“Lighting designers are artists — we paint with light,” said lighting designer Ken Billington, who has been working on Broadway since the 1970s.
If only the job were that simple. “We’re also trying to keep our shows reasonable regarding cost,” he continued. “How do we get our concept onstage — make everything look good, tell the story as necessary — and not be so expensive that we bury the production? If I use some old equipment, is that rental price less than if I use all the brand new stuff? If the show is economical to run, then it runs a long time; if it’s expensive to run, it goes away. It’s a real numbers game.”
As technology evolves, designers are able to do more with light on stages than ever before. Yet, with such a vast expansion of possibilities, come additional decisions to make and considerations to prioritize. In the second of a four-part series, Broadway News spoke with three active Main Stem lighting designers — Tony winner Billington, Tony winner Jen Schriever and Main Stem newcomer Anna Watson — about some notable technological advancements that have made parts of their jobs easier, less time-consuming, more fun and, ultimately, better for audiences.
