Stage Effects Theo Papenfus and Erik de Bruin
When Theo Papenfus, founder of Stage Effects Group, stumbled upon the Robe TetraX, he was immediately captivated and felt compelled to act swiftly. However, a significant dilemma arose: should he fully commit and acquire 48 TetraXs, or opt for a blend of 24 Tetra Xs and 24 Tetra2s? After careful consideration, he settled on a compromise and purchased 24 of each from DWR Distribution. This makes him the first in South Africa to own TetraX.
“We’ve been in the market for a linear fixture,” explains Theo Papenfus, first noticing the company’s shortfall in this segment during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was familiar with Robe Lighting’sTetra2 and was impressed with the units, but it was the TetraX that really grabbed his attention. The TetraX was developed following the success of the Tetra2, but includes dynamic panning and continuous high-speed rotation to create sweeping effects. Each of the 9 Pixels, evenly spaced, generates a 4° beam of light that combines to produce a bright, defined ‘sheet’ of light. The homogeneous beams and the smooth motorized zoom of 11:1 provide ultra-soft wash up to 45°.
“I started talking to Duncan Riley of DWR and I was actually motivated to just get the TetraX fixtures, but I knew these were fairly new to our market,” Theo says. “I also knew that the Tetra2 was a workhorse. It has proved itself over time and on riders, and it was a no-brainer to buy them and get into the market. We’ve had many requests for Tetra2s but have never been able to supply them. We believed that introducing the TetraX would bring something new to the market. There’s simply nothing else like it available, making it the winner for us among all linear fixtures.”
Duncan Riley of DWR says the sale was a true honour. “Stage Effects was one of our earliest clients when we first launched DWR. Many other rental companies also rely on Stage Effects for their gear rentals. They have a deep trust in Theo and his work ethic.”
An unexpected bonus was that not long after the lights were ordered, Theo received an inquiry to hire them for a long-term theatre rental. Theo explains, “I always phone Duncan and he did the costing and put the whole gear together and the sale just went smoothly. Buying the kit and getting it out on a theatre show for three months is amazing, and that’s why we went for these fixtures. We had nothing on the board and I was more than willing to send it out to cover the first two months.”
Another perk, in closing, is the neatly packed flight cases the fixtures arrive in. “Our warehouse team was asking about when we would arrange new flight cases, and I told them, no need to—the lights already come in flightcases. It’s easy to overlook because it’s become common to ship lights in cardboard. But having everything pre-packed is a luxury. The units will go straight onto the truck, then onto the next one, and off to work.”
DWR extends their best wishes to Theo and his team. Thank you for your support.
