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What did I do? Projection Electrician
Projection
This was the first show I was able to build completely from start to finish. I was fortunate enough to be asked to start this project in the summer of 2025. I was flown out to Secaucus, New Jersey so I could begin shop prep at PRG.
I spent three weeks building the show in a hot warehouse. Once everything was ready, we loaded it into a semi-truck and sent it to Cleveland so we could begin the technical process.
Plumber
All throughout high school, my goal was to work with water on stage. I don’t know exactly why, but it was always something I wanted to do. When I found out that I would be the projection electrician on this tour, I also learned that I would be the lead plumber, since I have the most plumbing knowledge, and that I would serve as the deck electrician for the show. I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to learn how to create water effects for live theatre.
Each week, I fill a 90-gallon tank with water so we can produce up to 10 gallons of rain per show. A hose runs from the tank up to the first electric truss. We use a 220V pump to push the water from the tank up into the lighting truss. There, a smaller three-gallon tank and a water heater help ensure the water does not freeze and remains safe for the performers.
The rain effect itself uses a pneumatic system that opens two PVC troughs fitted with sprinkler heads, similar to those used in a yard irrigation system. When the rain is activated, the sprinkler heads spray upward into the PVC troughs, creating a controlled trickle-down effect. The water is then collected on a pallet controlled by automation, allowing us to use a large vacuum system later to remove and reuse the water.
Cleveland Tech
I spent six weeks in Cleveland, Ohio teching and building this show using the materials they sent us from Broadway along with what I had previously built back at PRG. We spent about a week just loading in the show and figuring out how I might want to approach doing this in the future. One entire day was spent just trying to figure out what kind of motor I could use to hang the projectors. We even used a Harbor Freight hoist just to test the concept and prove that it could actually be done.
After we loaded everything in during the week, we sat down and dry-teched without the actors and programmed every day. Once the actors arrived, it was a blast figuring out how to run the show with them included.
Once tech wrapped up, it was time to open. Every day we had to clear out the programmers’ tech tables so we could let an audience come in and preview the show each night. It was important to take lots of pictures so we could remember how they wanted their table setups, so the next day when they came in it looked exactly the same as when they left.
While I was in Cleveland, I did a lot of exploring and went to some baseball games, rooting for the Guardians… just for them to knock my Astros out of the playoffs.
Process Pictures
The System
Turning on the system
Turning on the system
Turning on the system
Each week I have the honor of loading the show into a new venue. This picture shows my double-wide open rack system, which houses and organizes the equipment needed to run the show smoothly from city to city.
Hanging the Projectors
Turning on the system
Turning on the system
This Show requires me to hang 3 projectors at the front of house and 1 smaller projector upstage to light up our rear RP.
Hang Process
Turning on the system
Omnical Process
Because the projectors each weigh over 200 lbs, I use a ¼-ton “peanut” motor to hoist them. I built a custom apparatus-style structure that allows the system to use gravity to its advantage, making it safer and easier to lift and position the projectors during load-in.
Omnical Process
Turning on the system
Omnical Process
Because every theater across America has a different balcony rail and distance, I use a process called Omnical. This system allows the projectors to use cameras and D3 software to project reference dots onto the scenery, giving me real-time information about where set pieces are positioned.
Quick Adjust
Quick Adjust
Quick Adjust
After the Omnical process is complete, I then refine the system by identifying and confirming the reference points in real time using the camera photos it captured. The process is highly accurate, but the human touch adds the special detail that gives this show its heart and personality.
PJ-24
Quick Adjust
Quick Adjust
Once the front three projectors are hung and focused, I move on to hanging and focusing the final onstage projector. This unit is lighter and easier to rig to a piece of upstage truss. It is critical to position it exactly 7'4" from the RP, or the lens will not achieve the proper shot.
Check Out
Quick Adjust
Check Out
Once the entire system is powered on and the projectors are hung, we go through the checkout stack to ensure all cues are functioning correctly and that the projectors are responding properly through the D3 software. This process confirms that everything is operating as intended before moving into performances.
Some Fun
Quick Adjust
Check Out
Just us watching the Super Bowl In between shows on the Rear RP using PJ-24
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