John Matkovic, Technical Coordinator at Griffith Regional Theatre has been awarded a Canberra Area Theatre (CAT) Award for his Lighting Design in last year’s production of The Wedding Singer.
CAT Awards showcase the very best aspects of theatre productions in the Canberra and Southern NSW area. Mr Matkovic was up against five other lighting designers for the award and was delighted to have his work recognised.
Mr Matkovic said “Putting together a production like this starts at least six months out from opening night, and getting the lighting design right for the visual impact of the show is as important as the set, the music, the costumes and the acting. The lighting sets the mood for each scene and can also highlight the action, and even hide things that we don’t want the audience to see.”
Mr Matkovic has been with Griffith Regional Theatre for 20 years, and prior to that worked at Sydney’ Enmore Theatre and toured the world with Bangarra Dance Theatre. In addition to lighting, he is also responsible for the sound and all technical aspects of productions at the Theatre.
“The whole production crew need to be congratulated on this show, and I want to particularly thank Nathan Hardy, who used to work here at the Theatre, who came back to help us program the lighting console, as well as our technician John Bortolazzo who operated the console throughout the show,” Mr Matkovic said.
In congratulating Mr Matkovic, Theatre Manager Marg Andreazza said “Local productions, schools, dance schools and also the many touring shows that come to the Theatre all benefit from John’s skills – he makes everything look and sound great. We are so pleased that he has been recognised with this award, and we are very fortunate to have him here in Griffith.”
“John was a very important part of the production team for The Wedding Singer, helping design and install the set, and sourcing all the backdrops that were used throughout the production, as well as coordinating the technical crew required behind the scenes.” Mrs Andreazza said.
The Wedding Singer was also nominated for four other awards at the CAT awards, held in Queanbeyan over the weekend. Cynthia Arel and Robyn Hutchinson were nominated for Costume design, Valerie O’Meara for Best Actress in a Featured Role, Best Set (Katherine Sharpe, Romina Tappi, Peter Fordham & John Matkovic) and The John Thomson Theatre Magic Award for when the real Shelby AC Cobra 302 car rolls onto the stage.
The next Community Musical is scheduled for 2025, with information about production team and auditions to be released later in 2024.
