By Meredith Heyman…
Lighting designer Ben Staton is a four-time Tony Award-nominee, whose work can be seen this season in the new Broadway musical, “Maybe Happy Ending.” Stanton spoke to Theater Pizzazz about how lighting helps to tell this musical’s story and how he incorporated his design concept into the production’s high-tech set. Stanton also reveals how his background in music has influenced his career as a lighting designer.
TP: What was your inspiration for the lighting design of “Maybe Happy Ending?”
BS: The lighting for “Maybe Happy Ending” was born out of a set of constraints. Our set designer, Dane Laffrey, created a beautiful geometric design of white boxes, frames, and video surfaces, which was perfect for the piece but presented challenges for the lighting team. We spent weeks planning our approach to lighting each scene and quickly realized that color would be a critical tool in telling this futuristic story. We started doing research and digging into the colors found in Seoul, where the musical is set in 2046. The research, coupled with the intricate set design elements, reminded me of the work of artists James Turrell, Olafur Eliasson, and Dan Flavin. Their use of rich, bold colors and their transformation of space and architecture through lighting and geometry inspired me as I designed the visual world of this production.
TP: How does lighting help to tell the story of this new musical?
BS: We used color to enhance the play’s world, emotional impact, and storytelling. We wanted to create a world that felt familiar, but not too familiar that the audience forgot that the story takes place in the future. In the show’s present, which is 2046, we used crisp, vibrant colors that stood out vividly against the set. When we enter Clair and Oliver’s memories, the video and lighting turn black and white. When Oliver sings a song fondly reminiscing about his life with his former owner, James, we present those memories in warm sepia tones, evoking the comfort and happiness Oliver feels. Lighting helps track where we are and connects to how Clair and Oliver feel about their world around them.
TP: How did you incorporate lighting into the high-tech set of moving scenery and immersive videos?
BS: It was definitely a challenge, but what made it possible was the amazing teamwork between the lighting, video, and scenic teams. Dane and George were incredibly accommodating as we worked to figure out where we could hang lights, and we all worked closely throughout the tech process to unify our designs. George, the video designer, would often check out what I was doing and respond, and I’d do the same. It was like playing jazz – it was thrilling.
I also felt a responsibility to use lighting to make sure the actors didn’t get lost in all that technology. “Maybe Happy Ending” is a small, simple story with a small cast, and it was my job to make sure the performers stood out in the technology we were using to tell the story. Everyone on the team was aware of this challenge, and we all worked together to frame the piece without overwhelming it.
TP: How has the “Maybe Happy Ending” lighting evolved from past productions to the Broadway transfer?
BS: I joined the team on Broadway, so I don’t know a lot about the lighting for previous productions. But I know we all benefited from Michael and Dane having worked on versions of the show before. Dane knew that this would be a challenging show to light, and he and I worked together to build things into the scenery that made lighting the show easier and added depth and nuance to the design.
TP: What have you learned about yourself, both personally and professionally, through this production?
BS: Designing inspired, original work on Broadway never gets old. There’s really nothing better than working with writers, directors, and designers to create something new. I’m constantly reminded of how lucky I am to do this for a living.
TP: How has your background as a musician informed your career as a lighting designer?
BS: Improvisation was my favorite aspect of playing music. When I was younger, I was a drummer in small jazz groups and combos. I loved listening to what the musicians around me were playing, supporting their choices, and responding creatively. As a theater artist, I find that telling a story collaboratively is pretty much the same. When I’m in tech on a new musical or play, I feel at home, using tools and techniques I learned playing music thirty-plus years ago.
There’s also a musical precision to the way I light shows that I think comes through in subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle ways. You can see this in the way the lighting moves in concert with the visuals, scenic shifts, and music in “Maybe Happy Ending.”
Photo Credit_ Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman