With the upcoming theater production of They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! opening today, we asked guest artist Trevor Cushman some questions about his work and creative process as a lighting designer.

Cushman’s initial involvement in theater began when he was a student at Whitman. He worked as part of the stage carpentry crew and took an interest in what the electricians were doing. To him, he viewed lighting as being “a little less dirty and a little more technical, and there was something magical and mysterious” about it.

At the time, Cushman was still interested in being an actor and went on after graduating to pursue a career in acting. As he was working in theatres in Seattle, he found himself hanging lights and working on productions from a lighting standpoint. Eventually, he recalls, he “had a falling out with… the business side of being an actor and began looking for another creative outlet that could keep [him] circulating in the theatrical community.” He decided to go back to school for lighting and design because despite having taken courses previously in college, he felt he wanted a more detailed understanding from a technical standpoint.

Cushman describes his creative process as always beginning with the text, finding something to respond to. He says, “as a lighting designer, I am always responding to a collaborator in some form or another because, [the] funny thing about light is that if you don’t have anything to shine it on, you can’t see it.” From there, he tries to find an intellectual analysis for the text he’s responding to. He states that lights build upon the needs of the play, which can be dictated by a variety of things, like the tone and mood of the piece, world-building aspects like time-of-day, and more. He then proceeds to bring questions to the director. He finds that “the more I can attach myself to the way [the director is] thinking about the play, the more I can come up with ideas that I may not have thought of.”

Cushman’s favorite part of the lighting design for They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay!  is a moment where the lights go out in the world of the play and the actors are still on stage. Finding a creative way to show the audience that the lights went out but also being able to show the movement of the actors was a moment that he enjoyed working on.

 

To see Trevor’s creative process come to life, join us for the upcoming theater production, They Don’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! Tickets are all sold out, but limited day of seats may be available if you show up early and join our waitlist.