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Show Thursday, July J2, 1979 Not lighting plays important past do play production A new lighting system with a $200,000 computer for lighting will provide an important improvement in this year's Utah Shakespearean Festival. Cameron Harvey, production director for the Festival and Lighting Consultant for the permanent per-manent Festival lighting package, discussed the new system and the total plans for the Festival's lighting system. "Returning audience members may notice changes; with the new equipment the lighting can be more subtle and appropriate ap-propriate to each production. produc-tion. If it's a good system most people who attend the plays will not notice the differences. I frequently point out that an audience only notices the lighting if it is incongruous to the show. The changes this summer are in the form of new or improved circuitry in the auditorium and in the theatre. These changes will enable the dimmer system to operate at full capacity, making possible more lighting nuances and variations. Again with this circuitry, we have bought potential, and we will add to the circuitry as possible. When all systems are operating at capacity, we will consider the Shakespearean theatre lighting complete," said Harvey in explaining the new system. The new computer has the capacity to work 96 dimmers and but only 48 will be operable this summer according ac-cording to lighting designer Susan Hallman. She said that the new lighting available will make lighting cues easier and provide more possibilities for designing the lighting for play. The first phase of the environmental lighting such as exit signs, lanterns, rehearsal lights and staircase stair-case lighting areas was completed in 1977. Future plans for environmental lighting, as opposed to the production lighting, include lighting in the new landscaping. land-scaping. Harvey said, "We have progressed as rapidly as possible in relation to completion of the theatre building, technical lighting problems and available monies. With this concept, we have established phases, both of the environmental lighting and of the production lighting. Also involved are smaller projects within the phases.. ..I feel that it is important to develop the environmental lighting as an aspect of the entire Festival as well as its being an aspect of the plays. Toward this goal I would like to see the theatre building lighted as a piece of architecture, and also I would like to develop lighting in the new landscaping. land-scaping. All the basic controls are in place for these projects, but the environmental lighting . package will be complete only when we have fixtures and installation in place and the system is working." Commenting on the new computer, Harvey said, "Control areas for the auditorium are upstairs in the auditorium building, in the booth for the Festival building, as well as in the audience area for setting the cues. All lighting intensities for all areas are controlled by microcomputers, and have manual backup. Due to the growing sophistication of lighting systems, the only practical way to control all intensities is by computer, with manual backup of course, and this actually makes a good combination. The technical decisions are made by machine; the artistic ar-tistic decisions are made by people. I am enjoying the challenge of working with this combination. Harvey was aDDreciative - of the financial support which the Utah State Building Board has given the Festival for the permanent lighting system. He said that he hopes that they will continue to support the project until the entire project for the Festival is completed. |