TECUMSEH!
Master Electrician 2016-2019
Associate Lighting Designer 2018-2019
Associate Lighting Designer 2018-2019
Photo by Joe Murray
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Tecumseh!
Playwright: Allen W. Eckert
Director 2016-2017: Jenny Male Director 2018-2019: Brent Gibbs Lighting Designer: Beau Guedry Costume Designer: Juliana Speakman |
Stage Manager 2016: Alex S. Freeman
Stage Manager 2017: Lee Crouse Stage Manager 2018-2019: Madison Thatcher Location: Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre Producer: The Scioto Society |
For four summers, I worked as Master Electrician at the historic outdoor drama Tecumseh! on Sugarloaf Mountain in Chillicothe, Ohio. My first summer there was the first professional job I held after graduating from Samford University. As a result, I learned a lot and built many skills over the course of my time on the mountain.
As I became more familiar with Beau Guedry’s light plot and the eccentricities of working on lighting outside, I noticed certain ways I could make it easier for the next master electrician to transition into the job. Over four years, I was able to improve the lighting inventory, update the paperwork, and add more color options to the plot.
As I became more familiar with Beau Guedry’s light plot and the eccentricities of working on lighting outside, I noticed certain ways I could make it easier for the next master electrician to transition into the job. Over four years, I was able to improve the lighting inventory, update the paperwork, and add more color options to the plot.
Excerpt from updated paperwork including added tree specials and green pond wash changes
After my second year at Tecumseh!, I started working toward my M.F.A. at the University of Texas at Austin. I worked multiple shows as an assistant lighting designer that season. Along the way, I improved my drafting skills and learned how to use LightWright, the industry standard software for generating lighting paperwork. Once I learned that new skill, I translated all the information from the old Tecumseh! paperwork into LightWright. I also re-drafted the plot to include all the changes I made over the years.
Excerpt from End of Year Report 2019
One of the most important responsibilities of the department heads at Tecumseh! is generating an end of year report that will be passed on to the next person who will hold the job. Usually, the department heads choose to update the document their predecessor made instead of creating a new one. During my third summer at Tecumseh!, I decided to create a more organized document, both for my own reference and for the people who will follow me in the job. I translated every list of information in the document into clear, concise tables and added page numbers, a table of contents, and an index for ease of navigation.
Ending look of the show with added green special on center stage tree. Photo by Kendra S. Wiley
Once I had been working at Tecumseh! for two seasons, I asked to be credited as associate lighting designer in the program as well as master electrician. The added title gave me more freedom to modify the rig and make more improvements. During my fourth year at Tecumseh!, I moved some instruments around to include colored specials on the center stage tree. At the director’s request, I also changed one of the two blue pond wash system to green, allowing the vibrant trees behind the pond to show up well even after sunset.
Look from the show including white pond wash and white and blue tree specials. Photo by Kendra S. Wiley
During the summer of 2019, I worked closely with producer and C.E.O. Brandon Smith to find the best deal on five used ETC Source4 ten degree lighting instruments. While working on finding a dealer, I spent hours finding the best places to add them to the plot. This happened while I was also fine-tuning the focus and light cues late at night after the actors’ grueling days of rehearsals. Once the lights arrived, I took some late 20th century Strand instruments out of the rig, put equally ancient Altman units in their places, and worked the new-to-us lights into improving the main front wash of the show.
Look from the show including main front wash and white pond wash. Photo by Kendra S. Wiley
