Three Who Shone in Beauty and the Beast
Joel Markowitz on the Winston Churchill High School production

Getting technical with Beauty and the Beast lighting designer Scott Selman

Joel: What were the biggest challenges in lighting Winston Churchill High School’s gorgeous production of Beauty and the Beast?

Scott: Time is always the biggest challenge.  I am very fortunate to have such a dedicated group of students and nice budgets to work with.  After Churchill did RENT: School Edition at the end of October, we had less than a month to mount Beauty.  RENT took up only half the stage space and obviously had a different kind of feel than Beauty, so we really needed to reinvent the space in a very short period of time.

Joel: How many student lighting assistants helped you with the lighting in the show, and what were their duties?

Scott: My main assistant was Jon Feldman, who is a sophomore at Churchill.  He served as my crew chief for the show, and also ran the lighting console during the show.  Alex Cort, one of my seniors, is my other main lighting technician who worked with Jon to get the plot hung.  They both acted as a master electrician would, responsible for figuring out how to circuit the plot and getting it hung.  They have an added challenge because we work with so many moving lights, so they needed to provide power and data for those units as well.

Joel: Can you describe the different kinds of lighting instruments you used, and how long it took to create the lighting?

Scott: The conventional rig has roughly 150 fixtures, ranging from Source Four and Strand SL units to Fresnel and Par Can wash systems. The show also had 24 moving light fixtures provided by Rick McKinney at Main Light Industries in Delaware. Rick and I have worked together for over 5 years now, and he provides me incredible fixtures at a great price. We had twelve Mac 700 Profile fixtures, which mainly provided template work inside the castle, and twelve Mac 300 wash fixtures, which added to the overall wash systems. The plot was put together over the course of a month.  I knew I would need most of my firepower inside the castle, but I was careful not to limit myself for scenes in alternate locations.

Joel: Tell us about the lighting board you used, and what you were actually doing at the lighting board during the performances?

Scott: Churchill owns a Strand 520i console. The board is a great cross between a standard theatre desk and a rock moving light desk.  It gives me a good balance between controlling my moving fixtures and organizing the conventional systems. It is also very easy to teach.  Jon operated the lighting console during performances, playing back all cues from the computer system.

Joel: You have chosen three pictures from the production that illustrate your lighting for the show. Tell us about these pictures, the scene in the show, and the lighting decisions you created for the scene, and why you chose them.

Scott: The first shot is the first time the audience is introduced to the Beast’s castle. This happens early in Act 1 when Maurice stumbles upon the castle.  The picture shot is actually about 6 cues into the scene, we built into this cue by revealing the castle with a dramatic moving light sweep that was timed to the orchestra. I am very big about designing for the whole picture and almost always use haze and atmosphere for my shows. In a show like Beauty I am creating a whole ambiance, not just putting light on the actors faces, and the templates shooting through the haze really define the air space and give great depth and life to the castle.

The second shot is during the dance break in the song “Gaston.” This takes place in the tavern and is one of the most recognizable songs in the show. I feel that color is very important to storytelling. In lighting I help create the mood and can tell a story with the color of light that I use. Specific colors evoke different emotional responses and I can use those colors to help push the audience further in the right direction. This scene is a much warmer colored scene than inside the castle which is much bluer and much more stark in contrast.

The last show (end1.jpg) is in the last verse of “If I Can’t Love Her,” which closes the first act. This is really when we see the Beast starting to look inside himself to decide that he needs to change in order to fix his world. He really pulls himself out of his current situation and starts to imagine a world where he can actually love. I love to be able to break out of reality using lighting, and I love using light beams. There is a big musical swell right before the final verse, and our Beast came running down the grand staircase to downstage center. Timed with the music and his movement we have 11 of the moving spot fixtures track from upstage positions and follow him to his down center mark. It was a very moving cue to watch each performance. You really feel the energy build around him as the music swells and the energy builds around him. It’s a real Disney magical moment.

Joel: What was the most difficult scene in Beauty and The Beast to light, and what scene are you most proud of?

Scott: The most difficult scene to light was the fight sequence at the end of the show between Gaston and the Beast.  I wanted to really heighten the action, but at the same time I couldn’t take away from the fight, or the actors’ ability to see properly for the fight choreography.  What started out as a heavily strobe lit scene ended up being very template heavy and the actors would pass in and out of light while fighting.

I am most proud of the title song in Act 2. In this picture (beauty.jpg) I again really wanted to pull of out of reality when Belle and the Beast begin dancing. It is really one of those magical moments where something great happens. I always remember that great shot from the movie with the grand staircases and towering windows, and needed some special moment with the music.  I chose to use a very fine starlike template pattern that rotated slowly though the air and almost carried the actors off the stage. With some extra smoke pumped in, it really looked like Belle and the Beast were floating.

Joel: Scott, tell us about the first time you were smitten by the lighting design “bug.”

Scott: When I started at Syracuse University, my only technical background had been in audio work. Syracuse didn’t have a formal design program for sound, so lighting seemed like the next closest thing. I have never been the most artsy when it comes to making a set rendering or sketching out a costume, but I found that my paint canvas was a blank stage, and I could paint it with light. My first real design was Three Days of Rain in the Black Box at Syracuse.

Joel: Where did you get your training?

Scott: I think the most important training I have gotten so far, is the ability to think on my feet. When I started college I worked for a production company on campus, doing staging work and crew work for rock tours, dance shows and theatrical shows. Doing changeovers for rock and roll tours and having to deal with very strict load in/out schedules really helped me to think two steps ahead… to solve the next problem before it comes up.  I have a BFA in Design/Technical Theatre from Syracuse University. Most of my intense study was in lighting design, and I got to work with some phenomenal directors as a student, learning how to light for dance and learning how to use color effectively. I also was on the US National Tour of 42^nd Street as an electrician, which gave me a great view into a large-scale Broadway lighting system, and I got to really learn what made it so effective.

Joel: You are one of the founders of Act Two, whose productions of Les Miserables, Blood Brothers and 42nd Street were on my Best Musical Of The Year lists the past three years. What is Act Two, and what shows will you be lighting this year at Act Two and Churchill High School?

Scott: Act Two is a non-profit youth theatre company in Rockville, MD.  We just started our fourth season, and will open Children of Eden on January 22^nd.  My two partners and I all came from professional theatre backgrounds and wanted to bring that same level of professionalism and showmanship to youth theatre. Just like at Churchill, it all starts in the rehearsal process and the actual learning. My program at Churchill is successful because I have students who are willing to learn, and then students who are willing to teach to new students. This is how programs grow.

At Act Two we have a wonderful apprentice program, where students are empowered to take leadership positions in the production staff. We have stage managers, assistant directors, and choreographers; all who learn from the professional staff and get to teach their peers at the same time. The learning process never stops, and we are always learning as much from the students as they learn from us, that’s how programs keep running.

Joel: What shows would you love to light that you haven’t lit before?

Scott: This is tough because there are so many wonderful shows, with so many great challenges.  My senior year of college I got to design Chicago and I have always wanted to go back and do it again. It is one of those shows that require a level of such precision, and I have taken those skills into every project since then. I am a big fan of the Disney shows, because I am a big believer in spectacle.  I would love to work on Aida, or maybe one day The Lion King or Phantom of the Opera will make it’s way to those of us outside New York. I don’t think there would be any project that could be boring though… anything that looked boring on the surface would just push me to find a way to turn it upside down.

Joel: Who are your lighting design heroes?

Scott: I am a big fan of Natasha Katz.  I think she has really pushed the boundary in her lighting projects. Her design for Aida (which won her the 2000 Tony Award) is still one of the most amazing pieces I have scene. Her use of color and the way she defines a dancer’s body is just amazing. And who can forget the song Easy as Life which they painted the air which tight beams of light until the whole Palace Theatre was transformed.

I also really like the work of Don Holder. Since I cross over the theatre boundary into rock & roll I really enjoyed watching how he handled Movin’ Out. It was theatrical with a rock flare, which is how I like to work on some of my projects. I am a big moving light fan and Don is one of those designers that is not afraid to use technology.

Lastly, I am a big fan of Charlie Morrison.  His name is well known as the others, but it will be one day.  I have seen several of Charlie’s designs here in the Washington DC area including his Helen Hayes winning work on The Elephant Man at Olney Theatre and Richard III at the Shakespeare Theatre.  Charlie was also my lighting designer for 42^nd Street and was really inspirational to me. I enjoyed watching him work, and learning from him while I was making his show come to life at every tour stop.

Back to Beauty and the Beast

Three Who Shone in Beauty and the Beast
Joel Markowitz on the Winston Churchill High School production

Josh Simon is 16, and a Junior at Churchill High School. I asked him to ‘enlighten’ us on how much of the real Josh Simon is in the way he played the role.

Josh: Ha, very cute. I’m actually rather glad that I won’t be hearing as many of those candle puns now that the show’s run has ended. As for Lumiere, I see him as an over-the-top performer, almost like the Emcee from Cabaret. He wants to entertain and humor and present an overall positive outlook. I consider myself an over-the-top showman kind of guy as well. Backstage during Rent and Beauty and the Beast, there was more than one occasion where I danced, sang, and even gave improvised monologues as a series of different characters. My friends even clapped for me after one memorable backstage solo.

Joel: Tell our readers about your costume.

Josh: My, what there is to tell! The costume was a black and gold paisley jumpsuit with a matching dinner jacket! The candle “hands” and “head” were hollow and made of cardboard, glue, fabric, metal wiring, and who knows what else! There was also a cardboard and fabric… um… thing around my shoulders and torso to make me look more ornately candlestick-like.

Joel: Have you had any problems with the costume and those “torches”?

Josh: The costume was sweltering! My hair looked like a wet terrier after each show! The hands themselves had electrical candles in them (and I did use them during the performance), but they were too dim to be visible from the audience. In the wings, I would turn them on to help me see, and they didn’t illuminate a thing! It also became incredibly tiring after a while to keep my arms up in limited positions, but after all those hours of rehearsal and show-time, they got quite a workout. Wanna feel?

Joel: What is the best advice Director Jessica Speck gave you about playing Lumiere?

Josh: Mrs. Speck gives you a lot of creative freedom when developing a character, and I enjoy that. If there is something she wants to see in the character, she will no doubt tell you. She was the one who told me not to let my “hands” go below my waist, to make me appear less human, more rigid. That was something I remained very conscious of while playing Lumiere. She also asked me to work on the French accent!

Joel: How has Churchill High School’s theatre department staff made you a better actor?

Josh: Experience. There is no book on or method of acting that can teach you the art like experience can.

Joel: What is your favorite moment in the show, and what is the most difficult scene to play?

Josh: “Be Our Guest” is my favorite moment, where Lumiere really steps into the spotlight and lets his Emcee nature shine. You can tell during the song that he’s really just trying to show everyone a good time. It is also the most difficult part of the show, as Lumiere has to carry the scene without help from other characters. It is also one of the most popular and well-known parts of the show, so you have more pressure on you to “get it right.”

Joel: You recently played Angel in Churchill’s production of Rent-The School Version. You were fantastic! How did you relate to Angel, and do Lumiere and Angel share similar qualities?

Josh: Angel, Lumiere, and I all try to remain positive and see the humor in things. Angel also strives for what her heart desires, and I think I do the same thing. I wish sometimes that I was as comfortable as Angel is — letting herself be so unique and out there. Angel and Lumiere are nothing alike, and I love it! Playing two radically different characters as an urban, bohemian Drag-Queen and a sarcastic, womanizing Frenchman-turned-candlestick is the kind of experience that I live for as an actor.

Joel: What role would you love to play that you haven’t played yet?

Josh: Oh, let me get out the list! Ha! I love musical roles that are complex and have powerful songs, so I’d love to play the Phantom from Phantom of the Opera, or Albin from La Cage Aux Folles, or Don Quixote from Man of La Mancha. But more than anything, I would love to be Sweeney Todd.

Joel: Any plans for college yet? Are you considering studying theatre arts?

Josh: Yes, I am planning o n studying theatre arts in college. But I haven’t gone through the (cough) pure enjoyment (cough) of Applications yet. My first choice, as of now, is Tisch School of The Arts at NYU.

Back to Beauty and the Beast

Three Who Shone in Beauty and the Beast
Joel Markowitz on the Winston Churchill High School production

A 14 year old freshman at Churchill, Mike Mainwaring has already worked professionally. Here he tells us about playing the high energy Lefou and about working at Olney and Ford’s Theatre.

Mike: Lefou is Gaston’s comedic lackey with a funny voice and disheveled appearance.  It wasn’t that hard for me to relate to Lefou because in some ways, we share similar personalities. In Lefou, I see my own sort of humor and natural energy – except on an extremely high dose of steroids! For instance, backstage I don’t really walk around – I do spins to get around. I was able to channel my own energy into my character.

Joel: You have a beautiful voice. Are you studying voice, and are there any other terrific singers in the Mainwaring family?

Mike: I’ve always enjoyed singing.  Other than the voice training I receive here at Churchill, I’ve never actually had any voice lessons.  Both my Mom and Dad like to sing.  In fact, they met while singing in a church choir.  When they were young, they sang in a touring musical group and even performed on several albums (yes, vinyl record albums, if anybody actually still remembers what those are!)

Joel: What’s it like to play opposite Steven Rigaux, who plays Gaston?

Mike: This is the third musical I’ve been in with Steven at Churchill.  Steven is a great guy who in real life is the polar opposite of his pompous, self-absorbed character, Gaston.  It was a lot of fun working with Steven.

Joel: Describe what Lefou and you go through in the song “Gaston.”

Mike: The song takes place after Belle has declined Gaston’s marriage “proposal.”  Actually, Gaston doesn’t even propose — because of his enormous ego, he simply assumes that Belle will enthusiastically accept the honor he is bestowing on her. Gaston then is, “disgraced, publicly humiliated” when she turns him down. So, during the song “Gaston,” Lefou tries to bolster Gaston’s bruised ego. Unfortunately, Gaston makes himself feel better by abusing Lefou. In the process, Lefou gets challenged to a shooting match and a push up contest against Gaston. He then gets punched, kicked, leapfrogged and thrown across the stage. Because of this and also the dance sequence during the middle of the song, it’s a very physical scene. I loved it!

Joel: I thought you stole “Gaston” from everyone else on the stage. How did you do it?

Mike: I tried to make my performance as big and wild as possible. Because the song is low in my vocal range and because I had to utilize a raspy voice, I couldn’t in any way belt out the song as I would have liked to have. As a result, I had to funnel my energy into big movements and facial expressions.

Joel: What was the best advice that director Jessica Speck gave you?

Mike: At one point during the course of the show Ms. Speck said vary simply and directly, “There are no limits.” From that point on I felt free to do what I needed to in order to make the part big and believable. Ms. Speck is a wonderful director who accomplished a near miracle this fall by producing Rent (performed in late October/early November) and then doing Beauty and the Beast complete with huge production numbers – less than a month later!

Joel: What is your favorite scene or song in the show that you are not in or don’t sing?

Mike:  Since I was a little kid, I’ve always loved the song, “Human Again.”  I especially love the part written for Babette during “Human Again” — It weaves in and out and jumps out above the other voices in a very playful, interesting way.

Joel:  Tell us about other roles you’ve played.

Mike: Previously, I played “Pops” in Kiss Me Kate, and I was a member of the ensemble in Rent. I’ve loved every minute I’ve gotten to spend in our school productions.   There is just so much talent at Churchill — from the performers to the awesome pit orchestra to the production crew.

Outside of school, I’ve had the privilege of working professionally in Oliver! at the Olney Theatre and in Shenandoah at Ford’s Theatre.  I have to say my favorite role to date was as Gabriel the slave boy in Shenandoah. That was an amazing experience where I got to spend about five months working with mostly Broadway-based actors and an incredible production crew, including director/choreographer Jeff Calhoun (Grease, Big River, and High School Musical).  One high point during that time was being invited to perform a duet from that show for President and Mrs. Bush and other dignitaries at Ford’s Theatre’s Presidential Gala. I learned a lot about being a professional and taking direction during that time, and forged some wonderful lasting friendships.

Joel:  If you could play any other role in the show, who would it be?

Mike: I think I would like to play Cogsworth.  He’s “tightly wound,” and as a result, filled with nervous energy — kinda like me!

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