Scenic, Lighting, and Sound Design and Construction

The production department at ACT includes the scene shop, paint shop, prop shop, stage operations, lighting, sound, and costumes. Nearly everything you see on stage at ACT is created from scratch by our carpenters and craftspeople on site at Kreielsheimer Place. We do not have a resident design team at ACT, prefering to hire freelance designers whose skills and interests are appropriately matched for specific plays.

Shops

Scenery – Our carpenters work year-round to construct all of the scenery elements for the mainstage. The master carpenter interprets the scenic design drawings and, along with the building crew, finds budget conscious methods to bring those ideas to life.

Props – Our skillful and creative properties staff works with a multitude of materials including metal, wood, ceramics, leather, fabric, foam, plastics, and paper to manufacture whatever specific elements are required to create a functional world for each play. The staff is called upon to create everything from functional kitchens to historic replicas, as well as unusual items such as a life-sized goat or shrunken heads. The properties staff also stores and maintains a large inventory of basic hand props and furniture. Many cups and plates, chairs and lamps can be altered slightly to appear in several productions over the years.

Stage Operations – Stage operations staff members serve to oversee safe and effective installation of all scenery, lighting, and sound equipment as well as rigging, mechanical lifts, and special effects.

Design

Scenic Design — ACT’s unique performance spaces provide interesting challenges for our designers. Because of the close proximity of the audience to the playing spaces, designers must pay special attention every design detail, especially flooring choices. ACT’s stages are equipped with traps and hydraulics to allow designers maximum flexibility in creating interesting levels, escapes, platforms and rakes. Recent scenic designers include Mattew Smucker, Carey Wong, Bill Forrester, Robert Dahlstrom, and Narelle Sissons.

Lighting Design — Lighting design plays an enormous role in helping the audience to understand the passage of time, time of day, and overall tone of a scene. Lighting elements also play a critical role in directing the audience focus and clarifying transitions in time and space. Recent lighting designers at ACT include Mary Louise Geiger, Michael Wellborn, Greg Sullivan, and Rick Paulsen.

Sound Design — ACT employs a sound designer for each production to create an appropriate soundscape for the play. The designers are called upon to find appropriate music to suggest time periods and moods. They select and create sound effects to provide additional information regarding atmosphere and place such as door slams, explosions, or chirping birds. Occasionally, they may work with a composer to create original scoring for a production. The sound designers work in conjunction with the other members of the creative team and the technical crew to clarify and enhance the overall sound for each production. Recent sound designers and composers include Jim Raglan, Eric Chappelle, Steve LeGrande, Adam Stern and Dominic CodyKramers.