A Marquette Theatre alum turned on Broadway lighting design, and the journey started almost by accident.
Maaz Ahmed discovered lighting design in middle school when a choir teacher asked them to run the lights for a school musical. With friends involved and a simple reason to get out of the house, Ahmed agreed. The experience didn’t just pique their interest; it hooked them.
“I remember the moment of satisfaction after my first show,” Ahmed says. “I got bitten by the bug, and that spark has stayed with me ever since.”
Ahmed, who graduated from Marquette in 2022 with dual majors in digital media and theatre arts, has built a strong reputation as a lighting designer based in Milwaukee. They have supervised lighting for more than a dozen productions and are now a lighting design fellow on “Bug,” their first Broadway show.
In a Q&A with Marquette Today, Ahmed shares what life is like behind the lighting crew and how a career in lighting design unfolds.
Why Marquette?
Ahmed wasn’t sure what path to pursue or whether to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts or a Bachelor of Arts. But they knew they wanted a program that offered plenty of hands-on opportunities. When choosing between Marquette and Michigan, Marquette felt like the right fit because of its blend of rigorous study and practical experience.
What does a lighting designer do?
A lighting designer creates the mood and atmosphere for a production. They’re like the cinematographers of the stage, guiding where the audience’s attention goes and how the story is illuminated. This involves decisions about shot-like focus, color, and how lighting shapes each moment to align with the director’s vision.
Ahmed explains the process for lighting a show:
- They usually receive a contract two to eight months before a show begins. The first step is reading the script multiple times and holding several conversations with the director to ensure a shared creative vision.
- Next, they review architectural drawings of the theater and use computer-aided design software to plan the placement of lighting instruments. A lot of math helps determine whether a light’s position and beam angle will achieve the desired effect.
- The typical lighting plot for a production can range from 100 to 250 lights, depending on the venue size and the show’s requirements.
- The final phase is the creative work: programming the lights, choosing colors, and timing lighting changes. It’s a multi-stage process that blends technical planning with artistic storytelling.
Are there standout projects?
Ahmed cites a production of “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity,” a wrestling-inflected play staged in a 120-seat, warehouse-like space. The challenge was recreating the energy of a WWE spectacle in a compact venue, which ultimately produced a striking and memorable result.
Another memorable project involved a hyper-realistic production staged under a ceiling that blocked conventional lighting hangs. Ahmed leaned into engineering solutions to make the lighting design work within those constraints.
Marquette Theatre’s role in Ahmed’s artistic growth
Marquette offered a sense of freedom unlike other programs. Ahmed didn’t begin as a lighting designer; it wasn’t until their sophomore year that they focused on lighting design as their primary concentration. The experience also included acting and directing, which, according to Ahmed, deeply informed their lighting practice by providing a complete view of the production process.
A parting piece of advice for current and prospective theatre students
If you have a project or experience you want on your resume, you should take the initiative to make it happen. The theatre program is what you make of it. If you aspire to work professionally in theatre, commit fully—your effort will lay the groundwork for a lasting career.
But here’s where it gets controversial: is the old-school emphasis on hands-on risk-taking still the best route in an era of digital tooling and virtual productions, or should programs pivot toward more structured, pro-level pipelines from the start? What do you think about balancing artistic exploration with formal training in today’s theatre education? Share your thoughts in the comments.
