Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A THESIS
SUBMITTED ON THE THIRTIETH DAY OF APRIL 2014
TO THE DEPARTMENT OF THEARE AND DANCE
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
OF THE SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS
OF TULANE UNIVERSITY
FOR THE DEGREE
OF
MASTER OF FINE ARTS
BY
___________________________
(Derek M. Blanco)
APPROVED: ________________________
(Martin Sachs), Chair
________________________
(Diana Cupsa), Reader
________________________
(Jessica Podewell), Reader
ii
Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..1
Part 1: Production Process
Impressions of the Author and Play………………………………………………………….…………2
A Quick Summary of Waiting for Godot…….......……………………………………….…………4
Play Interpretation and Research Development……………..………………………………….6
Research Images………………………………………………………………………………………….……10
Design Concept, Process and Development………………………………………………………18
Production Photos & Descriptions……………………………………………………………….……22
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………….….38
Part 2: Plates and Supporting Paperwork
Light Plot…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..42
Ground Plans…………………………………………………………………………………………………….43
Magic Sheet………………………………………………………………………………………………………44
Channel Hookup……………………………………………………………………………………………….45
Instrument Schedule………………............................................................................49
Color Schedule...…………….………………………………………………………………………………..54
Bibliography……………………………………………….…………………………………………….………58
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1
Introduction
Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett's most famous absurdist play, was presented
by the Tulane University’s Department of Theatre and Dance on November 12 – 17 of
2013 in the Lupin Theater. The creative team consisted of Director Jessica Podewell,
Adjunct Assistant Professor of acting; Set and Costume Designer lulia Gherghescu, 3rd
year MFA Graduate Student; Technical Director Vlad Ghinea, Professor of Practice; and
Lighting Designer Derek Blanco, 3rd year MFA Graduate Student. The cast was Julia
Delois as Estragon, Duncan Becker as Vladimir, guest artist Luis Galindo as Pozzo #1,
Visiting Associate Professor Sara Valentine as Lucky #1, Tricia Anderson as Lucky #2,
Veronica Bird as little boy, and Jesse Friedman as Pozzo #2. I would like to take this time
to thank all the aforementioned people (excluding myself) along with other staff,
students, and professors, of the Tulane Department of Theatre and Dance for all their
hard work.
The purpose of this thesis is to explain and review the Lighting Design of Waiting
for Godot presented by Tulane University’s Department of Theatre and Dance, with
views of the plays interpretation and author, discussion of conceptual research and
design process, and the approach to the physical space and its limitations.
2
Impressions of the Author and Play
Writing in both English and French Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish novelist,
playwright, theatre director, and poet who lived in Paris for most of his adult life. His
works offer a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature that has often been coupled
with the notions of “black” comedy and “gallows” humor. He is one of the key writers in
what Martin Esslin called the "Theatre of the Absurd"(Esslin, 10). Broadly speaking,
Becket’s plays deal with the subject of despair and the will to survive in an
uncomprehending and incomprehensible world in spite of that despair. During the 15
years following WWII, Beckett produced four major full‐length plays that are considered
exceptional within “Theatre of the Absurd” (McDonald). The most well‐known and
influential of Becket’s opus of work is the originally French titled, En attendant Godot
(Waiting for Godot) Written in the years 1948 ‐49.
For the professional Lighting Designer, defining and understanding the general
principle of the concept of the ‘absurd’ is also needed. The Merriam‐Webster dictionary
definition of ‘absurd’ is “something that is completely stupid and unreasonable”. In a
musical context it means “out of harmony” (Webster). In 1962 Martin Esslin wrote his
book on the topic of the ‘absurd’ genre of theatre simply titled “The Theatre of the
Absurd”. In the book, Esslin mentions the Romanian and French playwright’s Eugéne
Ionesco’s definition for the absurd “Absurd is that which is devoid of purpose...Cut off
3
from his religious, metaphysical, and transcendental roots, man is lost; all his
actions become senseless, absurd, useless” (Esslin, 23).
Waiting for Godot is a story of “time” written in the genre of “absurd” that is set
during two consecutive days. The two main characters are tramps awaiting for Godot’s
arrival. Nevertheless, Godot’s continual absence wastes time in the lives of the tramps
by making them living puppets in the world of the absurd; therefore, they simply “Let it
go to waste” (Esslin, 52), instead of finding an appropriate way to spend their time.
Beckett’s intention in creating these characters may have been to make them the
victims of time, by pointing out that we cannot stop time, and suggesting that we live in
the present moment with what we have instead of waiting for better lives or for what
we do not have. Anthony Chadwick refers to this intention in his article “Waiting for
Godot”, “We seem to have a choice between waiting for one ‘better’ thing after another
or simply living with what we have. Both past and future are illusions, and seen under
this aspect, we begin to taste the notion of eternity” (Chadwick). With this brief
understanding of the “absurd theatre” and its relationship with time and reality, one
can read the play Waiting for Godot and thoroughly enjoy the full tragicomedy.
4
A Quick Summary of Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot begins with two men meeting near a tree. Vladimir and
Estragon converse on various topics and reveal that they are waiting there for Godot, a
man or perhaps a deity. While they wait, Vladimir and Estragon fill their time with a
series of mundane activities and trivial conversations interspersed with more serious
reflection.
While they wait, two other men enter; Pozzo, holding the end of a long rope,
shouting and wiping, and Lucky with the other end of the rope tied around his neck.
Pozzo is on his way to the market to sell his slave, Lucky. The four men proceed to do
together what Vladimir and Estragon did earlier by themselves: namely, nothing. Lucky
entertains them by dancing and thinking for a bit. Lucky and Pozzo then leave so that
Vladimir and Estragon can go back to doing nothing by themselves. The nothing is
interrupted by the arrival of the Boy, who reports to Vladimir that he is a messenger
from Godot. The Boy tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming tonight, but that he
will surely come tomorrow. Vladimir asks him some questions about Godot and the Boy
departs. Estragon and Vladimir talk about suicide some more and then resolve to leave
the stage. To add to the absurdity, since night is falling, they are no longer waiting for
Godot, and having resolved to leave, neither man moves as the curtain falls.
5
The next day, Vladimir and Estragon again meet near the tree to wait for Godot
trying to fill the idle hours in the meantime with nothing of significance. Lucky and Pozzo
show up. Only this time Lucky has gone mute and Pozzo is blind. They putz around the
stage for a while, Vladimir tries to understand why Pozzo is blind and Lucky is mute (to
no avail), and Pozzo declares that, having lost his sight, he now has no sense of time.
Pozzo does not remember meeting the two men the night before. Pozzo and Lucky leave
again and Vladimir and Estragon continue to wait. While waiting Vladimir gets rather
poetic, wondering if maybe he’s sleeping, agreeing with Pozzo’s claim that life is
fleeting, and concluding that habit is the great deadener of life. Shortly after, the Boy
enters and once again tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming. The Boy insists that
he did not speak to Vladimir yesterday. After the Boy leaves, Vladimir and Estragon
contemplate suicide. They have in mind to hang themselves from the barren tree with
Estragon’s belt since it is the only thing around that could lend itself to such an
endeavor yet the belt fails. The men resolve to leave since its nightfall and they no
longer have to wait for Godot, but neither man moves as the curtain falls.
6
Play Interpretation & Research Development
After many re‐readings of the play and some critical thinking, I am left with the
thought that the concept of a past and future within the play is an illusion or non‐
existent. Waiting for Godot seems to be only set in the “present”, yet the present does
not appear to have a fixed beginning or end, as a result the play tends hold the audience
in a kind of limbo (their own form of waiting if you will). This listless sense of self‐
awareness that is presented suggests that we as humans cannot control time and that it
is pointless to attempt to stop its passage. Time passes, we age, become sick, and one
day we eventually die; the truth is that time stops us. Therefore, no matter how hard we
try to succeed in our lives, all our achievements are buried with us as time survives
unchanged. This despair of the frivolousness of our lives, the unachievable meaning of
this world was really quite the depressing subject on which to ponder. A possible
solution to the despair for Vladimir and Estragon would be the path to eternity through
Hope, or rather the way to eternity through Godot. Since the two men are certain that
Godot is able to guide them, it would be advisable to invest their time in that hope, in
reality, it proves to be the most absurd investment; an eternity spent waiting for the
mysterious Godot to come and rescue the two vagabonds.
The above argument proves that Vladimir and Estragon do not live in the present
moment, and instead of using the precious time they are allotted, they waste it by
7
waiting. They wait because they are excited that Godot will come along and “Will
miraculously save the situation” (Esslin, 50). As Vladimir says “To‐morrow everything
will be better” because the Boy said to them “Godot was sure to come to‐morrow”
(Beckett, 34). Their obsession behind waiting is that by letting time pass on its own the
no longer have to deal with the problems of the here and now. Ignorant of their present
pain Vladimir and Estragon look forward to the glories solutions of tomorrow, ignorance
is bliss. Indeed, if a person does not like the present moment, they only need to wait
and ignore the current unpleasantness until it passes. For example, if we do not like the
winter time, then we only have to wait for summer. As we are waiting, we can look
forward by fantasizing what a wonderful summer it will be.
Using my recent understanding of theatre of the absurd and Samuel Beckett’s
intentions with Waiting for Godot, I can deduce a few ongoing themes; the passage of
time, living life in the moment, ignorance is bliss, the meaning of human existence, and
observing what you have rather than what you don’t. With these themes in mind I
began research in different genres of art such as Cubism, Russian Abstract, Minimalism,
but what inspired me the most was the genre of early French Impressionism.
Impressionism is the late 19th‐century art movement that originated with a
group of Paris‐based artists such as; Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Degas. Their independent
galleries and art saloons brought them to attention during the 1870s and 1880s in spite
of harsh opposition from the conventional art community in France. An Impressionist
painting characteristics include: relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, an open
composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often
8
accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subject matter, and unusual
visual angles. These characteristics embody the themes in Waiting for Godot that were
previously stated (Denvir).
The passage of time is no better illustrated than in Monet’s “Water Lilies” or one
of Degas many ballerinas “Star of the Ballet”. Staring at “Water Lilies”, one can almost see
the playful ripples twirl as a gentle breeze dances a grand jeté across the water’s stage.
Living in the moment is more of a personal theme, or rather a concept that is better
appreciated when viewing Monet’s “Impressionistic Sunrise”. The pale, almost pastel
palette creates a calming sense of melancholy; it is a representation of a fixed point in
time with the most promise and potential for the day.
Monet’s “Impressionistic Sunrise” at first glance only seems grey but on closer
observation the canvas reveals a multitude of colors bursting forth from the sunrise. The
sudden onslaught of color and warmth fills the viewer with hope, hope in looking
towards the horizon and what is to come. Almost the same feeling of hope one looks for
to the path to eternity. This painting echoes back to the theme of Vladimir and Estragon
obsessive waiting for Godot, for a better tomorrow.
“Appreciating what you have in front of you” is a theme shared throughout most
of the Impressionistic style. The subject matter depicted in the paintings are realistic
scenes of modern life often painted outdoors. Considered radicals in their time, early
Impressionists violated the rules of academic painting. The Impressionists found that
they could capture the momentary and transient effects of sunlight by painting en plein
air “in the open air”. They portrayed overall visual effects instead of details, and used
9
short "broken" brush strokes of mixed and pure unmixed color—not blended smoothly
or shaded, as was customary—to achieve an effect of intense color vibration. They
literally tried to paint physical light (Denvir).
Any painting done in the French Impressionist style is essential a study of light,
but not in the same sense of drawing what is in front of you. Rather, the study detailed
to the degree of observing every value, color, and direction the light takes in or on the
subject. These paintings are a great source for inspiration and research material to any
theatrical light designer. This is the best reason why I chose to focus my research on the
French Impressionist genre, most particularly on Monet. The following are research
images and other inspirational paintings that helped accumulate the overall theme of
my light design for Waiting for Godot.
10
Research Images
Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1916, The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
In Water Lilies I was most attracted to the amazing amount of movement
present though it is a still painting. The many directional qualities of the brush
stroke call the viewer’s attention. Much like the lighting designer controls the
audience’s attention.
11
Edgar Degas, Dancer with a Bouquet of Flowers (Star of the Ballet), 1878, The National
Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
12
Claude Monet, Impression, soleil levant (Impression, Sunrise), 1872, Musée Marmottan
Monet, Paris
13
Armand Guillaumin, Sunset at Ivry (Soleil couchant à Ivry), 1873, Musee d'Orsay, Paris
The Sunset by Guillaumin is very close to what I see when I observe Impressionist
Sunrise by Monet it is the look of hope that I want the audience to envision but
never actually see.
14
Édouard Manet, The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe), 1863, Musée
d'Orsay, Paris
15
Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1884–1886, The
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
With A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte I used this material to
support my idea of color mixing on the actor’s bodies. Seurat being a Post‐
Impressionist his use of pointillism demonstrates the optical color mixing the eye
naturally does on the canvas.
16
Edgar Degas, Woman in the Bath, 1886, Hill‐Stead Museum, Farmington, Connecticut
17
Gustave Caillebotte, Paris Street, Rainy Day, 1877. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
18
Design Concept, Process, and Development
'A country road. A tree.' Those are the first few words of Beckett’s classic
script. From a designer’s point of view, staging requirements don’t come much simpler.
Yet like the rest of Beckett’s play, these few words leave the director and designers with
more questions than answers. It presents in its simplicity infinite visual possibilities
leaving the creative team with a staggeringly broad canvas to fill. Meeting with Jessica
Podewell, the director, and lulia Gherghescu, the set/costume designer, over a few
weeks we thoroughly discussed our views and interpretations of Waiting for Godot.
Each person brought an idea to the table that was painstakingly scrutinized and
reviewed until we all agreed upon the concepts coherence with the play. The team
would then discuss the concepts again until we were blue in the face, such is the process
when you are trying to put together a play. With the help of the creative team I, as the
lighting designer, arrived at my concept for the light design of Waiting for Godot.
Using a similar color palette of Monet’s Impressionist Sunrise, I would create an
overall look to the play for day and night. For both looks, I would mix many colors on the
surfaces of the actors and the set producing an encompassing sense of twilight. The light
would envelop the characters from many different angles to fill the space and create a
unique no‐ shadow effect. This effect would visually generalize the abstract
surroundings of the set and actors to impose the feeling of timelessness. With the
developed sense of dusk and dawn, I hoped to provoke the character’s desire to find the
potential of what is to come rather than what is already there. A better explanation
19
would be that I sought to create an all surrounding light that inspires hope for the future
into all that look at it, and to help support the characters’ struggle for a better
tomorrow until it is untimely taken away. One could say that the theme for my concept
is an impressionistic view on Monet’s Impressionist Sunrise.
To create the look of my concept in the Lupin Theater, I would need as many
different angles of focus possible; top light, back light, front light, foot light, side top
light, side low light, and side mid light. With this cornucopia of light focus angles,
depending on intensity and color, I would create the overall effect of a shadowless,
overcast day. The color palette comes in with each position and angle having at least
three fixtures all pointed on the same focus area. Each fixture in that position would
need its own dimmer and color allowing the most control to mix the colors on the
actors’ faces. This theoretical light plot would have given the light design the most
amount of control in every focus area allowing the creation of the desired twilight
effect. With this theory as my goal, I started the drafting process for the light plot, but I
ran into a problem concerning the theater. In summary about one hundred and sixty
seven dimmers would have been needed to accomplish my original concept, The Lupin
Theater only has ninety six dimmers.
Understanding the limitations of the space is one of the most important rules of
being a designer: a rule that I mistakenly neglected when developing my original
concept. To meet this challenge head on, I made choices that accommodated for the
space but did not alter much from the concepts’ original intentions. Instead of many
colored lights for each focus area, I placed fixtures with color scrollers and wider focus
20
lenses that covered more area. This alteration allowed for multiple focus area coverage
without diminishing angular light availability. These color scroller fixtures would be
focused mainly as a color wash across the set and its playing areas. To achieve the
concept of color mixing I placed four sets multiple side light washes with highly
saturated primary and secondary colors. This side washes of color would grant the
actor’s bodies a certain glow achieved only at dawn and dusk. With control of the side
was color and front wash color I was able to visually sculpt and mix colors on the actors’
bodies. The front light and top light would be based on the Stanley McCandless method
with soft cool colors on stage left and soft warm colors on stage right. Since the srong
colors of the show are achieved through the washes, the front light was used for
sculpting the faces of the actors. Utilizing these alterations to reduce the amount of
dimmers, I believe I was able to achieve the sense of timelessness I was aiming for in my
concept.
With the main look of the show developed I could then create smaller vignettes
of light within the play by utilizing specials. Whenever a character would change the
flow of the play either by entering or calling for attention, the area immediately
surrounding them would have a subtle change. These cues were intended to add more
visual interest to the play and enhance the impact of the spoken words to the audience.
Many of these light cues were developed and I started to run into a dimmer shortage
again. The conflict was alleviated with the usage of moving lights, or as my light design
instructor Marty Sachs likes to refer to as GMOOT’s (Get Me Out Of Trouble).
21
As seen in the following photos, the set was placed in the corner of the Lupin
Theater with many ragged and torn clothes hanging above the stage. This placement
created some problems when designing my light plot since the clothes would be hung
from the grid; any top light I used would have had unintentional and bothersome
shadows. This issue was remedied in the pre‐production process through the
aforementioned meetings with the set/costume designer and director. The clothes were
kept more towards the upstage side while the actors were blocked more towards the
downstage side. Other issues also became evident throughout the production and
rehearsal process.
A light designer is responsible for whereever the light hits in the theatre, if
person of surface is lite unintentionally or without reason you have an issue that needs
to be remedied. Issues with the proximity of the actors to the audience were a distinct
concern in Waiting for Godot with chances of light leaks onto the back of audience, this
was fixed with the tag team effort of the director and light designer. The actors’
movements were kept a little father up stage than before and the lights were refocused
to a steeper angle with stronger side light added. A lack of wing space for the side lights
also became evident when the light plot was being hung in the space, but this concern
was dealt with promptly by adjusting the side box booms configurations from two sided
to one sided. The whole production process was a long and a little stressful but in the
end with team work between the creative and production side of theatre, the
Department of Theater and Dance was able to put together a complete show of Waiting
for Godot.
22
Production Photos
Photos of the set model.
23
All Model Photos Provided by the set/ costume designer lulia Gherghescu.
24
Photos of the Production
These are the preshow and intermision looks developed for when the audience
is getting seated.
25
This is a shot of when Vladimir an Estragon meet at the tree at the beginning
of the play
Here is a close up of Julia Delois as Estragon when she enters on the stage.
26
Julia Delois as Estragon and Duncan Becker as Vladimir cowering behind the
pile of junk before Pozzo and Lucky enter from stage left.
Julia Delois as Estragon, Duncan Becker as Vladimir, guest artist Luis Galindo
as Pozzo #1, Visiting Associate Professor Sara Valentine as Lucky #1.
27
Vladimir and Estragon are analyzing Tricia Anderson as Lucky #2
28
Pozzo having his divine monologue on the sky. This is one of the vignette
moments were the character is bathed in blue moonlight.
29
Tricia Anderson as Lucky #2 is Thinking. This look was a long cue were the
world itself seemed to break as lucky continues her rant.
30
Lucky has stopped thinking and Pozzo dramtically reflects on the torment he
has felt since his pairing with Lucky.
Pozzo and Lucky have left, Vladimir and Estragon start to get anxious.
31
The Boy played by Veronica Bird enters for the first time in the show.
The Boy has left as night falls.
32
Night falls, the moon rises, and the mound light up, all happen as one cue
within a five count.
The final image before the blackout of the first act.
33
Opening of second act. Vladimir walks on stage alone and starts to sing to
himself and enters his own world. The light cue was mostly foot lighting to
create an homage to the Vaudeville Theatre
34
This is another light vignette where Vladimir and Estragon try to entertain
themselves by scaring themselves.
35
Pozzo and lucky enter again, Vladimir and Estragon discuss helping them then
fall into the mound with them. They then proceed to look at the sky. Moving
The final image of Act before
lights were used to texture the clothing to create a sky look.
36
Vladimir’s monologue after the boy leaves for the second time. Estragon is in
a blue special as a small spot is placed precariously on Vladimir’s face.
37
Final image at the end of the play. Vladimir and Estragon have torn the belt in
twain and have in turn ruined their only means of suicide. The theatre then
blacks out.
All Production Photos provided by Martin Sachs and Derek Blanco
38
Conclusion
‘Have you not done tormenting me with your accursed time! It’s abominable! When!
When!’
The exclamation above, spoken by Pozzo, demonstrates the maddening effect
time has on the pliable mind. This phenomenon is one of the many issues of time in
Waiting for Godot. It is a simple plot‐driven detail that prompts what little action there
is in the play, yet the act itself entraps them in a cycle of futility. The two vagabonds are
too busy waiting for a better “tomorrow”, a “tomorrow” that never comes. In reality,
“tomorrow” is the only thing that keeps the tramps alive with the hope of meeting
Godot. Nevertheless, watching the play we come to the conclusion that Godot is an
illusion; he cannot exist in reality, but only in the mind of the tramps. Therefore, the
truth is that they are “waiting for nothing” thus time has no meaning in their lives. From
the tramps point of view time only brings difficulties into their lives when in the reality
of the play time is the only positive thing they have. They do not see positive side of
their time which is the beauty that life offers in the form of options. There are many
things one can do with ones time besides idle by a tree and prattle about nonsense for
the day. I may be a little philosophical, but these options are often chosen at random or
without our knowledge and can make us happy or sad, the randomness of life if you will.
Hence, they may be frightened to take advantage of time, but this logic leads time to
39
take advantage of them by controlling their lives. So the time in Waiting for Godot has
been occupied absurdly throughout the play by bringing bizarre tragedies into the
tramp’s lives. As if time, being a character, gives the two men distractions so they don’t
notice what’s in front of them, it is an endless cycle. This argument leads us to conclude
that the entire plot is captured in Estragon’s exclamation “Nothing happens, nobody
comes, nobody goes, It’s awful!” (Beckett 27).
A show where nothing happens is either a godsend or the devil’s trap for any
designer. With the minimalist amount of limitations created from the play, the
directions one can take the show are infinite. Preliminary research and conceptual
discussions with the director and other designers help narrow ones path. Then the shop
people, costume people, electricians, stage crew all come together to produce magic
and put on a show. Even with all that team work, the show is still determined by the
audiences’ interpretation. Personally I believe that a production’s success is based solely
on how well entertained and mesmerized the audience was for the show. With that said
I do believe that Waiting for Godot was a success.
I also believe that the light design I created for Waiting for Godot was successful.
I was inspired by the material and developed a concept alongside the director and other
designers. I dedicated my research to that concept and developed a light plot based
from that inspiration. When I ran into issues with my light plot and the space, I made
choices that accommodated between concept and application. The end result being a
show with relevant lighting to the subjects on the stage and plot of the play.
40
In re‐visiting my design for Waiting for Godot I would have shifted my focus of
supporting the inner turmoil of the two tramps dilemma with time and instead
concentrate on backing up the comedic interactions within the play. To help support
this thought I think about Sisyphus, a king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth) punished
for chronic deceitfulness by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only
to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this action forever. Such a funny notion it
would be should Sisyphus laugh as the boulder makes its way downhill. Now, if one
could bracket the frivolousness of the notion for a moment, it would be revealed that
the burden of Sisyphus’ existence would in fact be lifted. After all, his eternal
punishment would only be effective if he chose only to see the futility of his life, and not
the absurdity that would grant him a laugh (Camus). Humor gives an audience a higher
tolerance for misery and pain—which is why the audience is able to enjoy a play in
which nothing happens. Waiting for Godot consists of one joke after another making the
realization of the absurd and cruel world easier to digest. With this humor Vladimir and
Estragon will wait with the unending hope that Godot just may come the next night.
Humanity thrives in misery only when they are laughing. In trying times, we can only
laugh, and so we do.
41
Claude Monet. The Boat Studio (Le bateau‐atelier). 1876. Barnes Foundation, Lincoln
University, Merion, PA,
42
Light Plot
Light Plot
43
Ground Plans
Magic Sheet
Hanging Rag
Locations
Ground Plan
Groundplan provided by the set/costume designer lulia Gherghescu.
44
Magic Sheet
45
Monday, November 4,
Derek Blanco Waiting for Godot 2013
Channel Hookup
Lighttree
1 Source 4 50deg SIDE SR R62 60 57
#1
2 Source 4 50deg SIDE day SR R63 62 89
3 Source 4 36deg Side red SR R30 64 87
4 Source 4 36deg Side green SR R73 66 96
5 Source 4 36deg Side blue SR R56 68 94
6 Source 4 36deg Side yellowSR R09 70 92
Lighttree
1 Source 4 36deg Side red SR R30 64 87
#2
2 Source 4 36deg Side green SR R73 66 96
3 Source 4 36deg Side blue SR R56 68 94
4 Source 4 36deg Side yellowSR R09 70 92
Lobby
1 6" Fres House 100 70
Pipe
2 6" Fres House 100 70
54
Anders, Gunther. "Being Without Time: On Beckett's Play Waiting for Godot."
Samuel Beckett: A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Martin Esslin. Englewood
Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice‐Hall, 1965.
Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. New York: Grove press, 1954.
Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus. Ed. Justin O'Brien. London: Penguin, 2000.
Chadwick, Anthony. Waiting for Godot. 14/08/2011.
<http://catholicusanglicanus.wordpress.com/2011/05/28/waiting‐for‐
godot/>.
Denvir, Bernard (1990). The Thames and Hudson Encyclopaedia of
Impressionism.
London: Thames and Hudson.
Esslin, Martin. The Theatre of the Absurd. London: Methuen Publishing Limited,
1961.
Kenner, Hugh. A Reader's Guide to Samuel Beckett. New York: Farrar, Straus and
Giroux, 1973.
McDonald, Rónán (ed). (2007), The Cambridge Introduction to Samuel Beckett,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
“Absurd." Merriam‐Webster.com. Merriam‐Webster, 2014.
Web. 8 March 2014.
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Biography
Derek M. Blanco received his MFA in Theatre from Tulane University in 2014. In
2010 he received his BFA in Theatre Production and Design from the Savannah College
of Art and Design with Cum Laude honors and the Outstanding Achievement award in
Production Design. Derek has also contributed his efforts to the theatre community of
New Orleans working for the Tulane Sumer Lyric Theatre, the Jefferson Performing Arts
Society, the Contemporary Art Center of New Orleans, and the New Orleans Center for
Creative Arts.
“My goal in life is to become a Broadway Set Designer or to have
at least designed one original Broadway show. I understand how difficult
it is to achieve this goal and how most of it depends on luck (right place
at the right time), but that challenge only inspires me and fuels my drive
to do better than I did before by learning everything I can. The more well‐
rounded you are the more desirable you will be to people and potential
employers.”
(Derek M. Blanco)