Junior bolsters portfolio by providing guiding light for Jekyll & Hyde

By Maureen Kolodziej
Collegian Editor
November 15, 2006

Junior communication major Greg Allen is responsible for the lighting of this year’s smash hit Jekyll & Hyde.

Allen and fellow junior communication major Dave Sullivan, Vice President of Technical Affairs for the Masque, went to Canada during Fall Break to get color scrollers for the set since the price was cheaper and they had to work on a strict budget. The scrollers are special pieces that are used to make the lights change up to 24 different colors.

Allen wanted to do a project on his own to show future employers what he is capable of. He approached director Tom Reing about his idea, and the director complied. However, Allen still sought out Reing’s approval on a few things from time to time.

“I created the lighting and decided where it went,” Allen said. “For the most part, I had final say.”

Although this is the seventh production Allen worked on at La Salle, this is the first he has done all the lighting for on his own. In high school he also worked on seven shows as well.

Allen and Sullivan helped improve the theatre too. They built a desk in the back of the theatre that the lighting board is sitting on. They also painted and organized the green room where actors and actresses change clothes.

Allen and Sullivan were sometimes still up at 4 a.m. coming up with ideas to improve the show.

“It’s all about coming to the show and enjoying the lighting,” Allen said.

The most difficult part of it all for Allen was sticking to the schedule and keeping and organizing everything.

Despite Allen’s biggest problem though, finacial contraints, he was optomistic about the audience’s reception to the lighting.

“I’m proud we worked though financial difficulty.” he said. “We tried to make it better then we ever have before.”

kolodziejm1@lasalle.edu