Wybron at Idaho Shakespeare Festival

USA - Six Wybron CXI Mariner colour changers will spend the summer in the great outdoors at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Designed for outdoor use, the Mariner offers the widest array of colors available from a single water-resistant colour changer, say Wybron. Lighting designer Rick Martin chose the CXI Mariner for the repertory light plot because of the live color fades and the array of colours available to the various designers that will use the equipment this summer. Rick Martin has used CXIs on other shows such as Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant at the Henry Miller's Theater and To Kill a Mockingbird at the Ford's Theatre in Washington DC. He says: "The reason I bought the CXIs in the first place, and especially for the Festival, is because of the live colour fades. If I want it a little pinker, I just adjust the scrolls. Designers don't have to have an exact match to Rosco or Lee, but they do need to have exactly the colour they want and being able to adjust the colour instantly is a huge benefit."

The outdoor amphitheater in Boise is exposed to an environment where the weather is pretty extreme, from "wet driving rainstorms to hot aching suns." Martin knew the Wybron CXI worked well in an indoor environment, so he decided to go with the weather-resistant Mariner, expecting the same durability and versatility from the outdoor version. Musson Theatrical provided the six Mariners, which are hung in a low balcony rail position and are being used for a low front wash. The Mariners will flood the stage of the outdoor amphitheater with coloured light, bringing to life works by William Shakespeare and other classical playwrights. 'Shakespeare Under the Stars' runs from June through September and provides families with the opportunity to enjoy works including A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Comedy of Errors and Henry V in a casual, outdoor venue.

(Lee Baldock)

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