Lights, camera, action! The RCA team has been working behind the scenes on an eagerly anticipated project. We’ve parted ways with our 21-year-old floppy disk lighting system (yes, you read that right, floppy disks), and hello to a brand-new modern setup. At the start of this process, we said our heartfelt goodbyes to our long-time Technical Director, Josh Mulloy. Josh is off to Alberta for new adventures, and we wish him all the best! He was instrumental to the start of this project, having a vital role in its concept and the procurement of its supplies. Josh joined us in 2018 and since then had become an integral part of the RCA team, always working hard to ensure theatre performances went off without a hitch.
We now welcome Joshua Lamb as our new Technical Director, who comes to us with a long career in theatre tech, most recently from the Vernon Centre for the Performing Arts. Joshua has worked as a Light Designer and Technical Director for many years in both Canada and Europe and is enthusiastic about all things theatre.
“My passion is making things beautiful with high production value,” says Joshua.
We sat down with Joshua to learn more about the Mary Irwin Theatre’s lighting upgrade.
“We have finished Phase One of three phases to fully update our lighting system to LED lights. Phase One included the purchase and installation of a new lighting console, the device that controls all the lights. We purchased an ETC ION, which is a superb desk and an industry standard in North America. This desk gives us the capability to control moving lights. We also bought 13 moving lights which change colour and focus as well as move. This new equipment creates a lush environment for all the shows that take place here.”
Phase Two will see the addition of LED Cyclorama lighting, enabling us to make the CYC lights any colour imaginable. Phase Three will be adding moving profile spots to the mix. These lights will be able to have rotating gobos (patterned stencils inside or in front of a light) as well as many other effects.