Lee Fiskness

Reviews

“The entire production takes place on one set ( designed by Arnulfo Maldonado), and with the slick direction by Kenny Leon, we get the feeling that playwright Parks was trying to convey.  This is not what one might call a real life, but instead an existenceÆ…..”On the tech side, in addition to the set, which truly helps define the lifestyle of the brothers, I was very impressed by the props, the lighting (Lee Fiskness), the sound ( Justin Ellington) and the costumes (Dede Ayite). While the set is fairly simple, there are many details that must be handled from scene to scene. The curtain does come down, but rises moments later, with all the changes that are needed to keep the flow of action.” Alan Bresloff- Around the Town Chicago

“It's a unique retelling of the Cain and Abel saga of two brothers sharing a dingy apartment—appropriately depressing and sparse in its design by Arnulfo Maldonado with gorgeous noir lighting by Lee Fiskness—as both try to survive as best they can.”…”Mr. Leon conducts all this so eloquently. Such conflicting ebb and flow lives in one moment, while a kind of intellectual rocket is strapped to the next in everything that is said—impactful and immediate in its layers of poetic persuasion. Enough praise cannot be offered for his guidance here, with some of the best directing strokes seen in Chicago at present from a current master of the trade.” Ronald Keaton- PicksInSix® Review

“It’s an outstanding production of a play that sits on a slew of best-of lists, largely because it works on multiple levels.”…”Leon’s production here falls squarely on the side of psychological naturalism.”… “But no question, this is an intense and ultimately very moving, Broadway-caliber show in relatively intimate environs with a special pair of actors.” Steven Oxman- WBEZ Chicago Public Media

“The lighting design by Lee Fiskness amplifies these competing truths. Relentless red neon light bleeds in from the street, and the main source of lighting for the room is a single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. But the subtle transitions in the lighting throughout the compressed timeline as the brothers talk nods to a real world outside that window, and when the brothers turn in for the night, Fiskness provides them with a modicum of rest.” -Christine Malcom Talkin’ Broadway

“The scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado is mesmerizing. The golden American flag curtain rises to reveal a tiny, simple apartment which conveys the brothers’ difficult circumstances. Another creative aspect is Lee Fiskness’ lighting design.The lighting uniquely presents Lincoln and Booth’s situation while also providing visual elements that connect to the play’s themes such as  the card images on the curtain and a haunting visual at the end of the play.” -Emily Werner Werner’s Theatre Reviews