Lighting in theatre history First 2,000 years of theatre history, it took
place mostly outdoors during the day – that didn’t give people a lot of control over light
Playwrights used the imagination to suggest nighttime, or shifts of lighting
Playwrights also used language in place of lighting
Around 1600, theatre began to move indoors▪ Candles and oil lamps were used for illumination, but
there still wasn’t a lot of control 1803, the theatre in London installed gaslights 1879, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb
Objectives of lighting design1. Provide visibility2. Help establish time and place3. Help create mood4. Reinforce the style of the production5. Provide focus onstage and create visual
compositions6. Establish rhythm of visual movement
Elements of stage lighting Intensity Color Direction Form Movement
Given Circumstances What are the major
cues? (Scenes, time shift)
Specials – any light that is used to light a very specific part of the stage for just a couple special moments
Available resources Budget and schedule Style/Concept of the
show Color palette
Discussion Research Sketch Discussion (Computer
Simulation) Light Plot Hang the lights
and create the cues. Discuss. Adjust.
This is a section of a light plot. This is what designers use to show the master electrician
where every instrument is going to
hang and how it should be pointed and circuited. The series of symbols stand for
different kinds of lights, the circuits they’ll be plugged
into, where they’ll be placed in the theatre… it’s a whole language
all its own!
The lighting designer’s resources Types of stage lights▪ Ellipsoidal reflector spotlight
The lighting designer’s resources Types of stage lights▪ Soft-edged spotlights
The lighting designer’s resources Types of stage lights▪ Floodlights, strip lights,
and border lights
The lighting designer’s resources Types of stage lights▪ Automated or moving light
Gels – thin plastic sheets that are placed in front of the light to cast different colors
Gobos – thin metal slides that are inserted into an ellipsoidal light to cast a pattern like leaves or a window
Barn Doors – an attachment that is placed on the front of some lights to help shape the beam of light
Shutters – a piece of some lights that can shape the beam of light
Practicals – electric elements that are plugged in on stage and really work, like a real lamp or a real toaster
Lighting controls Lighting changes, or cues, are arranged
ahead of time▪ Black-out: all the lights are shut off at once▪ Fade: lights dim slowly▪ Cross-fade: one set of lights come down
while another comes up▪ Split cross-fade: lights that are coming up
are on a different fade count from the lights coming down
The lighting designer’s collaborators A Master Electrician – in charge of hanging
and wiring the lights and then maintaining them during the run of the show
Spot Operator – the person who runs the spotlight (when necessary)
Light Board Operator – the person who pushes the “go” button to move from light cue to light cue during each performance
The sound designer Responsible for arranging and
orchestrating all the auditory aspects of a production
Consults with director to determine sound requirements, including sound effects and amplification
Given Circumstances What are the major
cues? (Scenes, time shift)
Do you need music the play in the audience before and after the show and at intermission? What kind?
Available resources Budget and schedule Style/Concept of the
show
Discussion Research Discussion Search
for/Record sounds
Sound Plot Program the
sound cues Discuss Adjust
Understanding sound reproduction and sound reinforcement Sound reproduction: use of motivated or
environmental sounds▪ Motivated sounds: sounds that are directly
called for by action or lines in the script▪ Noise of a car crunching on gravel to signal someone’s
arrival▪ Phone ring
▪ Environmental sounds: noises of everyday life that help create verisimilitude in a production▪ Street traffic in a city▪ Crickets in the country
The Process of Sound A list is made of all sound effects required Recordings are made and the sounds arranged
in order of appearance in script Sometimes the sounds are run from a CD,
sometimes they are put into a computer program that programs the cues in a lot of detail – just like the light board
During the performance, an operator controls the cues when the stage manager tells him/her to go
Top Related