Rachel Sydney Goldberg is a lighting designer from Montclair, NJ, and is based in the central/northern New Jersey and New York City area. She is a graduate of the State University of New York at New Paltz (BA in Theatre Arts) and is pursuing a second degree in Lighting Design at Rutgers' Mason Gross School of the Arts under the mentorship of Don Holder.

 

Rachel's passion for theater was sparked over 20 years ago when she happened upon her father watching How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Noticing her interest, her parents enrolled her in acting classes, and by age 8, she was performing in her first show. Over the next 16 years, Rachel became involved in over 35 productions, spanning across stage and on screen. In high school, Rachel gained valuable experience behind the scenes, working as a carpenter, stitcher, and flyman. This hands-on experience extended into college, where she discovered a passion for electrics and lighting. At the beginning of her senior year, she shifted her focus to technical theater and began her journey as a lighting designer.

 

Rachel believes her unique path, which spans multiple areas of theater, gives her a deeper understanding of the entire production process. This allows her to create lighting designs that are not only impactful to the audience, but also take into consideration the needs and contributions of each department involved.