02.05.2022 | Proteus Lucius a multi-role performer at Vienna’s Theater im Park

Vienna's Theater im Park, a new open-air stage nestled in the gardens of the Palais Schwarzenberg in the heart of the city, is a wonderfully idyllic setting to take in a summer show. The new stage, which debuted in 2020, has been outfitted with Elation Professional Proteus Lucius IP65-rated LED moving heads specified and installed by event services company six by nine GmbH of Linz.

The opulent palace and magnificent gardens attracts a steady stream of visitors in its own right but now a summer series of shows from theater, cabaret and comedy, to classic and pop music events, has made the area even more popular. Six by nine was called on to light the new stage, a role that included the entire technical installation including engineering and other technical elements, as well as show execution and maintenance.

A flexible lighting system was required that could cover a variety of show formats, something that could easily transition from theatre performance to concert or comedy show. Six by nine required an all-purpose fixture with excellent output that could easily adjust the beam size when needed. It also needed to have framing shutters and because the fixtures would be mounted outside and therefore exposed to the elements, they needed them to be outdoor rated.

Michael Sarsteiner, director at six by nine, says a shootout with other fixtures was not necessary as the specification of the Elation Proteus Lucius was exactly what they were looking for. "We found the Lucius to be an ideal match," he said. "The wide zoom range is a great benefit and it also houses a very nice selection of standard gobos and projection/FX possibilities. Overall, the ratio of price to performance was outstanding."

Outfitted with a complete FX system featuring three gobo wheels, animation, iris, dual prism and dual frost, as well as framing, the Proteus Lucius can be used as a profile, beam or wash light, reducing the need for variant fixtures. A compact brother to Elation's popular Proteus Maximus, the Lucius offers 33,500 lumens of output and 5.5° to 50° zoom in a CMY color mixing luminaire.

The Lucius fixtures are mounted on truss towers in front of the stage and are accessible to a host of lighting designers and operators throughout the season. Installed in time for the 2021 summer season, the Lucius fixtures worked with Elation Rayzor 760 as front and back wash lights, as well as key lights while Elation Paladin Brick outdoor flood lights with frost filter and barn doors illuminated large trees beside the stage.

The 2022 summer season at Theater im Park kicks off on May 19 and runs a full program until September 18. Sarsteiner concludes, "We have been surprised in a very positive way about the progress Elation has made over the last few years in creating and manufacturing new lighting fixtures at reasonable rates. This transaction from specification to delivery was fast and efficient and Karl Lager [Elation sales rep], who was so kind to facilitate the acquisition, provides us with great support."

Photos: Adrian Rigele