For the past several months, I have been working as the Lighting Designer on the UT production of Sleuth. It was my twentieth major theatrical production, and very likely my last.

I just want to thank the amazing production team for letting me go out in style. Sure, it was (at times) an incredibly stressful process, and there was an abundance of sleepless nights for us all, but in the end we put on a show that had us saying, ‘No fucking way they allowed us to do this.’ Guess what: we did it.

I got to work with an incredible director, whose vision for the show guided us through broken glasses, creepy sailor laughs, and lots of sidelight. It was a blast. I couldn’t have done any of it without my Master Electrician. He put up with me adding crazy tower positions and using a par as a special. He wired up a desk lamp with LED strips. He helped me focus when I got behind schedule.

Our actors were also a treat to work with. UT/TAPS Presents: Brotanks will never be forgotten. You made a two and a half hour show entertaining, simultaneously gut-wrenching and hilarious. Even though you guys forgot lines and broke stuff, you made the show come to life.

Leaving theater is bittersweet, it was always going to be. All I can say is that I couldn’t have picked a better production to end on. Here comes one last fade to black.