One of the reasons I wanted to begin a blog was to have the opportunity and format to talk about some of the people that I get to work with. So often, the associates, stagehands, technicians, shop account managers, vendors, etc rarely get recognized. My hope is that Spotlight:On will be a regular place to celebrate some of these uber talented folks in my life.
Roya Abab, born in Seattle WA, is the Senior Lighting Designer at Arc3design as well as the Associate Lighting Director at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She has worked with Arc3design for 6 years and Ailey for 4. She quickly has become a key player at both companies, bringing a sharp wit and extreme skill set to her projects.
Roya did her lighting design training at the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts under Norman Coates.
Roya is absolutely the person you want at your side as your partner. She has a keen eye for design that is rooted in a broad love and knowledge of visual art. Her passion for food, culture, her Persian heritage and art makes her a perfect design teammate. She has become a driving creative force in the growth of Arc3design.
In four years, Roya has toured with the Ailey company to Russia, Germany, France, Brazil, Argentina, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, and Israel, mounting the lighting for Ailey's first company in some of the top theaters in the world. At Ailey, she manages the vast Ailey repertory paperwork, supports the guest designers and produces the plots that light up this great organization.
At Arc3design, she has positioned herself to be the person that knows everything about my work. She is highly influential in design development and implementation of projects across all genres. She is truly respected by my clients and vendors alike. When I tell clients that Roya will be there, you can see them physically become at ease.
Roya continues to freelance in her 'oh so often' free time. She is an excellent programmer of ETC EOS and GrandMA consoles of projects on any scale.
Roya is one of the special ones I have no doubt we will be watching for years to come.
- Al