Stage Directions

Through trial and error with other manufacturers, David Glenn, director of technology and design for the Samford University theatre, finally found the communications solution he was searching for with Pliant Technologies’ CrewCom wireless intercom system. For the 288-seat university theatre, it is crucial to deploy a reliable intercom system that never compromises on quality and has a small learning curve – ideal for students working in live production for the first time.  

The 51st Annual Jeff Awards Ceremony took place on October 21, 2019, at Drury Lane Oakbrook. Stage Directions sends its congratulations to all of the nominees and winners. Here are the design winners.

The opening ceremonies of the 147^th Audio Engineering Society Convention took place on Wednesday, October 16, at the Javits Center in New York, featuring the presentation of this year’s AES Awards, along with welcoming remarks from AES President Nadja Wallaszkovits and AES New York Convention committee members Agniezska Roginska, Valerie Tyler, and Jonathan Wyner. Awards were presented by Alex Case, AES Awards Committee Chair.

What happens if you say Flare Rayzr three times? They appear on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre. Award winning Lighting Designer Ken Posner’s palette for the burlesque world of Beetlejuice included 29 Solaris Flare Rayzr fixtures, earning him a well-deserved Tony Award nomination for his imaginative, emotional, and – dare we say it? – haunting design. The stage adaptation of the 1988 Tim Burton film opened April 25 this year.

The demand for CHAUVET Professional and CHAUVET DJ products has been growing rapidly throughout Asia. To better serve its expanding market in the continent, Chauvet has appointed highly regarded industry figure Desmond Kwan as its Asia Business Development Specialist.

DPA Microphones welcomes Matt Frazier as Northwest Area Sales Manager. Reporting to Christopher Spahr, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for DPA USA, Frazier, whom has nearly 15 years of experience in product sales and support, is responsible for sales throughout the northwest region of the United States.

Starting out at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton before transferring to New York’s Park Avenue Armory, The Lehman Trilogy returned to London for a 15-week run at the Piccadilly Theatre. Space constraints at the new venue instigated a move from projection to LED – a challenge that was answered with a video design from Universal Pixels. Here's a preview trailer of The Lehman Trilogy: 

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Recognizing the importance of mentorship in any lighting professional’s career, ETC has sponsored students at LDI for the past 20 years, connecting them with the industry’s brightest talent. Now, ETC has renamed this initiative the Fred Foster Student Mentorship Program, in honor of the late Founder and CEO’s legacy. ETC is proud to announce this year’s recipients.

IATSE announces that applications for the Walsh/Di Tolla/Spivak Foundation Scholarship awards are now open. The Walsh/Di Tolla/Spivak Foundation offers five scholarship awards each year in the amount of $2,500 per student per year. As of this year, there are over 70 recipients of the Foundation’s scholarships. Completed application packets must be received by December 31st, 2019.

New program will provide flu shots to cast, crew, and theatrical venue staff of national touring companies

The Actors Fund, the national human services organization for everyone in performing arts and entertainment, announced today the launch of The Actors Fund Flu Shot Program for Touring Companies, a partnership with the John Gore Organization. The program is designed to provide flu shots to the cast, crew, and traveling family members of all Actors’ Equity national touring companies, as well as theatrical venue staff, while also educating them about the programs and services available to them through The Actors Fund.