Al6 - Sunday, January 30, 1983 - North Shore News LADY OF THE LIGHTS - Marsha Sibthorpe “t don't think any other theatre tres to do what we try to do in the ume we try to do it. It’s a testament to the staff — they're incredible!’ Marsha Sibthorpe To add to that thought, very tew people have any idea how in- credibly technical staging a show IS. One aspect of the technical is lighting. Next time you're in a theatre, look up. If you're in the Arts Club Theatre on Granville Island, you'lti see about 150 lighting fix- tures or ‘instruments’ as theatre people call them. The Granville island Times cor- Number two was the fact that the lights are not permanently affixed to the ceiling. When one show closes, every one of those lights ts taken down (or ‘struck’ as they say) and re-hung in a new pattern (called a ‘plot’) for the next show. Marsha explained that there are about ten different types of in- struments. One will focus a soft glow while another will wash a stage with harsh white light. Some are equipped with shutters to literal- ly cut a light at wail's edge and so on. To exptain the art further, think of the difference between fhe slow shifting mood changes in a show like THE ELEPHANT MAN and the ‘tech week’) Marsha ‘follows the run-throughs’ (sits through rehear- sals in a rehearsal hall) on up to five occasions. From this. she deter- mines how and where the actors move. Next, she tapes an oversize plan of the theatre ceiling to her drafting board and sets to piloting the physical location of each and every light she'll use. Not only that, but she must figure out where she's go- ing to plug all 150 of them in! For each individual lighting change or ‘cue’ as it’s called, each tights number and its level of inten- ‘sity Must be recorded. There may be as many as 200 cues, each listing the status of 150 lights during — «-§_On the Monday morning of tech - ‘Marsha Sibthorpe . . . dug in for a day at the drafting board.”’ - _e GlenE Erikson creating the onstage effects.”’ nered Marsha Sibthorpe, Resident Lighting Designer of the Arts Club Theatre for a quick course. Surprise number one was the number of instruments used. primal impact of dramatic lighting changes in a dynamic musical hike REFLECTIONS ON CROOKED WALKING. The week before opening (called ¥ that cue. “Millions and millions of numbers to record,” groaned Marsha. The Saturday night that & show closes, the audience leave the theatre, no doubt assuming tt will soon be dark. But. lke so many busy ants. theatre staff creep over catwalks and crawl under floorboards to strike both the sets and lights On Sunday evening, Marsha and her crew return According to her physical plot, each light will have been re-hung. They now spend from four to six hours focusing the lights and matching them to what Marsha belteves will be happening onstage For REFLECTIONS ON CROOK. ED WALKING, she used backiights, sidelights and frontights. With most of them located in highly inaccessible places, just getting to them took as long as focusing them. “But this is where the fun really begins,’ says Marsha, ‘because this is where one really begins week Marsha, the director and the lighting board operator work together. “He sits at the cornputerized board and | tell him — light cue 1 to 10, 2 to 15 and so on. | give him ail the levels of all the lights | want in this cue and he punches them into the memory board. Then he ‘brings it up’ (turns on the lights according to the plan), the director and | look at it and we move on through each of the cues in this way. It takes about four hours.” . That afternoon, a_ technical rehearsal is scheduled where the actors move through the produc- tion from cue to cue That's when what I've dreamed of goes public and everyone puts their 2¢ worth in,”’ faughed Marsha. Monday night ts a full dress rehearsal. This is the first time that cast, castumes, set, lighting, music and any special effects will have come together at one time Between Monday night and the first preview performance which usually happens on Wednesday worked through. In a ‘show like REFLECTIONS ON CROOKED WALKING, which had never been staged before, huge changes were tikely to happen here. A song, a prop. a costume or a lighting cue might prove ineffective onstage. It was exciting, euphoric and terrifying! REFLECTIONS ON CROOKED WALKING was a challenge Marsha met admirably well With three theatres to light now. she'll find her challenges forthcoming one on top of the other! During the week the Granville island Times talked with her. Mar- sha was working on three shows at once. BETRAYAL at the Arts Club on Seymour Street was into its ‘tech week’; A MUSICAL EVENING WITH RUTH NICHOL AND LEON BIBB at tne Arts Club Revue Theatre was rehearsing, and ROMANTIC COMEDY at the Arts Club Theatre Granville Island was on the drawing board I's a testament to the staff and Marsha. She's incredible! UXexartast| HOW DO ARTS CLUB THEATRE é STAFF CELEBRATE THE SEASON? With style! The annual BILLY Woman of the Year’ — Linnea AWARDS which were heid on O Neli (production secretary) December 19° 1982 are the Aris These awards are honours indeed, re Clubs answer oto Hollywood s as intense Campaigning and | OSCARS yudicious bribery precede the . . Hes tolack te all (he wey when the votiag ANI) YO VL LOVE TI 1EKM BC YT I ] Grand and nob so grand moments. “Special features of this year s BIL composed and im ATTS Cluti history are dragged out for the amusement of alll awalds ceremony, were the LY OVERTURE in CARMEN . | . . ; Awards abound, bul special performed by Maesto Bruee Jy Cscorges Bizet ; MNenton goes ta the winners of | Kellett and the presentation of staff Man oof the Year Steven talent entries QUEEN ELIZABETH THEAERE "Morgan (hghtag assetant) and Hescuarcing the staff talent ts ‘‘Margot Johnson receiving VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR award from Jan Cartoy-Butier”’ Sayjiw lerrisa photo Mar Mar 12.8 pm .Mar 15.7 30pm 17,7 30pm..Mar 19. & pm | (der Preset WC FES hy ditterent Tne AFRO TOOL AND) THE WUNDERBARS band (members are ‘shop staff) presented a randition ot You Always tturt The One You | ove Friendly Computer Victona Vergara (Carmen), James McCracken \ (Don Jose), Barbara ( ollber (Micaela | ‘ Richard }) Clark (f scarnille). Prerre Charbonneau (/uniga), Ins Fraser a (on the tools ot thew trade of | [Frasquita), Audrey Glass (Men edes). ucation course) "hey ted for a win with David Meck (/f] Remendade:), Paul Massel (£1 Dancatre! 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