The Convert at the Kirk Douglas Theatre

     Another season at the Kirk Douglas Theatre has come to a close. This has been my seventh full season with the theatre since the opening in 2004. My start began at this wonderful space during my senior year at USC with the opening ceremony, where I assisted Production Designer Martyn Bookwalter. I stayed on to assist Martyn with his lighting design for the first production, A Perfect Wedding. I rejoined the Kirk Douglas Theatre Technical Crew after graduation and have worked on nearly every production since as part of the lighting crew with the occasional opportunity to be Assistant Lighting Designer. I have also been half of the scenic painting duo with Katie Polebaum for a number of seasons.
     Most recently, I assisted Lap Chi Chu and Elizabeth Harper with the lighting design for The Convert's remount in Los Angeles. This production was co-commissioned by Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles and McCarter Theatre Center of New Jersey. This three hour realistic drama proved to be a great assistant design experience for myself since I was lucky to work with a very talented and friendly lighting team. Since the show had debuted in New Jersey, the cueing was already written. Though this was very convenient for the remount at the KDT, the two spaces were very different especially the front of house lighting positions, which lead us to reinvent some of the cues. In the end the designs were beautiful and the performances very moving. Assisting with the lighting design for The Convert was a great way to end my seventh season at my favorite venue.

For a review of the show with a full synopsis of the story and production photos, visit Stage and Cinema's Review.

Commentary from the cast

Looking Back to 2007: "The Defenders"

     Looking back five years ago this month to 2007, I was working on a set design for "The Defenders," written and directed by Brian Frette. This play was done in association with the Zoo District Theatre Company, and was performed at the Inside the Ford Amphitheatre space. "The Defenders" was a stylized spin off parody of the popular television show, "The Avengers." The show was a success and full of dark humor, original music and exciting combat scenes. Our team earned five Garland Award Honorable Mentions for this production. I was also nominated as an Honorable Mention for Best Set Design.
     Though this show was in many ways your typical small theatre experience with late nights and total exhaustion; this production was an incredibly rewarding and educational experience. I learned my physical limits and the depth of my dedication to theatre. I also learned to push my designs to be more functional while remaining very abstract. In the end, I was very pleased with the outcome of my scenery design which was only enhanced by strong collaboration with the lighting designer, Rachel Myles, and the director Brian Frette, who also did the props and furniture for the production. For me, this show was one of the "good ones" that comes along every once in a while and stays with you over time, reminding you why you love theatre.