My department on the touring show Dralion is responsible for the set-up and teardown of all the electrical and lighting aspects as well as operating spots and lighting equipment during performances.
I studied theatre production at Humber College. Before that I completed a degree in film production at York University.
I realized while completing my film degree and working a little bit in the industry that I was much happier doing live performance. The challenges were way more appealing to me. There’s a much bigger connection to the work because it’s something we create every night. I found film a little bit too much of an abstraction – breaking the job down into tiny pieces.
My film degree was largely theoretical and didn’t cover a lot of technical skills, but it did show me that I enjoyed lighting and electrics. I knew I wanted to continue doing that, but with a skill connected to live production.
Live entertainment tends to be very interdisciplinary. Though I focus on lighting and electrics, I have to have a pretty good understanding of what the other departments do so we can work together effectively. Humber’s program is designed to make sure you get a strong foundation in all areas of stagecraft.
Specifically, Humber’s program tends to involve newly devised productions, so we were always engaged in a creation process more than a rehearsal process when we developed a show for the season. The technical needs were always changing, and that helped me develop a very dynamic work ethic.
At Cirque du Soleil, the essence of the show remains the same, but the shows evolve over time. From night to night there might be changes to the act or technical changes we need to address.
The hardest part of my job is moving a large-scale show at the pace we go. Transporting gear across continents can be very tough on it, and a lot of equipment needs repair or maintenance before we can set up. It can be a time crunch to get the show up and running.
The best lighting technicians have strong theoretical knowledge. Working with electricity can be very dangerous if you don’t understand how to do it safely. On a touring show, you have to be adaptable and easygoing so you get along with everyone on the tour. It may be hard work, but if you’re passionate about it, it’s enjoyable hard work.
