UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State School of Theatre lighting design students Nicolas Baror, Finnegan Gavelli and Nolan Kocsi will assist in lighting design for the off-Broadway production of James McLure’s “Lone Star” at Theatre Row in New York City.
For one week leading up to the Nov. 25 opening of “Lone Star,” the trio of students will assist the show’s creative team in its final preparations and rehearsals for opening night.
The students will be under the guidance of the show’s lighting designer, Christian Specht, clinical assistant professor of lighting at the Penn State’s School of Theatre. The students will also work with DeAnna Howard, a freelance lighting designer and theater alumna who graduated from the University in 2020.
Director of the School of Theatre Rick Lombardo said the collaboration represents a unique opportunity for the students to gain practical experience in a professional setting while applying the knowledge and skills acquired during their studies.
“One of the benefits of having faculty who are also engaged professionally in creative work is that it allows our students to access and observe work in multiple professional settings,” Lombardo said. “This experiential learning is an important part of the training of young professionals in theater.”
“Lone Star” takes place in the cluttered backyard of a small-town Texas bar. Roy, a brawny macho type, is back in town, battling symptoms of PTSD after a hitch in Vietnam. Joined by his younger brother Ray, this hilarious and poignant study of a pair of Texas “good ole boys” explores the depths of brotherhood and the scars to be dealt with from battles fought at home and abroad.
Presented by Ruth Stage, the show will open on Nov. 25 and run through Dec. 23. Tickets can be purchased on Theatre Row’s website.