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Gilbert Vaughn Hemsley Jr.

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Gilbert Vaughn Hemsley Jr. (1936–1983) was a noted United States lighting designer and teacher of lighting design.

Biography

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He was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1936.[1]

Hemsley studied history at Yale (B.A. 1957), earned an M.F.A. at Yale Drama School in 1960,[2] and worked as assistant to lighting designers Jean Rosenthal and Tharon Musser.[2] His first institutional position was at Princeton University’s McCarter Theater (1960-1963), during the dawn of the American Regional Theater movement. He quickly rose from technical manager to Associate Producer.[3] He was already prominent enough to be put forward as a potential founding member of the APA-Phoenix, an early link between regional theater and Broadway.[4]

He was production manager for the inaugurations of U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter, and for massive stage events like Einstein on the Beach,[5] and U.S. tours by the Bolshoi Opera and Bolshoi Ballet.[6] Other large-scale events for which he handled both Production Management and Lighting included American tours of The Performing Arts Company of the People's Republic of China,[7] Stuttgart Ballet,[7] and National Ballet of Cuba[7]

But he is best known for his work as a lighting designer on Broadway,[8][9][10] at numerous regional theatres, dance companies,[11][12] New York City Opera,[13] Miami Opera,[14] Chicago Lyric Opera,[15] Wolf Trap Opera,[16] Opera Company of Boston,[17] and as the lighting director at the New York City Opera. Hemsley taught lighting design at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and was celebrated there for his generosity with students, many of whom served as assistants at New York City Opera and elsewhere.

He died[18] in 1983.

Legacy

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A 150-seat black box theatre on the UW campus is named for him. A notable attendee of his memorial service in New York City was Beverly Sills, who announced the establishment in Hemsley's name of apprenticeship funds at New York City Opera and at Wisconsin. A not-for-profit was set up to continue his legacy of training and career opportunities for early-career lighting designers. [19]

Many of his students, assistants, and mentorship-beneficiaries have gone on to careers (including directing and management, as well as design) at the major performing arts producing organizations in the United States. These include New York City Opera, New York City Ballet, Chicago Lyric Opera, The George Balanchine Trust, Public Broadcasting System, and various Broadway shows. [20] Even non-technical theater students recall his influence on their career, like actor Tom Wopat. .[21] Hemsley outlined his teaching philosophy in conference panels on which he participated. [22]

References

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  1. ^ "Biography". Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  2. ^ a b "In His Own Words". Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  3. ^ Lockwood, William W. (10 March 1963). "McCarter At Mid-Season". Princeton Alumni Weekly. LXIV (20): 12–16.
  4. ^ Laming, Dorothy W. Ellis Rabb: A Man Of Repertory (Ph.D. thesis). University Microfilms. p. 271. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  5. ^ Barnes, Clive (1976-11-23). "Einstein on the Beach Transforms Boredom Into Memorable Theater". NY Times. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  6. ^ Bender, William (July 7, 1975). "Music: The Other Bolshoi". Time. New York NY. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Aronson, Arnold (Spring 1979). "Gil Hemsley with the Chinese". Theater Design and Technology. XV (1): 6–9. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  8. ^ Rich, Frank (8 April 1983). "Stage: New Porgy and Bess Stars Original Score". NY Times. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  9. ^ Taylor, Angela (3 January 1979). "Stage: Monteith & Rand on Broadway". NY Times. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  10. ^ Kerr, Walter (9 October 1979). "Stage: Sugar Babies, Burlesque Is Back". NY Times. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  11. ^ Barnes, Clive (26 June 1970). "Dance: Unfinished River". NY Times. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  12. ^ Kisselgoff, Anna (4 April 1985). "Dance: Martha Graham". NY Times. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  13. ^ Holland, Bernard (28 February 1982). "City Opera: Traviata is Opener". NY Times. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  14. ^ Henahan, Donal (21 January 1981). "Miami Opera: Nabucco". NY Times. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Lyric Opera history". Lyric Opera of Chicago. Retrieved 4 December 2023. Lighting Designers
  16. ^ Hume, Paul (14 June 1980). "Sarah Caldwell's Aideal 'Aida'". Washington Post. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  17. ^ Downs, Joan; Bender, William (12 April 1976). "Music: Three for the Opera". Time Magazine. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  18. ^ Kerr, Peter (6 September 1983). "Gilbert V. Hemsley, 47, is dead". NY Times. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Hemsley Lighting Programs". Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  20. ^ Barbour, David (October 2023). "The Hemsley Legacy". Lighting and Sound America. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  21. ^ Brady Schwind (18 October 2019). "Tom Wopat, Up Close and Personal at The Beach Cafe". Broadway World. Retrieved 29 May 2024. And there was a guy named Gilbert Hemsley, who was kind of a world famous lighting designer at the time
  22. ^ USITT National Office (November 1974). "Report on PATE Program American Theater Association Convention-Minneapolis" (PDF). USITT Sightlines Newsletter. XIV (5): 10–11.
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