Simonds Designs has been contacted by The Martinez Opera Company (www.mtzo.com) to design the lighting for their upcoming production of "Lucia". The May 2010 production will be the third show that Simonds Designs has designed the lighting for. The first two were "La Traviata" in 2006, and "Madama Butterfly " in 2008. The production will be mounted, once again, at The Alhambra Center For The Performing Arts" at Alhambra High School in Martinez California. As in the past a crew of high school students will handle the electrics department of the theatre, and therefore, get the unlimited joy and benefits of my perceptions of how a full scale opera is mounted in one week. Yes, one week. The show runs for two weekends, so there is very little time to tweek with the show once it opens.
During the previous run of "Madama Butterfly", I went out to drop of my invoice for the design. After hanging out with my lighting guys, I stuck around while they did a channel check. It was then that the console decided to freeze up, and not work. Being the consummate professional that I am, I promptly said "Here's the deal. In the real world, I wouldn't be here, and you would be on your own. So, I'm not here, and you are on your own." Yes, very mean. I did stick around to watch as these kids were able to come up with another console from a local theatre company that they knew, and with the stage manager, figure out how to make some cues that stayed very close to what I had designed. To say that I was proud would be an understatement. I work with some young stage hands who I foresee in the future landing some giant jobs, where an old man such as myself will be moving too slow for them. Ahh, the monsters I've created.
