NAPLES, FL – On its website, the Gulfshore Playhouse declares that it is “passionately committed to enriching the cultural landscape of our region by producing professional theatre to the highest artistic standards.” Over the course of a season, the 368-seat main Moran theatre (part of a new 40,243 sq. ft. complex) fulfills this mission in superb fashion, welcoming touring troupes from Broadway and beyond for a diverse mix of productions.

Given this commitment, it is only natural that Gulfshore Playhouse would extend the same standards to its annual fundraiser. Forget the usual dinner-speech-and-awards affairs. Here, every event is treated as if it were a first run theatrical production in its own right. Just ask lighting designer Jimmy Lawlor. He described the events this way:

“Gulfshore Playhouse treats their annual gala the same way they treat every production, with lots of planning and artistic intent. There is always a theme. This year’s was ‘Once Upon A Dream.’ There was lots of visual research (you may notice a strong ‘Bridgerton-core’ aesthetic), and meetings with the director and the designers to talk about how everything should feel. There are a lot of galas in the Naples area, and Gulfshore Playhouse is careful to make sure theirs isn’t just a fundraiser, but also an entertaining evening.”

Lawlor, who lit the stage, and 45 guest-tables, as well as the walls and ceiling of the gala’s tent, did his part to make the evening special. Helping him in this endeavor was a collection of 85 CHAUVET Professional fixtures supplied by Encore Global.

Drawing on the color rendering prowess and other performance features of these fixtures, Lawlor provided elegant, evocative lighting for the evening’s various events, which began with a cocktail hour on the lawn in front of the tent before the main dinner. Quixotic Entertainment did interactive performances during the cocktail hour and then also during the show. The highlight of the after dinner show was the performance of Broadway stars Mariand Torres and James T Lane, who sang four songs — duets and solos. There were also performances by students from Gulfshore Playhouse’s education program.

“Because the whole evening is dedicated to being entertaining, I lit the performances with the same qualities as I gave the speakers between songs,” said Lawlor. “To help draw focus to the speakers, I try and keep things a bit more static than in the songs — single cue, nothing spinning or strobing, but the overall ‘pop’ remains the same.”

“I love using strong color and template choices when I get to ‘leave reality,’ like one does in a dream,” Lawlor continued. “That figured prominently into the design for the gala. My plot was due long before the details of the evening were fleshed out, so I was mostly building a tool box that was as versatile as possible when I sat down to program it all. This is my fifth year doing the gala and I always try and add new tools that the audience hasn’t seen before. This year, it felt like a good time to invite mirror balls to the party!”

Specifically, the tools in Lawlor’s gala tool chest included eight Maverick Storm 4 Profiles, which he used as his main face light for the stage. He also flew 22 Maverick Storm 2 Profiles over the stage for lighting the performances as well as for creating a template pattern on the tables. There was also one particular performance when the profile units were called upon to scan and strobe the audience.

To add a dash of aerial effects to the evening and up light the aerialists who performed at the gala, to the Lawlor had four Maverick Storm 2 Profiles on road cases, one in each corner of the room. Also playing a prominent role in Lawler’s design were 28 Rogue Outcast 2X Washes that colorized the room, and five Rogue 3X Wash units on the upstage truss that served as the main backlight idea for the stage.

A nice surprise for Lawlor at the gala, besides the on-stage performances of Defying Gravity and A Brand New Day from the Wiz, was the output of his rig’s 18 COLORado Solo Bar 4 battens, which he positioned around the tent to up light the walls. “Those units are very, very bright!” he exclaimed. “I think I was running them at eight percent the whole time.”

Invariably, any event that seems to come off without a hitch, doesn’t happen without careful planning and collaboration — and this one was no exception. Lawlor is quick to praise all involved with the fundraising gala, including Director/Choreographer, Dan Dunn; Set Designer, David Arsenault; Costume head Hunter Kaczorowski; Sound Engineer, Sean McGinley; Music Director, Trevor Pierce; PM Ray Inkel; APM Lila Sell; Producing Artistic Director, Kristen Coury Wynn; Managing Director, Joel Markus; and Advancement Officer, Sarah Owen.

In the words of Lawlor, “it was a magical evening,” at the gala… exactly the kind of experience to be expected from an even built around the theme of “Once Upon A Dream.”