So being a lighting designer in the New York Fringe Festival ranks right up there with a root canal on my list of activities I want to do. However, through fate’s cruel irony I will be lighting two shows for the Fringe this year. The lighting situation for both of these shows looks to be not quite as terrible as I have seen in the past. Of course nothing is set yet, so I hold full rights to retract that statement based upon future experience.
The Unlucky Man in the Yellow Cap will be at the Henry Street Harry de Jur Playhouse, a beautiful off-Broadway space that seems almost too luxurious for the Fringe, but is just right for this play. First off, the Harry de Jur is an actual theater. This is not often the case for fringe venues. Not only is it a real theatre, it is a beautiful theatre, one that am quite excited to be working in, even if in the limited repertory situation of the Fringe. The play is very interesting, but tricky. A ‘play with music’ set in a concentration camp holds high risk of failure, but I think the potential pay off can be quite strong, and I am rather optimistic about it.
The other play is La Femme est Morte or Why I should not fuck my son also performing at the Henry Street Settlement, but in the experimental theatre. This space I am not familiar with, but I hear good things about it. I saw part of rehearsal for this pop-culture adaptation of Pheadra last night and it looks to be quite a good time. I only wish we had the resources to properly light it, but such is the way of festivals.
I must say, that I was very pleased with the production style of SPF. By doing every piece in series rather than all at once, the design teams are really able to make something unique to the piece, rather than settle for something substandard. But every situation is different and demands its own standards and operates under its own rules.
Tags: festivals, fringe, phaedra, theaters, unlucky man
