Meet Martha Carter (Lighting Designer) 
Tell us something about your family that has shaped who you are as a person.
My family is very Christian which had a large impact on me growing up. Having learned much about the church as a child I now call myself spiritual rather than religious, as I have learned from my families habits that though Christianity is meant to instill good values, it also has a tendency to instill hate toward others, which is something I now refuse to be a part of.
What social issue(s) are you passionate about?
The Human Rights Movement and the Feminist movement.
What was on your mind on the verge of the new millennium in 1999?
I was in 5th Grade…so I’d say I was pretty into being a kid and playing on the playground. I rocked kick ball!
Tell us about one of your family heroes.
My mom is a bad ass. She is the kindest person I know and has the ability to hold everyone together.
If you met any of the characters on the street, who would you share a pint with and who would make you turn and walk away? And why?
I’d have a pint with Jess, she seems very accepting and chill out of all the people. I bet she has some great stories to tell. I’d turn away from Emma.
What’s the biggest challenge for you in this production?
The thrust is always a challenge for a lighting designer. With this space it produces larger challenges due to our small inventory and the low ceiling. [The trick is] finding innovative ways to light the production that utilizes the lighting fixtures that are available.
What do you connect to in this story?
I’m young and I am in a way going through the motions to get to a goal when deep down I know that the journey doesn’t end once I obtain my goal. I’m realizing currently that my life is a journey and that any life goal I have doesn’t mean the end or that I will reach some magical place of bliss that is ‘making it’ as a theater artist. Emma’s journey is one I can connect with and I am thankful just like she is that I realized these things now rather than later.
How do you prepare to work on a project like this?
Research and collaboration is how every process for me begins. I read the play then gather with the rest of the design team to talk about the story. It always starts and ends with the story. Through the story I decide how lighting can help support the ideas behind the piece. With this play I had to do research on historical topics so I could immerse myself in Emma’s life and work towards understanding her journey.
What was your first job in theater?
My first professional job where I was paid was lighting a young playwrights festival produced by The Blank Theater.
What excites you about this story and why should people come see it?
Everyone is on a journey and I feel that everyone has moments in their life where they decide who they want to be. This is that story for me. I feel like today young people have to plan out their lives, choose who they want to be and stick with the choices in order to be successful. This story examines the life of a woman who has been checking each step off her list only to discover that the things that she thought defined her are not hers at all.
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