Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ was first performed in 1602; since then, actors have been portraying Viola and Orsinio around the world. When Australia’s Queensland Theatre mounted their production of Shakespeare’s classic, they chose to use a revolve that required wireless DMX. “The stunning set design [by Tracy Grant Lord] was on an 11m revolve with a sea of set LX; the show also featured four musicians, three of which are on the revolve for the show. With that being the case, the Ethernet in our slip ring was dedicated to the sound team for the show to ensure that we could get signal back to the FOH console. As such, I knew that we needed a reliable wireless DMX system for lighting that could span multiple universes –three in our case– given the degree of control required,” explains Dan Maddison, Technical Coordinator at the theatre for the past 11 years.
There are several pieces on stage that required wireless control. “The majority of control was required for the Minleon RGB Digital String Lights; with RGB control over each lamp, the parameter count grew very quickly. The custom canopy from Lejin Christmas Lights contained a mix of LED Festoon and bud light controlled via a series of DMX Decoders with wireless data via RC4 products. There were also four hero lamps that we fitted out with RGBW SMD strip. These were controlled via constant voltage LED drivers with wireless data; with each shell being 250mm in diameter these deliver a beautiful effect,” says Maddison.
Wireless control was critical to the production. “We wouldn’t have been able to proceed without wireless connectivity, particularly with no more space available in the custom slip ring I had built. RC4 played an integral role in the show,” remarks Maddison.
For the Twelfth Night wireless system, Maddison turned to 6 RC4Magic 900SX DMXio Transceivers, 3 RC4M-900SX DMX4dim-500 High Power 4-Channel Wireless Dimmers and a RC4M-900SX DMX2dim 2-channel wireless dimmer. Maddison notes: “The DMX4dims 500s were used to control the musician LED sconce lights on the revolve; the DMX4dim-500s also provided smooth dimming for the Firefly LED bud light that was incorporated into the scenic foliage. The DMX2dim was used off the revolve to control the percussion sconce light.” Lighting Designer Ben Hughes also wanted individual control of the Minleon RGB Digital Festoon. Maddison explains, “We had to configure the controllers to be a DMX to Art-Net bridge to ensure we could plug and play with the RC4 receivers. This allowed 170 lights per universe -510 channels, with 3 channels per lamp. RC4 technology was used from start to finish.”
The RC4 900 series products were located throughout the revolve. “All LX data on the revolve were run via the three RC4 transceivers. There were two key locations where we were able to hide all of the LX control: The first was the day bed. This piece of furniture had quite a lot of space underneath for concealment of gear, and as such, it became the primary hub for LX requirements. The second was the faux grand piano center stage. The composition for the show called for a keyboard thankfully so we were able to use the space within the grand, since the sound board had been previously gutted).Other smaller control items were concealed within traps in the floor,” explains the Technical Director.
Maddison used RC4’s 900 Series of products, which is ideal for customers in the US, Canada, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. “From the onset, we were very mindful of congestion in the 2.4GHz spectrum. As such, we made the decision–after consultation with Jim [James D. Smith, President and Chief Product Developer of RC4 Wireless] to add to our 900MHz infrastructure; with the ability to use our unique IDs with the associated Channel Mask we were set to go. Using the new RC4 Commander configuration software we were also able to check all of the configuration settings on all units to ensure they were set accordingly and running the same firmware,” Maddison says.
There were several other pieces that required wireless DMX. Maddison says: “We had a DMX iso splitter on one of the universes that was connected to the RC4 transceiver; we also had a Jands 4Pak D that we use to facilitate 2 channels of MR16s –3 lights per circuit. With the ability to address the 4Pak D, we could then control this from an external control device as you would with any slave device.”
Maddison has been depending on RC4 Wireless products “proudly since 2012. “ For people who are RC4 Wireless curious, Maddison advises, “Give RC4 a go. Their equipment is robust, reliable and has done everything we have ever thrown its way, which is a lot! In terms of service, Jim is only ever an email away in the event of any issues, and response times are always within 12hrs which is exceptional support given the time zone differences.”
When ‘The World of Snoopy’ took to the stage last summer at Theatre Aspen, the design team had a challenge: find a way to create wireless illuminated boxes and an LED doghouse that didn’t wash out on stage. “The original design concept all came from the idea of the Peanut squares; cartoons exist in these little squares that you read across, so the background was a series of squares that would light up. they just weren’t bright enough as far as we were concerned,” explains Lighting Designer Paul Black.
‘The World of Snoopy’ was comprised of 20 different vignettes that played out in two acts. “It introduced all of the regular Peanuts characters, and like the Peanuts strip, it had little sections that were lifted from the original cartoon. There wasn’t a plot line; the only consistent theme was Snoopy. There was Snoopy’s Red Baron moment, Snoopy’s writing moment, and then you’d cut to various things, like Sally at school, there were Charlie Brown and Lucy as a psychologist; it had all of those classic Peanuts moments,” says Black.
Each Peanuts character had a box and an assigned color; however, when a box left a character, it would change color. Black explains: “The characters started the show standing on top of their box; they’d get a special on their face and their spots; after that, all bets were off. For example, when Linus did his song about the Great Pumpkin, all of the boxes were piled around Linus, and we lit them orange, so they all looked like pumpkins.” In another scene, Woodstock t made a nest out of several boxes, and they turned yellow. “It was a two-hour show, so it was important that they could last two hours and be lit, but had also had to be bright enough, because it’s a cartoon. It couldn’t be dark and moody lighting, it had to be really bright,” Black adds.
The RC4 DMX4dim was key to making the boxes work. “When the set and props arrived at Theater Aspen – it originally started at Texas State – it was sort of dim. We rebuilt the LED cores and RC4 products were the dimming solution,” says Black.
Lighting Supervisor Colin Riebel used some technical magic to make the boxes stage ready. “The cores are something that I’ve seen done a lot with RC4 gear—you’re wrapping LED tape over a PVC center and putting the battery and the RC4 unit inside all of that. Colin was able to maximize that tape and the RC4 dimmer to get the blocks to actually be bright enough to see them,” Black adds.
There were six boxes that used during the show. “Each box had either a 10” or 12” PVC pipe that was wrapped with standard 12 volt RGB LED tape, and that went into the RC4 DMX4dim unit. Underneath that was an end cap for a drainage pipe; that’s what I secured the battery to; the DMX4dim sat on top of the battery with a power switch and a charging port. That whole assembly then got bolted to the bottom of the interior of the box, so the assembly would not move at all. So the performers were able to pick the boxes up, flip them upside down, put them where they needed them to, and the core stayed in the center,” explains Riebel.
The boxes were actually a magical part of the production. Riebel says: “While we’ve done stuff with LEDs before, there was a lot more magic in how they were used; it was a very tactile thing. Every time a performer moved or touched a box, it would change to a different color” Black adds, “This was a fun use of RC4 units because of all of the color changing and to use it in an interactive kind of way; the interplay of color helped tell the story, which then helped her tell the story of this new musical.”
There were a total of six RC4Magic Series 3 SX DMX4dims used for the boxes; however, the boxes weren’t the only pieces to use the RC4 equipment. “The doghouse was made out of the same Plexiglas as the boxes; it got pushed all over the place and it also had to light up. It only lit red, and it was really dim when it arrived,” notes Black.
Riebel explains what he did to make Snoopy’s doghouse pop: “The big problem was that it was red and needed to be bright enough to be seen with all the stage lights on and be on the entire time. We lined it with 15 meters of red LED tape, and then split up over four channels on one RC4 DMX4dim dimmer. I had two big motorcycle batteries inside the doghouse powering it all, so we were able to run it for the entire show. Inside Snoopy’s doghouse; we built a little wooden box that hid the two batteries, and the dimmer. It also had a power switch and a charge port. So it was a self-contained unit that was built for the interior of the doghouse.”
The budget was also a consideration for the projection. “When we started talking about this project, we knew about RC4 and we had the RC4 solution that I was able to say ‘Yes, definitely, we can do this. Let’s go down this road. We can make this happen,’ and that was really exciting. It’s always nice to say ‘yes, we can do this.’ If we had to do this using City Theatrical equipment, we couldn’t have done it because we couldn’t afford it; it also would have been too heavy and too big,” notes Black.
Both Black and Riebel are longtime RC4 users. “I love RC4 equipment. It’s one of my favorite things to work with, especially for these type of projects. I love working with LEDs, and the RC4 products are easy to use with them. I’m a huge fan and proponent of RC4,” says Riebel. Black adds, “We love RC4 units; we put it on lots of shows, we recommend them and tell our theaters to purchase them.”
‘The World of Snoopy,’ which is licensed by the estate of Charles Schultz, has been performed in three different theaters. “They want to send it out on tour; if they do, there will be even more RC4 Wireless gear on it,” Black concludes.
Tony Kushner’s epic two-part drama Angels in America was first seen at Britain’s National Theatre back in 1992. Now to celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary, the plays have returned to the National, in a new production directed by Marianne Elliott and with lighting by Paule Constable (a duo whose previous collaborations have included War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), alongside scenic design by Ian MacNeil and costume design by Nicky Gillibrand, whose work together has included Billy Elliot.
From the earliest model showings Laurie Clayton, the lighting supervisor for the National’s Lyttelton Theatre where the show was to be performed, knew that it would present a number of challenges. In particular, there was a desire to include lighting in elements of scenery carried on the show’s three revolves plus separate rim revolve yet there was no depth in those revolves to incorporate slip rings to power that lighting. And there were many practicals that would either travel on stage as part of moving scenery or be carried on stage by the cast and set on the revolves or other areas of the set, which spread across every inch of the Lyttelton’s stage and beyond.
But Clayton already knew the solution to these challenges: RC4 wireless dimming. And not only did he know the solution, but he had quite a stock of RC4 products already available in-house to implement that solution.
“I think the first time we used RC4 products was on One Man, Two Guvnors back in 2011, when we bought one transmitter and six two-way dimmer modules. We used the same set-up on the tour, and they worked flawlessly,” he explains. “Since then we’ve added to our stock as we’ve needed to for productions such as Curious Incident and Great Britain, so we have a pretty good stock of RC4’s products in-house now. But the demands for Angels in America were so great that even with that stock, we had to do some shopping, adding a further ten dimmer modules of various types.” The additional units were quickly delivered by RC4’s UK distributor, Lamp & Pencil.
Angels in America’s RC4 kit list features 10 RC4Magic DMX4dim four-way dimmer modules, two RC4Magic DMX4dim-500 high-capacity dimmer modules, and 20 RC4Magic DMX2dim two-way dimmer modules. Some are mounted to scenery, some hidden in stand-alone furniture, and some concealed in individual practical light fittings: as well as a good stock of RC4 dimmer modules, the National also has a healthy stock of batteries and battery chargers to power everything. During the tech period, the National’s lighting team found good LED substitutes for the tungsten lamps originally fitted in some of these practicals, which presented no problems to the RC4 dimmers and dramatically extended the working life of the batteries. “Plus the RC4s great control of LEDs meant we had no problems at all when the TV cameras came in for the NT Live world-wide broadcast of the shows,” Laurie Clayton notes. He also comments particularly on the compact dimensions of the RC4 units, which lets them be hidden away in even the smallest of props or tightest of spaces: “no-one else makes anything as small.”
All of the receivers are fed by one RC4Magic DMXio transmitter, mounted behind the proscenium on one side of the stage. “The signal from that gets everywhere; we have had no problems at all with coverage, which is pretty impressive given that we’re using the full width and depth not just of the stage but of the scene docks behind and next to the stage!” However, the RC4 system’s unique ID ensures that there is no chance of interference with RC4 systems in use in the National’s other two auditoria.
While most of the RC4 units are used very traditionally, as wireless dimmers, one is used for a more complex effect: a telephone switchboard has a Raspberry Pi computer hidden inside to detect which buttons on it are pushed by the actor. This information is transmitted via WiFi to the sound control computer to trigger the relevant sound effect; the sound desk then triggers the ETC Gio lighting console via the OSC protocol, which then turns on the appropriate light in the switchboard via RC4 dimmers.
Though Angels in America is now approaching the end of its National Theatre run, the National’s RC4 stock will be kept busy with uses already lined up on the company’s next two productions. “They’re a great product,” Laurie Clayton notes, “tiny, versatile, reliable, do just what they promise, and with great support from the manufacturer and their distributor here on the odd occasion when something does go wrong or, more likely, when you need to make the dimmers do something no-one’s ever made them do before.”
Girlstar, which closed in mid-November at the Signature Theater of Arlington, Virginia is a modern fairy tale described as “The Voice meets Maleficent.” Anton Dudley wrote the book and lyrics, while the lighting design was provided by Jason Lyons. The production was one of the largest that has ever played the theater. A crucial part of the magic that made Girlstar a hit was possible because of RC4 Wireless of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Creating the magic that was entwined throughout the production was a challenge. Lyons explains, “The craziest and most fun trick came from the sorceress- legendary record producer Daniella Espere (actress Donna Migliaccio). Her hands needed to glow green several times throughout the show as she was working her spells and then at the end of the play fade to red as her power starts to wane.”
The Signature’s head electrician, Sarah LaRue, was charged with creating that effect. LaRue asks, “How do you make hands light up? We went back and forth– is it going to be a prop, is it going to be a costume or is it electrics? What is it?”
At first, LaRue looked at LED gloves; they didn’t work at all. So she began the process of research, and found an unexpected solution: LED headlights for cars and motorcycles. “They come in a bunch of different diameters; we measured the actors hand to determine what size to get; we basically used this car headlight as a bracelet and sewed it inside her costume,” she explains. The solution was perfect, and was used in several of Migliaccio’s costumes. “For the final scene– we called it the nightmare scene–she had two colors in there, a green and a red. They turned green, then red and then they went back to green during her demonic transformation,” LaRue notes. The headlight was also used for Uncle Derek (actor Bobby Smith) “when his heart had to pulse red as the magic was taking hold,” explains Lyons.
Then there was the Jar of Souls– filled with Galaxy Goo and an LED headlight– that descended from the air. “We wanted to keep it as light and seemingly floating, so it flew in on the thinnest of aircraft cable. But we were able to get a battery and an RC4 unit into the base that allowed the Jar to glow from within,” notes Lyon.
The RC4 units that controlled the Jar of Souls and the headlights used for Migliaccio and Smith were DMX2dims. “The RC4 DMX2dim is very small, and it’s extremely reliable. We wanted it to light up every time it’s used, and it did,” LaRue states. The DMX2dim is a two channel, 16 amp dimmer that features RC4 OneTouch for quick and simple assignment of DMX channels and dimmer curves. RC4 Digital Persistence is also part of the DMX2dim, with basic options controlled via OneTouch. “RC4’s Digital Persistence makes those LED headlights respond like traditional halogen headlights, with very smooth dimming and a natural fade-out when turned off, explains James D. Smith, President and Chief Product Developer at RC4 Wireless.
The DMX2dim could also be found in a prop guitar. LaRue notes, “I drilled holes right below the bridge and ran six individual lengths of EL wire from inside the guitar and then up to the pins, stringing it like normal guitar strings. Inside the guitar there was a splitter and an inverter for the EL wire which connected to the DMX2dim pack.” There was also an automated Plexiglas stage that used RGBW tape which was controlled via two RC4 DMX2dim units.
LaRue has been a long time user of the RC4Magic DMX2dim. “The first time I needed some sort of wireless control was for Witches of Eastwick; we needed a fake fireplace to light up and come on stage. At the time, the other wireless dimmers on the market were really large and bulky, and I was looking for something smaller,” she says. LaRue has been using original RC4Magic DMX2dim wireless dimmers at the Signature since 2007; the theater has also purchased a handful of newer models, along with two new units on loan from Ford’s Theatre. Smith notes, “Our original RC4Magic dimmers, released in late 2006, provided simple, bare-bones, work-horse features. It was a rock-solid wireless dimmer with linear and inverse-square-law dimmer curves and 14-bit resolution at the power outputs. That resolution made LEDs look pretty good, but it would be a few years before high-frequency 16-bit resolution eliminated visible stepping almost entirely. The extended features and performance introduced in RC4Magic Series 3 — a PLASA London Award for Innovation winner in 2014 — are astonishing in comparison to where this journey began. It’s the equivalent of moving from a flip-phone to a smartphone.”
Lyons found RC4 a few years later on Saved at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre in 2010. He needed a pregnancy test to light up on cue each and every night. “We needed something bright enough to be seen, but small enough to be wirelessly controlled in the palm of her hand. With RC4’s equipment [specifically the Series 2 DMX4dim], we were able to create a rather incredible and effective moment with something so small and powerful, that allowed us to hit that perfect moment onstage every night to help tell the story. There was nothing else that could have done that- we were able to make something so small a powerful wireless controllable light. It kind of blew my mind because up to that point I did not think something like that was possible,” Lyons admits.
When asked if she’d recommend RC4 and their products, LaRue replies with a hearty, “Yes. First and foremost, the customer service is always phenomenal- I can ask them any questions, big or small, and they’ll always have an answer for me in a timely manner.”
Lyons has a very similar answer. “I know when I have an idea or an issue that I can call RC4 to get info and solutions that help me get my work done every day. Not all shows are the same and not every wireless moment is the same, and it’s so helpful to have such a range of gear to choose from to allow us to dream up new ideas and new ways of creating theatre magic. Sometimes having these kinds of moments on a show can be daunting or worrisome, but I’m always happy to have RC4 products on a show as the experiences I’ve had with them give me the confidence to know these will be solid and effective effects.”
Girlstar ended their run at the Signature Theater on the 15th of November 2015.
From the opening of George and Ira Gershwin’s timeless score for An American in Paris through to the final note, the RC4WirelessRC4Magic Series 3 wireless DMX and Dimming System plays a leading role in free-flowing seamless moves from one enchanting scene to another. With some of the world’s finest ballet dancers telling this classic tale, there simply is no place for power cables to run across any part of this stage.
Originally produced in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet, the show’s RC4Wireless gear was supplied by AVAB Transtechnik France. Production Electrician Michael Pitzer explains the extensive gear list in the show. “We are using a RC4Magic DMXio transceiver as the transmitter, four more DMXio receivers, ten RC4Magic DMX2dim 2-channel dimmers, four RC4Magic DMX4dim 4-channel dimmers, and eight RC4Magic DMX4dim-500 high-power 4-channel dimmers. They control a variety of sources, from single lamp sconces and cabaret table lights to multiple circuits of birdies on the Baurel Stage. In the Morris Columns and Shop Counters they are driving several circuits of incandescent lamps and sending DMX out to LED fixtures.” All 22 scenic and prop pieces are controlled using RC4Magic devices. The overall aesthetic of the show is markedly enhanced by this untethered approach, helping realize Natasha Katz, Bob Crowley and Christopher Wheeldon’s beautiful vision.
Having previously used RC4Magic systems in a number of productions, including Once and On The Town, Mr. Pitzer was confident that the show would arrive fit and ready for installation in the Palace Theatre in the heart of Times Square. Only the RC4Magic system supplies unique digital IDs to every customer and project. This means nobody has to go to the theatre next door or across the street, asking if they already use RC4Magic and try to determine what ID they are using. EveryRC4Magic customer and project is unique and will never interfere with any other, worldwide.
The RC4Magic Series 3 system has taken the world by storm since its release at PLASA London in 2014, where it received the PLASA Award for Innovation. That was followed by an Honorable Mention at the LDI New Product Awards.
About RC4 Wireless
Winner of the 2014 PLASA Award for Innovation, RC4 Wireless has specialized in low-voltage dimming for arts and entertainment since 1991. RC4 products are used in top venues around the world, including New York City’s Radio City Music Hall and London’s National Theatre, and supporting touring artists including Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. RC4 products are recognized for their reliability and their compact size, making them ideal for easy integration into props, costumes, and set pieces.
Palace Theatre opened in 1913 and became one of the world’s most famous vaudeville movie house—until its demise in the 1930s. In 1965 the Nederlanders purchased and renovated the theater, which became legitimate in 1966 with the opening of Sweet Charity.
After further renovations, the theater was transformed in 1994 as it housed Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and later Aida.
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