Caroline Andrew

Caroline consults on all aspects of stage lighting and systems design.

I design lighting control systems. architectural lighting, stage lighting, etc. My background is in live entertainment and themed entertainment / themed environments, so I get put on a lot of the “weirder” projects. I also occasionally moonlight as a project manager for local projects, usually under duress. I approach every project like a puzzle, and I freaking love puzzles. Each new venue is a new opportunity to get creative in your problem solving. The end goal is always a venue that gives the client exactly what they need to do what they need to do in the most streamlined way possible.

A Project That Shaped How You Work

I spent an enormous amount of time on an undisclosed theme park that I cannot mention. And during my time on the redacted theme park, I worked on a redacted land with a redacted outdoor garden area, on a redacted custom light fixture. I spent a great deal of time working with the custom fixture designer creating the armature inside the fixture to hold a certain wiring type and light bulb in a specific pattern, probably the least exciting part of this kind of immersive design.But the day we opened I sat under the trees at night, and watched a group of fellow designers wander through the space. They popped one of their colleagues onto their shoulders so they could get high enough to examine the inside lanterns to see how they produced these moving patterns of light, and I sat back knowing I had had a part of creating something truly unique. Even the most boring bits create magic.

What You Hope People Feel in a Space You’ve Worked On

I tell clients all the time, if they’re paying attention to the stage lighting systems, we’ve done something terribly wrong! A good technical base allows for creativity to flow and for the people working in the space we’ve designed to create freely. I want the audience and the technical staff to feel engaged with whatever they’re experiencing, whether its a stage play or a museum space and that can’t happened if you’re worried about dimmer rack number 4…

Coffee, Travel, or Creative Ritual

Coffee (and tea) ARE creative rituals! I start every morning with lattes, either espresso, matcha, or tea based. Especially with espresso and matcha, there’s a bit of ceremony and ritual in the actions that helps center me in the now before I start my day.

What Are You Learning About Right Now

Driven intensely by my own personal journey in neurodivergence and disability: the diverse access needs of our technical community.

Cultural Value You Most Identify With

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion is so important to me: there’s no reason anyone shouldn’t be able to experience and create art, and the last thing that should prevent them for engaging with their passion is a poorly though-out building, or lack of a space to engage with theatre. There’s no reason a wheelchair user shouldn’t be able to work in a theatre, to not be able to get to the booth, or catwalks, or costume shop.