Research Catalog

Title

Lecture about the lighting design process [sound recording] / Thomas R. Skelton.

Author

Skelton, Thomas R.

Publication

1990.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

United States Institute for Theatre Technology.

Description

1 sound cassette (ca. 92 min.)

Summary

• Cassette 14, side A (ca. 50 min.). Thomas R. Skelton is introduced by an unidentified female speaker. Skelton speaks about the process of creating a lighting design: the methods that help him to visualize the scenes of the play in question, including reading the work through and allowing himself to react to it; re-reading the play until he understands it thoroughly; the process of establishing a collaborative relationship with the director, including the eliciting of the director's visual concept of the play; his process when working for choreographers, including his extensive use of blocking notes and, where possible, blocking marks on the stage floor; establishing a relationship with the choreographer; working with stage managers, including the reasons for his preference that dance and opera stage managers rely on visual rather than verbal or musical cues; establishing a collaborative relationship with the set designer; working with the set designer and the set; masking, including the problem that most set designers do not understand masking adequately; use of the "tenth row principle" when designing the masking; working with the set designer, Ben Edwards, on [the Jose Quintero 1985 production of] the play The iceman cometh [ends abruptly].
• Cassette 14, side B (ca. 42 min.). Skelton continues to speak about his lighting for The iceman cometh, including his sources of inspiration; costumes and the lighting design process; using the drawing board to create a rough version of the lighting design; creating a rough plot; talking through the play with the director, the designers, and the stage managers, in terms of the director's concepts and images; returning to the drawing board to create a much more detailed plan; his experience designing the lighting for the play A few good men as an example of this process; the responsibility he feels to respect a production's budget; the technical rehearsals including working with the stage manager on the cues; collaborating with other production staff members; focusing the lights and setting up the focus cues; [advised that his speaking time is almost up, Skelton requests audience questions]; stylistic terms like expressionistic or Dadaist light that Skelton uses to guide himself; working with lighting assistants; what he means by collaborating with the audience; using the lighting to help dancers. Lecture ends.

Donor/Sponsor

• Oral History Archive.
• New York State Council on the Arts, 2000-2001.

Subject

• Skelton, Thomas R
• Stage lighting
• Stage lighting designers
• Theaters > Stage-setting and scenery
• Dance > Stage-setting and scenery
• Theater > Production and direction
• Dance > Production and direction
• Group work in art

Note

• Lecture by Thomas R. Skelton about the lighting design process before a live audience on Apr. 13, 1990. The final ca. 8 min. of the recording is a question and answer period with the audience. The lecture was given at the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) 1990 Annual Conference & Stage Expo, in Milwaukee, Wis.

Funding (note)

• Preservation was funded in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, 2000-2001.

Call Number

*MGZTC 3-2245 no. 14

OCLC

NYPY05-R10058

Author

Skelton, Thomas R. Speaker

Title

Lecture about the lighting design process [sound recording] / Thomas R. Skelton.

Imprint

1990.

Funding

Preservation was funded in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, 2000-2001.

Local Note

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-2245 no. 14

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 10-2245 no. 14 (reels nos. 18-19)

Local Subject

Audiotapes -- Skelton, T.

Added Author

United States Institute for Theatre Technology.

Research Call Number

*MGZTC 3-2245 no. 14 [sound cassette]

*MGZTC 3-2245 no. 14