Brian S. Allard

Theatre

I have been designing lights for theatre since 1999 and for dance since 2007. My goal is to create a cohesive look that accentuates the work of the director, actors, and other designers. Through research and renderings, I attempt to create a language to describe what light can do to serve the vision of the playwright and director.

All production still photographs in these galleries were taken by me.

To see examples of light plots, magic sheets, and paperwork, please contact me. My resume can be found here. A printable version can be found here and includes contact information.

Please click on the photo to view portfolio.

The Gallerist
“[Rorschach also seems] to have an astute sense of how color and light can work in a deeply psychological way on stage… Delicate pastel colors were selected for the lighting, costume and prop design, so when the whole stage goes blood-red without warning, for example, it makes your neck hair stand up a little bit.”
- Liz Maestri, The Pink Line Project, January 24, 2012.

The Gallerist
“Brian S. Allard’s lighting design heightens the play’s emotions, swelling to red during tense scenes or incorporating colored hues that stand in for Laura’s compelling paintings. The artwork is just one example of director Tripp having the restraint to withhold what’s best left to the audience’s imagination: the image of a painting with the power to trap the very essence of a creature’s soul.”
- Missy Frederick, Washingtonian, After Hours Blog, January 24, 2012.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
“Ingenious set design by Joseph Musumeci works with lighting designer Brian Allard to create all kinds of moods, from raucous scenes of delirious fun to somber moments of Lilly’s dreaded time in the “Un-cooperative” chair for misbehaving.”
- Debbie Jackson, DC Theatre Scene, September 30, 2011.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
“Lighting by Brian S. Allard and sound by Neil McFadden work together to make the tone and moods of the characters come alive. During most of the play, mottled, marbled lighting creates a dreamlike atmosphere, while soft, tinkling music plays in the background. These effects change to show emotional range when needed, such as anger, jealousy, sadness, and joy, and they do so subtly and effectively.”
- Julia Exline, MD Theatre Guide, September 27, 2011.

Savage in Limbo
“About that bar: Bruneau and designer Robbie Hayes push the “Limbo” idea, with the set almost spookily empty and Brian S. Allard’s lights dimmed to suggest a slightly otherworldly state. It’s a gamble; the murk could dampen the fiery play’s spirits. But they get it right, and the characters blaze.”
- Nelson Pressley, The Washington Post, September 21, 2011.

Savage in Limbo
”... Lighting Designer Brian S. Allard casts a scattered, dim light across the stage, adding to the seediness. ... Together, these designers create a fantastic atmosphere for the actors to work with.”
- Julia Exline, MD Theatre Guide, September 14, 2011.

The Real Inspector Hound
“In a fun touch, whenever one of the characters utters one of the script’s periodic ultra-ominous remarks (e.g., “I think I’ll go and oil my gun”), lighting designer Brian S. Allard amps up a footlight or two, for a luridly melodramatic effect. Sound designer Steve Baena complements these moments with sinister cadences from screechy violins.”
- Celia Wren, The Washington Post, April 26, 2011.

The Real Inspector Hound
“Lighting designer Brian Allard captures the actors in those moments, reinforcing the staccato nature of old-fashioned playwriting and helping demonstrate Stoppard’s extraordinary ability to satirize human nature, society, theater and life itself.”
- Barbara Mackay, The Washington Examiner, April 25, 2011.

The Skin of Our Teeth
“Scenic and lighting designers Robbie Hayes and Brian Allard effectively use the spacious stage including an added sublevel area, draping huge white plastic sheeting over tall steel scaffolding for the Ice Age. In the final act, the eerie lighting and mist expose bare metal burned out skyscraper-like remains after a blast. Very effective.”
- Debbie Jackson, DC Theatre Scene, July 17, 2008.

Neglect
“As written, Neglect is a quick, tough play that ends on a gut-punch to our collective moral center. I won’t say how that happens, but some clean, unfussy work by the design team (Brian S. Allard on lighting and Domenic A. Creswa on sound) ensures that Journeyman’s staging nails the all-important climax.”
- Glen Weldon, Washington City Paper, June 11, 2008.