Case Study: The Small Group achieves seamless, integrated theater design with VectorWorks

Theater Designers Working Together Right from the Start

The Small Group is a touring collective of theater artists—set, lighting, costume, sound designers, a composer, choreographer and director—who work together from the very start of a production. Their collaborative process and heavy touring schedule create the challenge of aligning creative ideas across disciplines while managing millions of technical data points and avoiding costly mistakes (like misplaced lighting) on tight rehearsal and installation timelines.

They address this by combining early, immersive group workshops with Vectorworks Spotlight and Renderworks to draft and test 3D designs, set virtual cameras, manage channel and hanging data, and re-render changes live. The result is tighter integration across set, costume, light and sound, greater confidence in technical execution, and successful productions such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Entangled that feel organic and precisely realized for audiences.

The Small Group

Michael Klaers

Lighting Designer