Puffs
The Lawrenceville School, April 2024
Director: Gabrielle Lescadre
Scenic Design: Jamie Cuthrell
Costume Design: Jamie Cuthrell
Lighting Designer: Anton Popowitz
As a sophomore, I was the lighting designer for The Lawrenceville School's 2024 spring play. Puffs is an extremely fast-paced show, so clear communication with the stage manager on exactly when cues should be called was important. I was the sole student on the design team.
Things To Note
This production of Puffs challenged me to create a lighting design that could keep pace with rapid scene changes and comedic timing, while also supporting fantasy elements like magical duels and haunting visions.
At the time, I hadn’t yet learned Vectorworks, but this production made me realize how valuable CAD is in theatrical design. Without drafting tools, I relied entirely on instinct to determine light placement. I would stand on stage where I wanted the center of a beam to hit and use my arm to point toward where I thought the instrument should go, gauging the angle relative to my face—almost like a reverse focus. This hands-on method helped me develop strong spatial awareness, which informs how I approach drafting.
After the show closed, I spent the summer learning Vectorworks Spotlight to strengthen my previsualization and paperwork skills. I now program all my shows in Augment3d before transferring them to the lighting console.
Scene 26: A Bathroom
The bright light shining from the back of the stage is the magic mirror, or the "Mirror of Erised". I created this effect by using a 2,000 watt fresnel. The haze was created with a Rosco V-Hazer, and I used an additional fan to regulate the concentration and speed of the particles.
This is professor Sproutty's window. Because the actor was behind the facade of the flat, it was challenging to create depth. To overcome this challenge, I used an ERS front light and a 3" Altman Inky, which was mounted to the back of the flat, as a high side light.
In this photo, the narrator is fighting off dementors. The high side light is a Lustr X8, strobing very fast to give the actor a stop-motion effect.