Barbara Samuels Lighting 2

September 10, 2011

My favorite part of lighting design is getting to direct the play without having to be the director. Collaborating is like dating, and tech is sex. It can go really badly and then you need to find your way back in, but when it is going well you are on a natural high. The energy in the room can be felt by everyone, and tech is my opportunity to really push that. I am interested in exploring the possibilities of different and new forms of theater making. Lighting happens to be the medium I am most comfortable, equipped, and excited about utilizing to explore new forms of storytelling. My least favorite part of lighting design is the math and physics. I am most comfortable and prepared to bounce ideas off my collaborators, learn about the piece from listening to their perspective, and critically discuss the work. I am least prepared to finish projects. I enjoy the conceptual thinking, talking, research, and tech so much that I want to skip all the worksheets. Once I get into a groove with worksheeting I enjoy it, but that usually happens when I should already be in the middle of or almost done with my rough plot. Developing discipline in my process is probably the most significant reason I am in graduate school.