The TV Lighting Programmer Has Had an Eclectic – and Rewarding – Career
Well-respected throughout the industry, lighting programmer Steven Garner’s credits range from theatre to fashion shows; corporate events to live television. He’s now working on The President Show for Comedy Central. While busy doing last minute packing for a family trip to Vietnam, he took some time to speak with us about how he ended up as the guy behind a console lighting South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop Desmond Tutu, among many others.
PLSN: You do all types of projects, is there one area that you work in more than another?
Steven Garner: (laughs) I really am all over the damn place. I do fashion, I do corporate, I do TV, I do a lot of stuff at Alice Tully Hall these days. That’s a gig I love, because the music is usually fantastic! One that I don’t do anymore, but really miss working on, is the Midsummer Night Swing at Lincoln Center. When I was working on Who Wants to be a Millionaire and production moved up to Stamford, CT, I had to bow out of Swing at Lincoln Center, sadly.
I’ve always been lucky that I was never pigeon-holed into one role. The only thing I never did was tour, really; I’ve never been on a bus. I did tour with the [Radio City] Rockettes, but that wasn’t a bus, that was very nice hotels and sit downs for two weeks. Bus touring is the one gap in my career; (laughs) and I’m not sure I regret missing that.
So how did you get started in the business?
My parents turned me onto theatre, and I did some lighting in high school. I went to Syracuse University as an English major, failed miserably, but before I left, I helped some students build a set. That reminded me I liked doing theatre, so when I went back home to Long Island I became a theatre major at C.W. Post College. There something possessed me to say, ‘I’d like to do lighting,’ so I got to study with Louise Guthman first, and then with Lee Watson, who was the best teacher I think I ever had. Then like all the screwed-up things that I do, I got married, had a kid, and tried to be a nine-to-fiver for 10 years. I worked in college administration until when one of the student groups found out I had a lighting background. They asked if I would come help with their play. I did, and realized that I really missed doing lighting.
I was 38 years old, I had been divorced, but I had a very supportive girlfriend, so I went to NYC in 1986. I had no place to live, no job, and about $2,000 in my pocket. The first day, I went for a walk and stumbled into the Equity Library Theatre. They needed a house manager, which was in my skill set from working in college administration. They were also striking a show and invited me to come by and help. The guy in charge was the production manager for the Pan Asian Rep, who was looking for a master electrician. I was in the right place at the right time. From there, I took the work as one job led to another, I met people on every gig, and here I am!
I was working in New York theatre in the 1980s as well; there was a lot of work around the city at that time. So much work, everyone was doing multiple productions at once.
I remember there was an eight-day period where I was a master electrician for three different productions. I ate all my meals on the subway, and I think I slept a total of 10 hours that week. But that’s what you had to do to make your bones, as it were. You work really hard, and then you get to the point where I am now. You earn your reputation. I laugh at these young kids who go… ‘I want your job. You just come in, drink coffee, and punch buttons.’ I paid my dues, thank you very much. It’s what you did. When they said, ‘Show up for a gig,’ you showed up for a gig. You never slept.
How did you transition from theatre to TV?
It was actually my ability to operate moving lights. I was working for Hasbro Toys in 1988, and we had a couple of [High End Systems] Trackspots. I fumbled my way through trying to figure out how to make them work. Next, I was doing a job for a client that asked what else I did, and something possessed me to say, ‘I do moving lights.’ The guy offered me a month-long job for Lip Service on MTV. It was the perfect situation to learn, because it was basically 20 Trackspots and Intellabeams. All they wanted was the lights to flash, so I got to sit there 10 hours a day, practicing.
Around that same time, moving lights were getting popular on fashion shows, and I was Rob Strohmeier’s master electrician for fashion shows then. He knew that I wasn’t an expert, but that I did know something about moving lights. He also knew that I would do what it took to get it done. I was again in the right place at the right time with an LD who trusted me and let me develop my skills working for him. That skill bled into more TV work. I started doing a lot of MTV stuff; working for Chris Landry, working for Mike Grabowski. New Year’s Eve for MTV. Shows in the park. All sorts of crazy stuff.
What do you think are some milestones in your career?
I have done a lot of cool gigs. People might think it is a funny one, but I would say Millionaire to me was a milestone. I loved doing that show, because of what it was, but also for how it changed the way people approached lighting on television. Another big milestone I did was in 2002, the Towers of Light [NYC’s 9/11 remembrance]. That first year it was Space Cannons; moving lights. The two electricians on site were friends of mine, and they called me to come down to help. After two days programming, I went on the final night just make sure the turn-on went smoothly, and when I turned around to leave, there were thousands of cameras. That’s when it hit me what I had just done. That was special.
Working with The Rockettes; presidents; hearing Bill Clinton speak was pretty special; Bishop Tutu, lighting Mother Teresa. I’m always aware of how lucky I was to end up doing what I’m doing. When I walk through New York, I think ‘Oh, I did a job there. Oh, St. Patrick, I’ve done a job there. Saks Fifth Avenue, I’ve done lots of jobs there. I’ve worked at the Apollo. I’ve been on stage at the Met. I’ve stood on the basketball court at the Garden.’ I’ve been very blessed. I’ve got the best possible job. My job isn’t work. My wife is a nurse; her job is very hard work. My job is play; like I said, I’m blessed.
