Critics' Picks

Best Lighting Designers

Lighting design is just not something most theatergoers notice when they're enjoying an evening out, because when it's really good, it usually tries not to draw too much attention to itself. Sometimes, though, the effect is either so exquisite or so extravagant you'd have to be asleep to miss the artistry, as in the work this spring by PETER MARADUDIN and A.J. EPSTEIN. For Sharon Ott's production of the Nilo Cruz premiere The Beauty of the Father, Maradudin bathed the stage in an ephemeral glow that evoked the sunset on a Spanish balcony; the mood was so palpable that it seemed to be another character in the play. Epstein is the guy who helped turn up the heat several notches on Re-bar's already white-hot Hedwig and the Angry Inch, making an intimate space feel at times like a blazing rock arena several stadiums wide. Bravo to both.—Steve Wiecking

SEATTLE WEEKLY'S BEST OF SEATTLE 2004 INDEX