Meet Philip Rosenberg, Lighting Designer for The Flamingo Kid

By Yan Chen, Artistic Apprentice

Philip, you’re no stranger to Hartford Stage, having designed the lighting for Jeeves and Wooster in “Perfect Nonsense,” Kiss Me, Kate, Abundance, and the Hartford and Broadway productions of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and its national tour. What is it like for you to design in a space that you know as well as you do Hartford Stage? 

It’s always nice to come back to a theatre that you’ve worked in before. Not only because you have a solid understanding of the physical space and the equipment, but also because you’re reunited with a tremendous staff that helps you realize your design. Hartford Stage has one of the best Lighting Departments in the country, and I’m always thrilled to be teamed up with this bunch to help get this show off the ground.

How did you decide on lighting design as your career? 

My grandfather was a huge theatre fan and introduced me to it at a very early age. I was always very interested in the backstage elements—and that passion just grew as I got older. It took a fair amount of time through junior high and high school for me to fully understand that you could make a career out of lighting shows; but on my first day of college, I enrolled in the Theatre department—specifically for lighting—and I was off!

What is it like to collaborate with other designers when you’re working on a show?  

I find that I’m a very reactive designer, so I often allow my fellow collaborators to take the lead. I will then follow up to augment and complement their designs.

Could you share one of your favorite memories or experiences from your career so far? 

I think my most fond memory of my career was being part of the team that helped A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder win the Tony Award for Best Musical. It was magical seeing the show shine that night, and the party was unforgettable!