"I was brought in at the last moment to redo Lohengrin at the Metropolitan Opera and Rudy Kuntner, the lighting designer, got sick. I had just read it on the airplane. As soon as we landed I went out and I bought about 50 pounds of eight inch diameter chocolate chip cookies. Anybody who came to that desk and wanted to help me light, I'd give them an eight inch chocolate chip cookie. It would take them so long to eat it that I could get lighting done while everybody was busy eating chocolate chip cookies."
Gilbert Hemsley
"I was brought in at the last moment to redo Lohengrin at the Metropolitan Opera and Rudy Kuntner, the lighting designer, got sick. I had just read it on the airplane. As soon as we landed I went out and I bought about 50 pounds of eight inch diameter chocolate chip cookies. Anybody who came to that desk and wanted to help me light, I'd give them an eight inch chocolate chip cookie. It would take them so long to eat it that I could get lighting done while everybody was busy eating chocolate chip cookies."
Gilbert Hemsley
When Master Classes were first offered in 1998 as part of The Gilbert Hemsley Lighting Programs, participating students began to express keen interest in having their work reviewed by lighting professionals outside the college or university environment. Responding to this interest, a formal portfolio review component was put into place in 2004 that enables a group of lighting design students to attend a day-long intensive Portfolio Review in New York each spring. Participants bring their portfolios for review by foremost lighting designers, directors, production managers, costume and scenery designers along with other key production related personnel who rotate from one portfolio to the next - assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each and providing constructive feedback to individual students. The Portfolio Review is complemented by seminars, roundtable discussions, and informal opportunities to exchange ideas and information in a collegial environment over the course of the day. Seminars have been offered on topics ranging from website development and a review of New York City Ballet's repertory light plot to discussion of a lighting designer's contract and negotiations.
Application
Students must be submitted by their lighting professor for consideration. Lighting professors wishing to submit one or more of their students should contact:
