The programme at the Vorarlberger Landestheater is characterised by contemporary and classical drama. Nine to ten premieres, a Christmas play for families and an opera production are shown each season. The main venue is the Bregenz Kornhaus and it is there that the working lights have been replaced by new SmartArena fixtures. Head of Lighting, Arndt Rössler explains the background of the installation and its advantages.
“Due to the extension of the playing area to the orchestra pit, an extension of the working light became necessary. The previous working light was not satisfactory, especially with larger stage sets and black curtains. Therefore, I started looking for possibilities to improve the lighting with LED technology, with regard to a complete conversion of the working light to LED.
Trials with cheaper versions yielded unsatisfactory results:
- Too much glare
- Too fragile build (in terms of stability and heat dissipation)
- Flicker effect (too low frequency, therefore dangerous for working with rotating tools)
The advantages that led to the purchase of SmartArena work lights:
- Solid workmanship; the housing and the bracket are solid and durable, conveying reliability.
- The cooling fins allow fan-free operation and are definitely not undersized
- Experience with theatre demands is evident, e. g. in the possibility of DMX controllability, which I decided against. Working light should remain exactly that and not be used too much artistically, even though I do notice that I like it almost too much artistically.
- No flicker
- Uniform light distribution and a good beam angle for our stage size (grid floor approx. 14 metres, portal width approx. 10 metres, portal height variable up to max. 5.80 metres)
- Good glare reduction due to the honeycomb attachment. Experience has shown that a higher position, as on the forestage, allows a more vertical and wider angle and therefore means less glare.
- The light temperature is very good for preventing fatigue and yet not too cold.
- Very good support and advice from Preworks.
These are basically the reasons for the purchase and our experience with it. In terms of stage technology, the improvement was very well received and we are thinking about an extension.”
Location: Vorarlberger Landestheater, www.landestheater.org
Head of Lighting: Arndt Rössler
Equipment employed: SmartArena Solo Tera 2.0 Basic
Product infos: SmartArena Theater.pdf
Photos: Peter Durstberger
Distributor: Preworks GmbH, www.preworks.at
SmartArena sales and support: Contact
