UC Berkeley has invested in four Cyrano followspots purchased from Musson Theatrical. "They asked for several demos and were excited about the Cyranos," says Musson Theatrical's Dinna Myers. "Robert Juliat is known for high-quality optics in the followspot market - they're rapidly becoming the leader in that sector."
Jeremy Little is an ETCP-certified electrician and master electrician with Cal Performances, the UC Berkeley-based presenting, commissioning and producing organization for world-class music, dance and theater. He recalls working with Cyranos when he toured as a followspot operator. "They were very fun to drive," he says. "The user interface is great, all the controls are centralized, and there is pre-focused lamp control. So they're very easy for the operators to work with day in, day out." When the university needed four matched followspots for its Zellerbach Auditorium, Cyranos were the logical choice.
"We just completed our training for the Cyranos with Robert Juliat," Little reports. "Our big show this season is 'Einstein On The Beach,' which calls for all four followspots. It will put the Cyranos to the test all at once."
Ithaca College acquired four Buxie followspots from BMI Supply for its Clark Theatre, the school's smaller performance space. "We were really excited to get Adam Klein at Ithaca College what he needed. He sent very detailed specs of what he was looking for: Two followspots with tripods and two without," reports Steve Michalek, at BMI Supply.
The followspots will primarily be used for a full round or three-quarter thrust space hosting dramas and musicals. "This year we are presenting 'Spring Awakening' and will definitely use the Buxies on that show," says Klein. "We can also use them as supplemental followspots in our larger performance space."
(Jim Evans)
