Howell Binkley designed the lighting for the recent hit Hamilton.

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Lighting Up Broadway

Tony-award winner Howell Binkley designs the lighting for theater

Scholastic Art: What is your job?

Howell Binkley: I am a lighting designer for plays and musicals. I’ve worked on many shows on Broadway, including Jersey Boys, In the Heights, and Hamilton. 

SA: What is your goal when designing the lighting for a show?

HB: My goal is to help tell the story through the lighting. With Hamilton, the action and transitions from scene to scene are very fast paced. One song ends and another one starts. I had to design the lighting so that it moved the audience’s focus as fast as the music. 

SA: What is your working process?

HB: First, I talk with the director and read the script. Knowing the material is very important. Next, I meet with the set designer, the costume designer, and other department heads. Based on these meetings, I create a lighting concept. During the technical rehearsals, I refine how the lighting works. Then the show goes into previews, and finally it opens! 

SA: How can light set the mood?

HB: Well, there are many ways. But in a quiet moment, I might use fewer lights at a low level—or dimmed—and use cold bluish lighting. That would help slow the moment down. If the moment is supposed to be chaotic or convey a sense of confusion, I might use warm, bright, harsh lighting.

SA: What technology do you use?

HB: Computers control all the lighting equipment. We call it “intelligent lighting.” Depending on what we enter into the computer, we can make the lights quickly or slowly change direction to focus on something new or change the brightness or color of the light coming from a specific light fixture. We use a lot of LED light bulbs because they can emit multiple colors, and we can easily mix them to create different color arrangements. 

SA: What do you love about your job?

HB: I love the people who I get to work with. It’s wonderful being around such collaborative, intelligent people.

Career Profile: Lighting Designer

Salary:

Lighting designers earn from $1,000 (for community theater) to $28,000 or more per production.  Broadway lighting designers can also earn royalties averaging $1,200 a week. 

 

Education:

Most lighting designers have a bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in lighting design or theater production. Some also have a master’s degree (M.A.).

 

Getting Started:

  • Work in the lighting department for your school’s drama club.
  • See many types of shows, including plays, musicals, dance, and opera.

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