Paul Whitaker (Lighting Designer)
Pasadena native Paul Whitaker, a lighting expert and theatrical design professor, is taking center stage as the Lighting Designer for the Children’s Theatre Company’s upcoming production of “Alice in Wonderland,” opening on Feb. 13 at the UnitedHealth Group Stage within the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minnesota.
While the show promises a whimsical and visually stunning journey down the rabbit hole, it’s Whitaker’s creative brilliance that will set the stage aglow.
Whitaker, an accomplished lighting designer with an impressive portfolio spanning architectural lighting, theater planning, and theatrical lighting design, was born and raised in Pasadena and obtained his BA from Macalester College in Saint Paul Minnesota in 1997, and his MFA in Theater Design from the Yale School of Drama in 2002.
In Minneapolis, he’s lending his expertise to this magical production as well as many other shows. In the 2023 BroadwayWorld Minneapolis/Saint Paul Awards, he was recognized for Best Lighting Design of a Play or Musical for the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, “Next to Normal,” by Theater Latte Da.
“I actually started designing lights in high school. It was something I fell into after I had a sports injury and couldn’t play sports anymore, and I just found it was something that I loved,” he said in an interview with Pasadena Now. “I love telling stories and particularly illuminating stories with light in regards to this production of ‘Alice Wonderland.’”
His connection to the Children’s Theatre Company spans 15 years, making this production a special reunion. Collaborating closely with director Peter C. Brosius and scenic and costume designer Skip Mercier, Whitaker played a vital role in shaping the visual language of the production.
“Back when we first did this production, we worked very closely together to develop the language of the production,” he said. “We spent a long time in meetings and we actually went through many versions of the set before we finally landed on something that worked for the entire production. So it was a very, very tight-knit production team with a lot of work.”
Whitaker said his approach to lighting design for the show involved creating vibrant color fields to define each scene, adding a touch of surrealism.
“One of the things we wanted to do was we wanted to make it kind of strange so it’s not realistic. So there’s always these sort of huge big bolts of color,” he said. “The other thing we did was we tried to do a lot of work with angles so that the light feels very sort of shadowy and adds interest so we can create these unique stage pictures.”
The production posed logistical challenges due to the abundance of elements and the show’s brisk pace. Whitaker expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to revisit the production, incorporating even more creative elements. One of his favorite scenes, he said, involves a captivating play with doors, shadows, and puppetry, creating a truly imaginative and theatrical gesture.
For aspiring lighting designers, Whitaker offers valuable advice: See as much theater as you can.
“Don’t just work on the show as you’re working on, but go and see everything you possibly can and every possible designer you can because everybody does things differently,” Whitaker said. “Also, it’s a great community of theatrical designers and people are always willing to talk, and so people often don’t take the initiative to call and say, ‘Hey, you’re an amazing designer, can I come and observe you?’ Most of the designers will do that in a heartbeat.”
While Whitaker works mainly in Minneapolis, his Pasadena roots remain strong. His whole family still lives in Pasadena, and his youngest son goes to Occidental College.
“Growing up in Pasadena, I was exposed to so many things and had so many opportunities to see live performances of different types,” he said. “It’s a great arts community, there’s a lot of opportunities for both kids and adults. And I think that certainly my early exposure to theater built a love of it in me. That’s what I take with me to this day.”
Whitaker’s illustrious career includes off-Broadway credits, regional accolades, and teaching experience. Between Fall 2011 and Spring 2012, he was Visiting Professor of Theatrical Design at Cal Poly Pomona.
He is also a partner at the renowned lighting design, theater planning, and audio-video design firm Schuler-Shook, with which he has been connected since 1997.
For more information about “Alice in Wonderland,” visit https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/alice-in-wonderland/.
To learn more about Paul Whitaker and his work, visit https://paulwhitakerdesigns.com/.
