November 2021 Newsletter - City Theatrical Welcomes Al Crawford as GM, Moving Light Hangers, Mitchell Fenton Interview, and Custom Work

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November 2021 Newsletter

Help Us Welcome Al Crawford to City Theatrical!

Al Crawford

City Theatrical is proud to welcome NYC-based lighting professional Al Crawford to its leadership team as General Manager starting on January 1, 2022. Mr. Crawford has worked globally in a broad variety of genres, with vast experience in the fields of dance, touring, live events, film, video, and theatrical consultation. He has been an entrepreneur and manager of teams that support the creation and implementation of new lighting and scenic projects worldwide. Mr. Crawford will use his problem solving skills, people and project management techniques, and vast understanding of the unique needs of lighting professions and the entertainment industry as a whole to lead City Theatrical in this new role.

Read press release

"Al has a unique leadership style gained from many years working on tour and in large entertainment projects. He can assess any situation, make decisions, and take action quickly. He knows our industry, the challenges, and how to solve the needs of lighting professionals. He represents the voice of our customer, and we look forward to a strong 2022 and beyond with Al’s leadership at City Theatrical."

- Gary Fails, Founder and President, City Theatrical (Read the press release)

Safety Documentation for Moving Light Hangers

Long running shows that utilize a lot of moving lights (think Broadway, Las Vegas, theme parks, or cruise ships) regularly remove moving lights from the rig for repair and maintenance. Unless the new fixture is placed in exactly the same spot as the old one, refocusing is required. City Theatrical exclusive Moving Light Hangers allow moving lights to be swapped out with the new light in absolutely the same place as the old one. The key to the design is a tapered alignment seat that locks dead on, removing all possible variation. Read this new safety document for Moving Light Hangers' Tee Slot for Integral Split Coupler (P/N 138), Tee Slot for Unistrut® (P/N 137), and Tee Slot (P/N 130) to learn more.

Explore Moving Light Hangers

City Theatrical Interviews LD Mitchell Fenton

Mitchell Fenton

Mitchell Fenton is an Australian-born, NYC-based lighting designer. Over the past 15 years, Mitchell's work has been seen all over the world, with recent credits including: MsTRIAL (Off-Broadway), Dublin Nights (European Tour), Ballet Revolution (London, Germany, Dubai, Australia), and various shows for Norwegian Cruise Line, including Swing!, Prohibition The Musical, and Legends in Concert.

We spoke to Mitchell to learn more about his past, present, and future as a lighting designer. Read our designer interview to learn more about his background, what he's working on now, and what's next.

Read interview

Mitch at the Tech Table for Sound Of The Silk Road

in Xi’an, China

"The life of a lighting designer is constantly working with other creatives to realize the concept, design, and feel for a production. It is extremely long hours and hard work but the payoff of creating good work makes it all worth it."

- Mitchell Fenton, Lighting Designer (Read the interview)

November 2021 Custom Work

City Theatrical custom ColorForce II 48" Twotone Barndoors

Every month, we do dozens of custom projects for customers all over the world. These projects include entertainment lighting, architectural lighting, and OEM development projects for other companies. Custom projects give us a chance to use all of our experience, knowledge, and capability.

Tell us about your challenges, submit a custom order, and you could see your project in next month's newsletter.