Theater and performance: Why lighting matters

Stage lighting is one of the most important elements of theater. Imagine watching an entire play under fluorescent lights where the entire stage is plainly lit. It certainly would impact the entire show and how the audience perceives the play. Here are some reasons why lighting matters in theater.

Suspension of disbelief

To be fully immersed in the experience, the audience section of the theater is not lit at all. This deprives them of most of their visual senses and lets them focus on the only element that’s lit, the stage. Lighting engineers call this selective visibility.

Lighting helps establish the mood

Since the audience watches from a good distance from the stage, it’s possible for them to miss out on facial expressions of the character. This is why lighting is also incorporated in setting the tone or the mood for the scene.

Helps props people make changes on stage

Unlike TV sets where shows can cut and move to the next scene, theaters do this in real time. Sometimes, changes have to be done manually. Helpers have to bring in or take out props without attracting attention. Lighting engineers carefully draw focus on other elements of the stage such as characters and dim the rest of the area so that these changes can be made.

Adds a reveal factor

Lighting engineers don’t simply light up the entire stage. What isn’t shown can be put in the dark for a dramatic reveal later on. At the same time, light being focused away from a character can also play a role on the scene.

Hello there! My name is Mike Giuffrida. I'm currently attending acting and film classes in LA. Moving to this city was a scary idea at first, but now I can see why everyone who wants to make it big in the entertainment industry starts here. For more reads on entertainment, visit this website.