LIGHTING DESIGN

For the play “The Seagull” by Anton Chekhov

Ben Gross

Theatre 1331 Emily Wold

There are a variety of important factors

that go in to deciding lighting design in a

theatre performance. In this presentation I

will briefly provide strong visuals to support

how lighting could be used to support and

strengthen this performance by:

Appealing to mood and style

Providing ample visibility

Alluding to the time

Using color to highlight specific event(s)

Reinforcing importance on stage with spotlights

MOOD/STYLE

The mood of the play

is generally sad and

melancholy and to

support this in lighting

it would be effective to

use dim lighting

throughout the play as

a floodlight to light the

stage

PROVIDING AMPLE VISIBILITY

Although the mood is of

great importance, it is

equally if not of greater

importance that the actors

be visible to reinforce that

the lighting from front/below

should be a little brighter

than from above so you’re

not just looking at shadows.

TIME OF DAYGiven the focus on the

moonlight throughout the

play, it would be effective

incorporate a moon that

gives off light into the set

design which could provide

this flood lighting from above

and also serve as visual

aesthetics when they’re

outside

HIGHLIGHT WITH COLORThe use of color could be

beneficial in this play to asterisk

the relevance and emphasis of

the seagull to theme of the play.

Perhaps using a red spotlight to

shine down onto the seagull

throughout the play including

when Nina refers to herself as a

seagull in her monologue and

then again a flash of red as

Constantine kills himself

SPOTLIGHTING FOR IMPORTANCE

I believe spotlighting could

be an effective tool in

illuminating the important

events occurring onstage; for

example Nina’s monologue

in Constantine’s play where

she is wearing a white dress:

to accompany a light from

behind with a spotlight from

the front.

ADDITIONAL NOTES/SWAGAfter Sorin reveals to Trigorin at the

end of the play that Constantine has

killed himself, I think it’s important to

end the play with a “drop the mic”

approach by making the cast freeze

while making the stage as bright as

possible and then going pitch black

only to find when the lights come

back on that the stage is empty. Call it

Chris Angel theatrics

Chris Angel and a confused cat