Project Details

"The Rocky Horror Show" is a campy, rock 'n' roll musical that follows the naive newlyweds, Brad and Janet, as they stumble upon the bizarre castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Over one wild night, their conventional world is shattered as they're exposed to Frank-N-Furter's outlandish experiments, including the creation of Rocky, a muscle-bound man. The musical explores themes of sexual liberation, self-discovery, and the rejection of societal norms, all wrapped in a gleefully absurd and darkly comedic package that celebrates B-movie science fiction and horror tropes.

The quirky and dark theme for the show allowed for bold color choices, dramatic angles, and fun quick cue sequences. The set included a number of unique lighting challenges, including a large runway that extended across what is normally the seating area of a fairly standard proscenium space.
The design included creating a custom "light bulb curtain", LED tape install, and modifying some used three circuit chase lights.

As the lighting designer, I oversaw the project from concept to execution, including paperwork, hanging, focusing, and coordinating with scenic construction for practicals.

While student crews typically assist with hanging and focusing, this show was able to include other learning opportunities. I instructed them on laying out and wiring LED tape for the runway trim, accurately placing hanging light bulbs according to the ground plan, wiring lamp bases, and installing connectors.