Week Six - Kristin Goodell - Frankenstein's Lobby - Passion

 

   Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Irvine Valley College’s production of the musical Young Frankenstein. There were many aspects of the lighting design that engaged me, and it was fun to see their use of vibrant colors, effects, and moving lights. One aspect of the lighting that surprised me the most was the lighting in the lobby during intermission. The walls were lit with blue and red spotlights. Upon further inspection, it seemed like they had taped gels onto regular wall-display spotlights (since the lights had no gel frames). I was impressed by the ingenuity of the designers to alter their lobby lights in this way. Many aspects of the lobby were designed to match the world of the show. They hung spooky halloween decor, had a touch-sensitive plasma ball for patrons to play with, and served themed snacks and drinks. I do wonder, however, if the wall lights are always red and blue for every show. To further keep within the world of the musical, I think it would have been more effective to use vibrant green and violet gels, since that was the main color palette used on stage.  

    What I loved most about the show was that you could tell just how passionate every member of the cast and crew was about the production. Every aspect from the lighting and costumes to the singing and acting, even the lobby, was infused with creativity and enthusiasm. This has inspired me to start considering how I can incorporate the lobby into the theatrical design of a production in order to further immerse the audience into the world of the show.