Design: Lighting

Audience enjoyment of a production depends a great deal on the show’s lighting. It is important, therefore, that stage lighting meet four basic requirements:

1. Provide Visibility
2. Establish Emphasis
3. Create Mood
4. Suggest Light Source

Visibility and Emphasis: Comfortable visibility in the theatre is the prime requisite for stage lighting as too much light glares and too much darkness strains. Light intensity must be carefully balanced to allow the audience to see what they are supposed to see without their being unduly aware of the lights. Emphasis is created by utilizing bright light for dominant stage areas and dim lights for subordinate areas. The light intensity draws the viewer’s eyes toward what is important.

Mood: To achieve mood, the lighting designer must blend together a variety of light sources using color. If the play is a comedy, the designer might choose a mix of bright lights in predominantly warm colors. If the play is a tragedy or serious drama, blending should create a medium to low tone, throwing shadows and casting cool colors.

Light Source: The lighting designer in a realistic play will work to suggest to the audience obvious sources of light such as the sun, moon, table lamps, candles, fireplaces, etc. By suggesting the source, they can convey the time of day and the weather conditions. A cool daylight blue of low intensity apparently coming through a window may suggest early morning. A bright warm amber light streaming through French doors may indicate late afternoon on a warm, sunny day.

(Introduction adapted from Basic Drama Projects by F. A. Tanner, 1982)

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