JustArts: Many of the professors in the theater department work on outside projects. Have you done lighting design (or some other kind of theater-related project) on any non-Brandeis projects lately?Michael Chybowski: Currently I am working on an adaptation of the Carson McCullers novel The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter at New York Theatre Workshop in Manhattan. In fact it begins technical rehearsals while the Marivaux is still in rehearsals. Ben Williams will take over for me at Brandeis when I have to leave to begin those rehearsals, and Jake Bray will assist him. I am also currently working on a production of Romeo & Juliet for The Acting Company at the Guthrie Theatre, a new dance by Mark Morris entitled "Socrate", and a production of A Little Night Music that is being directed by Isaac Mizrahi. The professors in the theatre program all design shows outside of the department. It is particularly important in a professional training program that the teachers are part of the professional world.

JA: How did you come to find that you wanted to specialize in lighting design, as a young student?

MC: That is a very long story. Suffice to say that at a certain point I became addicted to the process of designing. For me there is no other experience that engages every part of my intellect and personality in so complete a way.

JA: Do you have any advice for Brandeis students trying to break into the realm of theatrical design?

MC: It is extremely difficult to make a career of it right now. For undergraduates, I would advise working in professional theatre as an assistant or as a crew member for a couple of years to get a sense of whether this world is one that you want to enter. It takes a lot of stubbornness and a lot of persistence.

JA: Can you tell us a little about the work you are doing on Game of Love and Chance? Are you currently working on any other on-campus plays in addition to that one?

MC: In talks with the director, Janet Morrison, and the other designers, what we decided that we wanted the lighting to convey is a sense of lightness. In the Marivaux, no one has to worry about getting hungry, going to the bathroom, or any of the other mundane things that happen to us every day. The characters all float above the ordinary in a rarified world, and we wanted the light to feel this way.

JA: What's next for you-both in terms of on-campus and off-campus projects? Are you working on the spring plays at Brandeis? If so, what kinds of ideas are you coming up with for those?

MC: This is the only play that I am working on at Brandeis this year. I seem to do one show at Brandeis every two years-"Tommy" a few years ago and Threepenny Opera two years ago are the shows I've done here. Ben Williams will be designing the lighting for Funnyhouse of a Negro, and Jake Bray will be designing the Shakespeare. Chesapeake Weaver, a third year set designer, will be lighting the new play workshop this spring.