City Theatrical's QolorFLEX NuNeon®, QolorFLEX® Dimmers, and Custom Manufacturing for the Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, USA 

Opening in October 2023, the Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University includes a reconfigurable Main Hall that can be transformed into an immersive experimental media cube, a 388-seat recital hall, a 275-seat end-stage theater, and more. As a small component of this new construction project, Theatre Projects' Steve Rust was looking for blue LED lighting solution to provide the technicians with easy visibility while working or having to get around two technical areas. Learn how they used 500 feet of QolorFLEX NuNeon®, Blue to provide the bright, continuous safety lighting they needed without interfering with stage lighting in this City Theatrical case study.

PROJECT BACKGROUND:

The Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University includes a reconfigurable Main Hall that can be transformed into an immersive experimental media cube, a 388-seat recital hall, a 275-seat end-stage theater, a 530-seat concert hall with a stage for a 100-piece orchestra and a choir loft for 70, and a large flat floor configuration. 

CASE STUDY Q&A WITH STEVE RUST OF THEATRE PROJECTS:

City Theatrical (CT): How far back does your involvement go with this new theatre project at Brown University?

Steve Rust (SR): Theatre Projects was brought on in 2017 when the design phase for the Lindemann Performing Arts Center began. Everybody who has been an active player in the project was brought together at around that time.

CT: When did the blue light safety initiative component of the project begin, and why is it important?

SR: It was about three years ago, as part of the new design. We had the idea to use QolorFLEX NuNeon for running lights during the performance. We like to make sure there is blue light in place, for the technicians when they’re working or having to get around into technical areas. The blue light provides a low-level light so they can see where they’re going and have an added level of safety during a performance without taking away from the lighting design created for the performance on stage.

The blue light was a feature designed for safety. We felt using QolorFLEX NuNeon within custom metal guards was an innovative way to achieve it. The ability to have a continuous bright light with QolorFLEX NuNeon linear LED lighting is an excellent feature, compared to traditional safety light installations.

CT: When did you complete the blue light installation, and when will the theatre be open for performances?

SR: The completion of the blue light installation was six months ago, in January 2023. The theatre will open in October 2023.

CT: Can you tell us more about your role on this project?

SR: At Theatre Projects, we work alongside the architect and owner to help form the design. My role is lighting infrastructure and system design. I started in the business as a freelance lighting designer. That’s when I met City Theatrical’s Founder Gary Fails. He was the house electrician at Circle In The Square. I was an assistant for Lighting Designer Mary Jo Dondlinger on the first revival of Sweeney Todd. Gary was a huge help and mentor for me entering the Broadway lighting world.

Most of the people at Theatre Projects have come from theatrical backgrounds. We use that experience to inform our work on performing arts and all of our varied projects.

CT: Where is the QolorFLEX NuNeon installed?

SR: About 500 feet, or roughly 20 10m reels in total, of QolorFLEX NuNeon, Blue is installed on one side of each of the two technical levels in the theatre. The light location helps people see where they are walking or what they are working on while working in the gallery areas.

CT: How did you come upon using our blue QolorFLEX NuNeon for this purpose?

SR: I knew of QolorFLEX NuNeon, and that City Theatrical had very good dimming control products for QolorFLEX NuNeon as well, including QolorFLEX 5x8A Dimmers. QolorFLEX NuNeon would be bright, having seen it work beautifully in the past. It just fit the job in a lot of ways. In addition to its being a popular production product, we knew that it would be a product the electrician could work with, and, with the help of the integrator, Candela Controls, they would be able to install and configure it easily. So, the product was a good starting point, and it lent itself well to this use.

CT: How does this lighting work? Does it affect anything happening on stage?

SR: It is localised lighting only, targeted for the safety for the technicians. It is a permanent installation that does not affect the lighting design for performances.

CT: Can you tell us more about the metal guards that were custom made for the project in our NJ factory?

SR: It is a great resource that City Theatrical offers custom manufacturing for projects like this! First, the QolorFLEX NuNeon and QolorFLEX 5x8A Dimmers by City Theatrical are terrific. City Theatrical is also a custom metal fabricator, so we were able to get fairly simple, custom made steel “kick guards” to protect the QolorFLEX NuNeon installation.

CT: Why a custom guard vs. mounting an extrusion that the QolorFLEX NuNeon could go into on an angle? Does it have a beam control function?

SR: It does. It controls the light, shielding it from the view of the audience. 

CT: Why were City Theatrical products the right solution for this project?

SR: City Theatrical offered a perfect marriage of high-quality LED and custom metal work needed for this installation at Brown University. The QolorFLEX NuNeon linear LED met the requirements for the running lights on the technical galleries. We needed a custom, heavy-duty bracket to protect the LED, shield it from the audience, and simplify the installation. City Theatrical executed our design with a custom extrusion perfectly suited for the job. 

CITY THEATRICAL PRODUCTS USED

To learn more about QolorFLEX LED Tape, Dimmers and Accessories, click here.