Tariro Mushonga Lighting

Tariro Mushonga is a young innovative light designer from Zimbabwe with a special interest in theater, dance and concerts.

[mushonga]

HIFA 2015. I love these pictures

[mushonga]

This is what I love to do and nothing will change that. But the fact that the people we do this for are very thankful drives me to keep focused on delivering awesome event tech. #Lighting.

[mushonga]

Collaborated again with award winning Nora Chipaumire of Brooklyn New York on this explosive work called Dark Swan which mixed traditional African Dance with classical ballet from the founding fathers in Russia. The result was an amazing piece that was set up in a disused industrial space to give it an edge and had audiences on their feet after the hour long performance.

[mbzv]

The most exciting thing is when you get a hold of fancy equipment and you pour your heart out into creating art.

[mushonga]

I had so much fun working on this production. I was a small concert that my friend put together and called all his creative friends to work on it. It was an outdoorsy concert that was on the front porch/stoep of a gazebo. 

I sent in a simple plan that was meant to turn this seemingly simple, non performance space into performance venue that could compete with the best arenas in the world. 

I am proud of the transformation.

[mushonga]

Photos: Lucy Broderick

This production was very exciting to work on. I had just returned from a residency with the Grahamstown Festival when I got a call to start working on the production that was opening in two weeks.

I used neutral colors for lighting as the production was set in Egypt and earthy colors clashed with the costumes, we ended up using a lot blue washes and green highlights to give the show its time period.

It was great to collaborate with some of my great friends on the creative team.

[mushonga]

I love theatre audiences. 

We are a pretentious lot. We laugh a lot  and even after watching some ratchet shows, we still return.

Theatre audiences are the unsung heroes of the theatre and these photos by Lucy Broderick  capturing audiences of a Harare show we did recently with a Pangolin Laser hovering above the audiences is  my proudest of the year.

[mushonga]

A Tree To Sing To

[mushonga]

Photots: Mgcini Nyoni

I really had so much fun working with this group of actors at #HIFA2015 performing in a British Council Royal Court sponsored play of emerging Zimbabwean playwrights.

With minimal sets, black costumes and mostly dark skinned actors, there was need to be creative with the lights bearing in mind the mood of each particular short play and also separating the darker skinned actors and dark clothing from the black box theatre that we were working on.

I love these pictures. Congratulations to my friend, Elton Mjanana for putting together these plays into a single story.

[mushonga]

I worked on the production design of this video by local artist, Detra; providing some of the lighting as well. I look at it, and although it is not perfect, I am nevertheless proud because this was my first lighting for ‘film gig.

[mushonga]

I have just finished working on the lighting for #HIFA2015 and the work looks very good. I incorporated side and top light with very minimal use of front light to achieve a fuller look for my actors and performers in the small black box theatre.

Looks like it could be a Broadway play right?

These pictures were taken soon after downing one of the many cokes that will be downed by the time the festival is done in it

[mbzv]

[mushonga]

Tumbuka at the 2015 Dance Umbrella Festival in Johannesburg.

Photos: Travor Mudzonga and John Hogg

The main task for  this production was to create an ambiance that looks like the outdoors in African Settlements at night with the flood yellows and goals being the Choreographer’s main vision. The light had to be divided into four columns so that when then the dancers were on either side they would be lit properly and separate in each column of the four sided piece.

A single square light was required  for the center of the stage to symbolize how the dancers could not match or equal their absent fathers’ masculinity.Its a  lone lights that stays constant during the show as he performers go through different phases.

It was so much fun working with the professional team at the Dance Umbrella Festival. I wanna go back next year as a pure festival goer.

Please visit Tumbuka’s website at www.tumbuka.co.zw

[mushonga]

Step out of the Light. High Definition Dance. I love flashing lights, strobes. Seeing the movement of the  fixtures in relation to the music and dance. My own way of asserting that lighting is a performance art.

[mushonga]

Tech rehearsal for a Televised singing competition. Trying to turn a club space with meant-for-club fixtures is such a hard thing to do. But we pulled through with experience and dedication into getting the best out of what you can use

[mushonga]

My Family, Tumbuka and National Ballet, 2014, Harare

[mushonga]

The first rule of stage lighting is...there aren't any

Bill Williams 

[mushonga]

Lighting is not about function. It's much more about the mood and the emotion that the playwright and the director are trying to create. Our job is to support their poetic direction.

Jules Fisher