Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking

David Weiss, who has been using Martin equipment in low budget productions for the past 5 years, recently lit a production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Held every Easter, the production is produced and directed by James Hart with David serving as lighting designer/director.  

David started with the production on the audio side 10 years ago getting into moving lights 5 years later. He lit the first production of “Superstar” with 8 RoboScan 812 moving mirrors and a 2308 controller but now incorporates RoboColor 400s and other RoboScan moving mirrors along with Magnum 2000 fog machines. The lighting is controlled from a Martin Case I.  With the scanners, he has been able to replace a number of the conventional units and he hopes to incorporate moving heads in the near future. David comments, “All of my clients are amazed by the number of compliments they receive from the audience, which in turn gives me more work.  When I get compliments like ‘The lighting on this show was as good as a big Broadway show’ that helps me a great deal in gaining new customers.”

David’s lighting design for “Superstar” is certainly impressive, but it is the durability and toughness of Martin products that really amazes him. “In 2000 we had a vandalism incident occur at Goodrich High School in Fond du lac, Wisconsin where I was the technical director. I would often have my own lights there for various productions - Bravo Productions, Fond du lac Community Theatre and school productions. We were in production of "To Kill a Mockingbird" for the high school when vandals gained access to the theatre balcony by smashing the glass out of the balcony door. They threw a followspot and my tree of RoboColor Pro 400s and RoboScan 812s to the floor below.  After the fall onto concrete from 30 feet, the RoboColors were still functional and the 812s just needed to be bent back into shape. Of all the Martin lights, the lamps survived and one is still going. The vandals did over $180,000 in damage to the building and were caught two months later. Both got prison time.”