide-flood PAR 64s from the proscenium in gold.

The Kit Kat Club
These next views show the night club. The basic lighting
has a medium blue from the proscenium and a back wash in
dark lavender - all via 1000-watt, wide-floor PARS. Each
table has a single, dimmed 600-watt raylight shining down
in medium amber to represent candle light at the tables.
Some of these subtleties are not evident in every photo.
(Additional lighting is described as required.)

A yellow followspot lights the MC.

Sally has a followspot light in lavender, while the dancers are lit dimly from front ellipsoidals.

The MC now is lit in lavender from a single followspot.

To highlight who is speaking, one followspot each in white is narrowly focused on required tables.

This is lit solely with two followspots in flesh colour.

Two front ellipsoidals light the couch with proscenium gold from the wide floods lighting both that and the rest of the room.

The cast and bridges are lit from the front-of-house ellipsoidals, while side and back light are in steel blue. The side lighting consists of 1000-watt, medium-flood PAR 64s; the back from wide floods.

The banners and cast are lit in red: tormentor-position ellipsoidals for the banners; proscenium wide floods for the cast. A single white followspot illuminates the MC on the bridge as he begins to raise his arm and hand in the salute to honour their German chancellor.

Lighting is front ellipsoidals in straw, proscenium wide floods in gold, and side lighting is in steel blue. (Note the cross-dressed MC at the lower left.)

Lit only by two front ellipsoidals (here dimmed to create a dark amber colour), and by two steel blue side lights.

Front ellipsoidals light the cast and the bridges while lavender side light washes the stage.

The same lighting as above, but with the addition of a single followspot in lavender illuminating Sally, and the reintroduction of the sign, but with dimmer surround lights.

A single followspot illuminates the MC in white while the red lights return on the cast. The sign lights have been extinguished, and shortly all remaining lights will black out for the ending.

A Woman in Mind
Dartmouth Players
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
February, 2010

This was a simple one-set drama with only a few looks. Here in this overview of the set, a warm front wash from six 500-watt, 150mm fresnels bathes the garden in a daylight look. To make the foliage at stage right and upstage left look less artificial, green light is projected on to it from 250-watt, 80mm fresnels. A rear scrim has a sky blue colour from two of the same type of fresnels plus the addition of one 500-watt, 150mm fresnel. Cloud projections punctuate this from 575-watt, 115mm, ellipsoidals. Unfortunately, because of the acute side angles, the clouds are stretched and look less realistic than they should. This could not be rectified because if front-on angles were used, actors would intersect the beams as they entered and exited.

This is the lighting used for sunset. The front lights are dimmed making them warmer. Four 500-watt fresnels in chocolate add to the this. Foliage projections in colour-correction orange represent low-angle sunlight through trees. These are allowed to spill down the wall to complete the look.

A closeup of Susan with other characters in silhouette behind. To highlight her face, a single, high-angle light just above and forward of her head is used. It has no colour but appears amber in this photo exposure. The painted scene beyond the scrim is now illuminated to reveal an idylic, but artifical looking, vista in the distance. It is lit from floor level behind the wall with four fresnels in a colour-correction blue. Their low angle was chosen to give a more surreal look as it is supposed to be only in Susan's mind. All fixtures used here are 250-watt fresnels.

Susan has gone completely into her fantasy world. The ambulance has arrived to take her to a mental hospital. This is represented by red and blue lighting, one from each side. The light from the single fresnel for her face can just be seen on her hat as well as on the floor and dress of the actress behind. This is because the actress has stepped forward and to her right a bit. Again, the only fixtures used for this subdued look are 250-watt fresnels.

Anything Goes
Dartmouth Players
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
November, 2009

Lighting here consists of two 1000-watt, wide flood PAR 64s in colour-correction blue to simulate a ship deck at sea in the daytime. This gives a wide, powerful, but smooth, wash. Additional lighting for the upstage actors consists of three, 250-watt, 75mnm fresnels in the same colour. They are positioned in the ceiling just in front of the last line of the chorus. This reduces shadowing on their faces that is caused by the low angle of the front lighting.

Here is a closeup of the same lighting as seen on four dancers. The camera exposure is a little darker here, but the daylight colouring and the smoothness of wash is easily seen on the costumes.

To contrast the above look, here is an interior: The ship's lounge. It is also lit by wide-flood PAR 64s, but in a colour-correction orange. See how this gives a warm, incandescent feel to the scene compared to the previous outdoor looks. The upstage actors are again lit by the three fresnels in a cool blue. The colour difference adds contrast to the warm front, but is also used for dimmer economy due to the large number of lights employed for this show. Otherwise, three more lights would have been required to add a warm colour just for that position. That would have necessitated dimmer repatches during the show.

This closeup shows the difference these three fresnels make. Their effect is most noticeable on the dancers' costumes and officer's uniform. Compare their daylight colouring to the interior colouring on the actresses at downstage right (your left). These extra fresnels in daylight colouring give the effect of a skylight above the upstage location.

Here is a closer view on how two actors appear in the warm look.

Compare the appearance of the officer's uniform in this warm downstage area versus the cooler area upstage, as seen two photos back.

Views of additive looks are displayed here and next. To various degrees, the warm and cool looks are combined. The effect is most noticeable on the white bulkhead walls of the ship, but can be seen in the actors's faces and costumes. In this photo, adding the warm colour to the cool scene brings the look closer to that of one that might be seen at a dock at which the ship is berthed. This is opposed to the open sea where cool, blue sky light and reflected green sea affect the lighting on the deck in a different way. It is also opposed to the very warm look, as just seen in the ship's lounge photos.

Adding the daylight blue to this warm scene brings out the boas in the girls' costumes.

A night scene at sea. The main deep blue is from front-of-house wide-flood PARs, while the moonlight is from four, 500-watt, 150mm fresnels positioned just beyond the downstage edge. They are in a steel blue and only light the downstage area. To dress the scene, four 250-watt, 80mm fresnels in amber are used as bulkhead lights. They wash straight down and are barndoored to retain the light on the bulkhead wall, to give it a triangular pattern, and to have it end in a small pool on the floor below each light's position - just as might be seen on a real ship.

A dress rehearsal reveales improperly focused moonlight. The design specified an even moonlight on the entire downstage area but Hope has only the deeper blue wash on her face. She is between the focus area of two fresnels used to produce moonlight on stage left. Notice that the edges of the male actors' lights shine on to Hope's arms but no higher. Before the show's opening, a final focus saw those lights adjusted to eliminate any `holes' in the moonlight. This illustrates the importance of focusing to the decimetre on a small stage. Inattention to such detail can diminish a show and has the potential to spoil the ambiance of a scene, possible disassociating an audience that should be immersed in a moment.

A refocused moonlight now also shines farther upstage so that principal actors have moonlight on their faces when they are away from the downstage area. Look at the ship deck to see where the moonlight pools end to become deep blue.

The effect of that cold moonlight is seen on the faces of these two actors in this closeup.

This is also on deck in moonlight, but in a later scene. Hope is singing a plaintive song and so the lighting is focused solely on her, and in a lavender colour instead of the moonlight blue seen earlier. A single, 250-watt fresnel is used for this. It is positioned close in and to her above right. In addition, barndoors are used to shadow her torso so that attention is drawn to the face.