“In a person of imagination, Infinity is guaranteed to be eternally revealed in a grain of sand!”
-John Nichols, On The Mesa
Imagine the cultural gap between Mount Vernon’s uptown coffee shop Fuel and the 24/7 hubbub of Los Angeles.
Consider Fuel’s warm quietude, that home-like place where everybody knows your name, versus the pulsing stage lighting in top performance venues!
The enjoyment fans receive at concerts from such luminaries as Prince, Elton John, Bruno Mars, and Sting (to name a few) isn’t just from the artists’ physical gyration, lyrics, instrumental or vocal delivery.
All could be lost, would be lost, without proper lighting. Strobes filter through fog. Proper colors. Compelling angles. And precise timing.
Lighting is a tough job, but somebody has to do it!
That somebody is Stan Crocker, a Mount Vernon resident and Fuel regular. In 2004. Stan and his family left Los Angeles to choose the slower-paced Mount Vernon as their home.
Recognized locally by his hearty laugh, Einstein coiffure, and thoughtful insights, Stan has also established himself nationally as a premier lighting designer in the venue of concerts and broadcast television.
Though Stan works from his quiet home office on our town’s quiet west side, he also commutes to performance sites around the U.S. (and sometimes overseas).
Stan’s imagination is constant motion.
He SEES light! THINKS light! and IMAGINES design!
Inspiration might erupt from what we mortals view as commonplace. A simple shadow or overlooked reflection, or things he sees while driving on Highway One to Iowa City.
Stan sees beyond. He dreams and pieces things together.
Initially a pre-nursing student at Mankato State University Stan was gifted with a realization. “I had zero aptitude for science.”
Then things began to fall into place.
“I got the bug for lighting. I focused on theatre and stage management and started working for the student activities office,” Stan explained.
On-the-job training at a series of venues enabled Stan to teach himself and hone his skills.
A series of “right place at the right time” events unfolded over time.
Years later, Stan was well established in Los Angeles. He got a call enroute to the LA airport. The voice was that of a woman from Minneapolis who worked for the artist Prince.
“Dude (Prince) saw your show Sessions at West 54th. He really liked it. He wants to talk to you,” she said.
“About?” Stan queried.
“Don’t know. Can I put him on?” she responded.
The bottom line was that Prince saw Stan’s television work and was intrigued. He wanted to incorporate Stan’s lighting skills as his tour concept.
Prince invited Stan to meet.
“I’d love that,” Stan responded.
Stan flew to Minneapolis, arriving at 2am. Despite his being on only 2 hours sleep, Stan arrived at Prince’s Paisley Park, and was greeted by the new building manager,
“Dude’s (Prince) on the way in,” the manager noted. The pressure was on!
Though totally exhausted, Stan was able to sit with Prince for several hours.
“Prince told me the design he wanted,” Stan recalled.
“I had been awake 36 hours. It was sunrise. I asked if I could return at noon in order to get some sleep,” Stan furthered. Stan then went out and bought materials, fabric, glue, etc. to create a 3D model concept.
Ok, time to conclude this article. The encounter with Prince exemplifies the pace and pressure Stan faced time and again as an innovative lighting designer.
Stan’s storied career could fill many pages in the SUN. This article is just a tidbit of Stan’s creative journey. Best to ask him directly for more.
And remember, in this person of imagination, infinite lighting can be found in the most minute things Stan sees.
It’s just what Stan does. And does it with imaginative excellence.
Bob Campagna is a local photographer and writer. His email is [email protected].
And Stan said, ‘Let There be Light!’
September 21, 2023
Stan Crocker works from a stage floor plan rendering of London’s Royal Albert Hall where has implemented his lighting designs.
