P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525
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P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525 |
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Mark Elliott - A Well-Qualified Potential Director By: Roy Riedy |
Mark Elliott's name first surfaced at HLT during its Twenty-fifth Season in the April, 1999 program of Frank Oberhausen's The Sound of Music in which he was mentioned twice: as part of the stage crew, and a member of the set construction team. His name reappeared in Jet Hansen's August show, Noises Off , again as a member of the set construction team. Since that time he has been connected with 24 other plays at the Lakeside Playhouse, 5 Zenon Ceremonies, 1 Gala, 61 newspaper articles, and 54 HLT Newsletters for a total of 146 citations.
The Twenty-sixth Season records Mark participating in 5 shows and the concluding Zenon Ceremonies. He and Allen Branch were the lighting technicians for John H. Lovelette's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest; Mark and his wife Holly Elliott received a special acknowledgment in the program of Frank Oberhausen's Annie Get Your Gun; again Mark, Holly and Gerry Garnich are listed as responsible for the lighting and sound of Krista Flores' CAT production of Cinderella, Cinderella; Mark and Kim Moore were the lighting technicians for Sue McCollum's Bye Bye Birdie; Mark was the co-producer with Margie Pollard, and lighting technician of Melanie Boulay's Oliver!; and the recipient of his first Zenon at the Fifteenth Annual Zenon Awards for his contribution to the theater's building improvements.
During the Twenty-seventh Season Mark participated in 4 shows and was awarded his second Zenon at the end of the season ceremonies. Mark and Director Frank Oberhausen created the Lighting Design for Mr. Oberhausen's January production of The King and I, Mr. Elliot was also the lighting technician for this record breaking show. In April he contributed to the lighting design and was the lighting technician for Jim McCollum's southwestern fantasy The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. In the June, 2001 production of Steve McDaniel's northeastern comedy Moon Over Buffalo, Mr. Elliott not only served as the Technical Assistant Director, but also did the lighting design and technical work with Mac Byron, and the set design with his wife, Holly Elliott, and Allen Branch.
In August Mark was listed as the Lighting Designer and Technician for Tammie Pollard's demanding musical West Side Story, a play whose set he also helped Tammie and Pete Pollard to design. All this hard work was rewarded in October at the close of the Twenty-seventh Season, at the Sixteenth Annual Zenon Awards, when Mr. Elliott was awarded his second Zenon for Best Lighting Design with Frank Oberhausen for the prize winning illumination of The King and I.
The Twenty-eighth Season at Highlands Little Theatre provided more firsts for Mark. He made his first stage appearance as a gambler in Frank Oberhausen's November, 2001 production of Guys and Dolls, and in April he was elected to the Board of Directors of HLT. Mark also worked behind the scenes of Guys and Dolls. He is credited with being its co-producer with his wife Holly; and designed the set with Frank Oberhausen and Bob Given. Mark also designed the lighting with Mr. Oberhausen and somehow managed to also serve as the lighting technician of the show.
In March, 2002, Mark and Thor Knutson provided the Lighting Design for Joe Willis' chromatic Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; in June he provided the lighting with Allen Branch for Mike Logsdon's farce Move Over Mrs. Markham; and in August he was on the stage crew of Melanie Boulay's soaring Peter Pan. Once again his long hours at the Lakeside Playhouse were reward at the Seventeenth Annual Zenon Ceremonies when Mark was awarded his third Zenon for his and Thor Knutson's Best Lighting Design for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Three Zenons in three years - Mr. Elliott is a consistent fellow.
The Twenty-ninth season, opened with Frank Oberhausen's moving reprise of Man of La Mancha, for which Mark designed, with Mr. Oberhausen, the lighting for the play and worked with Jean Brown as the lighting technician. Peter Pollard's Steel Magnolias followed in January for which Mark was the Assistant Director, provided the Light Design, and worked on the Set Construction. Mark provided the same services for Allen Branch's June production of the summer chiller, The Hound of the Baskervilles. The 18th Annual Zenon Awards held in October, 2003, were co-directed by Mr. Elliott and Jennifer Westergom. Mark designed the Lighting with Thor Knutson and also acted as one of the Light and Sound Technicians for this event.
During the 30th Season Mark provided the Lighting Design and worked on the Set Construction for Mike Logsdon's Zenon winning comedy Out Of Order. In the 31st Season Mark worked as Co-Director, Lighting designer, Lighting technician and a member of the Set Construction team for Frank Oberhausen's season opener, The Music Man. Most recently, during the 33rd Season, Mr. Elliott was the Assistant Director of Allen Branch's WWII comedy No Time for Sergeants in March, 2007, and in June, he was the Assistant Director of Frank Oberhausen's stunning production of My Fair Lady for which he and Frank did the Lighting Design. Mark was also the Lighting Technician and worked as part of the Construction Team for My Fair Lady.
Mr. Elliott has more than met the requirements asked by the HLT Board of Directors. He has served as an Assistant Director for two plays, No Time for Sergeants and My Fair Lady, and been the Co-Director for The Music Man. Mark has worked as a Producer three times, for Oliver!, Guys and Dolls, and The Hound of the Baskervilles.
His participation with production includes three experiences with Set Design: West Side Story, Moon Over Buffalo, and Guys and Dolls. His Set Construction participation involves 9 different plays; and he has created 13 different Light Designs, and worked as a Lighting Technician for 11 different shows. Mr. Elliott is certainly qualified to direct a show for he has left his unique "Mark" on multiple HLT events. HLT looks forward to that day when he will direct a play of his own choosing.
