The launch - attended by over 300 guests - took place at the Hybernia Theatre in central Prague. The book is the first history and analysis of theatre lighting design that brings the story bang up to date, with Yaron exploring the poetics of light and charting the evolution of lighting design against the background of contemporary performance.

The book launch – presented with a conversation between Yaron and Nick Moran, Senior Lecturer in Lighting for Live Performance, BA Theatre Practice Course Team at London’s Central School of Speech & Drama – was a huge success and one of the highlights of the 2015 PQ.

Says Robe’s CEO Josef Valchar, "it was an honour for us to partner with Yaron and stage this important book launch. His work is highly detailed, incisive and interesting, expanding in a very accessible and intelligent way several key theories relating to the art and psychology of stage lighting – everyone should read it!"

The book presentation was followed by a demonstration of Robe's latest theatre technology, including the new DL4 series of LED moving light fixtures which take tungsten emulation and dimming to new levels of excellence. This section of the day’s activities was hosted by theatre lighting designer Andy Webb from the UK, and it also highlighted the theatre’s new Robe lighting rig which was installed a month previously.

The Hybernia Theatre is the first major theatre in Prague to choose a substantial LED rig in their latest technical upgrade which has replaced the old moving lights (a competitor brand) with 60 new Robe light sources.

The fixtures include Robe's DL4S Profile, DL4F Wash and DL4X Spots, together with Actor 6 washes, PARFect 100 LED PARs and CycFX 8s plus MMX WashBeams.

The Robe presentation was devised in conjunction with the theatre, and featured excerpts from the current Czech Ballet's production of Swan Lake which is being staged there throughout the summer, illustrating how much easier, more dynamic and flexible the lighting options are for the theatre’s two resident LDs, David Bohunovsky and Jiri Branik, with the Robe rig in place.

Andy’s presentation also featured a preview of the brand new DL7S fixture.

The book launch and presentations were followed by dinner on the theatre’s fourth floor – complete with scenic downtown Prague viewing deck - then a cocktail cruise down Prague’s famous Vltava River aboard the “Light Spot”, an entertainment and performance orientated vessel owned and run by the Czech Lighting Designer’s Association.  For the PQ, Robe was also a partner of this popular meeting place.

The boat was also moored up and served as a PQ hot spot and PQ community meeting point for key days of the Quadrennial event.

Jiri Baros, Robe’s Marketing Manager, who production managed the launch event commented, “We were very happy. It was a great collaboration with the theatre and the turnout and general interest was excellent. We enjoyed working alongside Yaron and it was fantastic to see his work so well received. It was also a great opportunity to meet a great range of inspiring and creative individuals involved in all aspects of scenography and performance”.

Yaron stated, “It has been a great pleasure to collaborate with Robe both during the production process of the book and the launch event in Prague.

“For many years, I have been designing performances around the world with Robe lighting fixtures due to their innovative features and highest precision – inventing instruments and enabling us, designers, to push the boundaries of our creativity. ‘The Art of Light on Stage’ seeks to obtain the same goal – thinking of light as a performer, a prominent force in the performance. This is why I was so happy to take this journey with Robe!”

The Art of Light on Stage (ISBN: 9781138913684) is published by Routledge and available on amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Light-Stage-Contemporary/dp/1138913685

Or the publisher’s website:

https://www.routledge.com/products/9781138913684

A further event to highlight the book will be held at the Royal Opera house in Covent Garden, London, on 12th November 2015.

Photo Credit: Louise Stickland