Future Husker University students learn about theatre lighting

During the course “See the Light: Stage Lighting & Color” for Future Husker University, Assistant Professor of Theatre Michelle Harvey turned different colored lights on Lil’ Red so students could see what he looked like in different light.
During the course “See the Light: Stage Lighting & Color” for Future Husker University, Assistant Professor of Theatre Michelle Harvey turned different colored lights on Lil’ Red so students could see what he looked like in different light.

Assistant Professor of Theatre Michelle Harvey taught the course “See the Light: Stage Lighting & Color” for the Nebraska Alumni Association’s Future Husker University on July 9.

“As an alumnus and second-year professor, I was excited to participate in the Future Huskers program this summer,” Harvey said. “We welcomed the young students and their guardians to the Temple Building, many for the first time and jumped into the properties of lighting design with a focus on the color. By the end of the class, there was a whole theatre of lighting designers.”

In the course, she helped students explore how reflected colored light affects the things we see day to day. Students enjoyed the art of designing the color, shape and intensity with those lights.

In one exercise, students attempted to sort M&Ms into their respective colors in different colors of light. In another exercise, students helped set different scenarios using different colors and intensity (such as Winter Wonderland, Under the Ocean, Horror, etc.).

In the afternoon session, popular Husker mascot Lil’ Red made an appearance so students could see how his appearance changed in different colors of light.

“I love connecting the dots of how we see light on a daily basis and how to perceive that in the theatre in all my classes,” Harvey said. “These young designers cued up their friends in the ocean, a swamp, a winter wonderland, a blazing desert, and more all by changing the color of light. A pop in by Lil’ Red was a fabulous treat for the afternoon class.”

Future Husker University was for students ages 7-13 and their parents and grandparents.

To see more photos from the class, visit our Facebook page at https://go.unl.edu/utx2.

To learn more about the annual Future Husker University, visit the Nebraska Alumni Association’s website at https://go.unl.edu/ofa3.