Elation sponsors Texas theatre summer camp
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Camp on the Coast: Creating Leaders in Life and on the Stage is a theatre camp that teaches more than acting, lighting, props and costume design, according to Phil Johnson, lighting and technical director at the Department of Theatre and Dance at Texas A&M. “It’s an immersive experience promoting creativity, comradery and healthy competition,” he says. More than 120 of the best high school theatre students from around Texas attended the camp, an intense two-week summer programme for students.
The camp usually puts on six plays in both a proscenium and black box theatre, productions fully mounted with scenic elements, props, lighting and sound with direction often by the winning directors of the state UIL One Act Play Contest held across Texas.
The Elation sponsorship entailed the loaning of Platinum HFX hybrid moving head fixtures along with Fuze Wash Z350 LED moving heads. “The Elation sponsorship allowed us to set up a practical light lab as part of the students’ experience,” Johnson comments. “We engaged the students in planning and setting up the rig with all the fixtures. Included in this activity was running power and data and hooking up the consoles.
“It was very helpful for the students to get experience and have time figuring out the various options the fixtures had and how they worked. Later on, when they were working with the directors, they were able to create effective lighting for the productions and show off their new skills. The students could then take what they learned back to their own schools.”
Elation regional sales manager for the Central U.S., Scott Kinnebrew, as well as Elation rental and production market manager, Jean Lariviere, visited the camp to talk to students and answer any questions. “It was a nice presence and made a definite impact upon the students,” Johnson says. “The sponsorship meant a lot to our department as it allowed us to use the equipment to generate interest in our camp and department.”
(Jim Evans)
