Lighting the Way: Everyman Theatre's Harold Burgess Talks Innovation, Inspiration, and the Art of Lighting Design

Lighting Design by Harold Burgess - Everyman Theatre's "AND THEN THERE WERE NONE" Photos Courtesy of Teresa Castracane Photography.

By Frankie Kujawa
Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, now extended through January 12th at Everyman Theatre, is a masterclass in suspense and mystery. Adapted for the stage by the Queen of Crime herself, this iconic thriller pulls audiences into a world where nothing is as it seems. In this interview, Everyman Theatre's lighting designer Harold Burgess illuminates the creative process behind his captivating designs, sharing insights into how he brings both mood and meaning to the stage through light.

​Frankie Kujawa: What is one word that best describes the role of a lighting designer?
Harold Burgess: Glue
 
Frankie Kujawa: Why did you choose this word?
Harold Burgess: One of the basic tenets of lighting design is to render light such that the audience can see the action onstage as well as hear the words spoken (or sung) by the performers.  To better comprehend the visual and auditory storytelling on stage requires lighting to direct focus, render mood/atmosphere in a manner that embraces the conceptual and thematic ideas intrinsic to the play and the given production.  At its core, lighting design is the adhesive that bonds the other design and performance elements as one.

Lighting Design by Harold Burgess - Everyman Theatre's "AND THEN THERE WERE NONE" Photos Courtesy of Teresa Castracane Photography.

Frankie Kujawa: What usually goes into your creative process when creating a specific lighting design for a production?
Harold Burgess: Collaboration is key in any process as so many ideas come about in conversations with the director, dramaturg, other designers, stage managers and technicians. These conversations really begin with, and are guided by, the script which also drives so much of the decision making with respect to supporting the visual narrative.  My process also includes the collection research material which generally consists of imagery (photos, paintings, sculpture, architecture, etc.) that might convey a particular mood, environment, texture, color or abstraction that "feels right" for the conceptual ideas within the play.  Throughout the design process, I am continually honing those ideas to ensure the essence of the story remains front and center.

Lighting Design by Harold Burgess - Everyman Theatre's "AND THEN THERE WERE NONE" Photos Courtesy of Teresa Castracane Photography.

Frankie Kujawa: How would you describe your approach to creating a lighting design?
Harold Burgess: If done well, good lighting design appears effortless and sometimes imperceptible when intricately woven into the other visual elements, staging and performance.  My general rule of thumb is to approach each design with a sense of curiosity (every production, even if of the same play will be different), humility (the success of the previous design has no bearing on the success or potential failure of the next), and desire to support the other areas of design (costume, scenic, sound, projections) and elevate actors' performances without too much notice if any at all.  Almost every production has a pivotal moment (or a few) where lighting should be visceral and "noticed" however most of the time, I want to be sure that the design takes a back seat.  No one is coming to see a play for the lighting design; their expectation is to experience a live performance where they can see and hear a compelling story unfold before them.  My goal is to always meet that expectation so that audiences leave talking about the performance and production as a singular experience and hopefully will return for the next production.

Lighting Design by Harold Burgess - Everyman Theatre's "AND THEN THERE WERE NONE" Photos Courtesy of Teresa Castracane Photography.

Frankie Kujawa: Could you describe your inspiration for the lighting design of Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE?
Harold Burgess: Anyone who is a fan of murder mystery such as Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, are likely drawn to the characteristics that also define the quality and style of lighting evident in this production.  Intrigue, suspense, psychological thriller, shadowy, haunting, villainous, and so many other adjectives are applicable.  For this design I was afforded the opportunity to lean into the murder mystery genre where the use of intense, colorful and textured light from unflattering and unnatural angles heightened the fright and deception Christie threads throughout the play.  The initial vision for this approach was to model the mid 20th century Italian cinema genre of giallo, an idea brought to the design team from scenic designer Paige Hathaway.  Coupled with illustrations of shadowy villains from comic books like The Shadow with a contrast of stark but brilliant gestural light intrinsic to paintings by Edward Hopper, the overall lighting design is a mosaic of styles that underscore the psychological unraveling of the characters in the play.

Lighting Design by Harold Burgess - Everyman Theatre's "AND THEN THERE WERE NONE" Photos Courtesy of Teresa Castracane Photography.

Frankie Kujawa: With as many lighting designs that you have created for productions at Everyman, is there one that presented itself as a challenge?  How did you overcome that challenge?
Harold Burgess: Truthfully, every show I've designed has its own unique challenges for any number of different reasons from one-person shows that demand such singular focus in design choices to avoid upstaging the actor to productions with nearly full stage ceilings rendered into the set design that limit how light can reach the stage.  Some challenges are in working with new collaborators where you must first find a common language (kind of like going on a first date) before you feel steady enough on your feet to dive deeper into the work.  One advantage that I do carry with me after doing so many productions at Everyman is an intimate feel for the venue from a technical and performance perspective.  This familiarity enables me to ask questions early on in the design process to avoid potential design "traps" (like a full stage ceiling!) or to better navigate a director's conceptual idea in knowing ways in which it can likely be realized artistically and technically speaking.  The biggest asset at Everyman to aid me in overcoming design challenges is the depth of knowledge, technical skill and creative problem solving provided by Everyman's production team and leadership; they are the secret sauce if you will, out of all of the ingredients that are poured into my creative work.  

Everyman Theatre's Lighting Designer: Harold Burgess

Frankie Kujawa: What makes working at Everyman Theatre a unique experience?
Harold Burgess: It's a family first.  Everyone at Everyman feels like a member of my extended family in so much as we can joke, cry, or engage in difficult conversations yet the singular focus is about creating the best possible theatrical experience for patrons.  This sense of family first, family second, and family last is not at all typical of all professional theatres so I can't adequately express how proud and humble I am to be a part of this organization.  Our production meetings almost never begin with the actual work of creating theatre but instead are focused first on how each other is doing, checking in on family life, how was your recent vacation, etc.  It's my favorite place to work in the theatre because it never feels much like work at all.

For more information on the production, now extended through January 12th at Everyman Theatre, please visit: everymantheatre.org/event/attwn/