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lighting design

Christian Van Horn and Karen Cargill in 'Bluebeard's Castle.' iPhoto caption: Christian Van Horn and Karen Cargill in 'Bluebeard's Castle.'

REVIEW: COC’s Bluebeard’s Castle/Erwartung is a hypnotic exploration of light

Rather than retread the ground of an overall analysis, I’d like to zoom in on an element that particularly interested me: Simonovitch Prize-winning designer Robert Thomson’s expressionistic lighting for Bluebeard’s Castle, which nicely enriches the opera’s ambiguous psychological landscape.

By Liam Donovan / May 14, 2026
iPhoto caption: Space Girl production shot by Joey Senft.

For lighting designer Hailey Verbonac, Indigenous design is in the details

Hailey Verbonac is a trailblazing designer — and budding rap lyricist. At least that’s the case with regard to his work on Space Girl, a new play by Frances Koncan that Prairie Theatre Exchange is presenting digitally following a live run in 2023.

By Nathaniel Hanula-James / Jan 19, 2024

An open letter to lighting designers

At a time when theatres are struggling to get their pre-pandemic audiences back, it’s shocking that strobe lights are still featured in many productions. They might seem like a splashy yet innocuous design choice, but they are at best a barrier for potential audience members — and, at worst, they have painful consequences.

By Hannah Foulger / Dec 27, 2023

Healthy Choices, Healthy Marriages, and Healthy Genitals

I recently realized that my four closest friends presently are all women who have broken up with me. I guess I just like surrounding myself with people who make wise life choices.

By Tony Nappo / Mar 16, 2021