LightingTheatre Arts

Why Stage Lighting?

Visibility/Illumination

Mood and atmosphere

Indication of time and place

Rhythm and punctuation

Make it pretty!

Help the actors – isolation from audience

Illumination

* From Exploring Theatre – Glencoe (Nancy Prince & Jeanie Jackson)

Illumination

* From Exploring Theatre – Glencoe (Nancy Prince & Jeanie Jackson)

Qualities of Light

Intensity

Color

Distribution

Movement

Lighting Design

Vocabulary

Light Crew – Responsibilities:Planning (lighting design)Preparing (hanging/focusing/programming the lights)Running the lights during the performances

Lighting PlotFloor plan of the set showing the placement of

lightingA list of what lights are turned on and off and where

the switches are locatedCues are marked in the tech’s promptbook for use in

production

Lighting Plot

* From Exploring Theatre – Glencoe (Nancy Prince & Jeanie Jackson)

Lighting Instruments

Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlights (Lekos) – Produces a strong concentrated beam of light

Lighting Instruments

Gobos

Lekos

Lighting Instruments

Fresnel Spotlight – Produces a light beam with a soft edge

Fresnels

Lighting Instruments

Follow Spot – Used to highlight and follow a moving performer. Produces a beam strong enough to project at a distance.

Lighting Instruments

Floodlight/Scoop – has short throw distance and is used to provide medium to wide wash (spread) of light

Lighting Instruments

Border Light Strip – A strip of lights connected together in one metal unit. They are generally hung above the stage to blend the acting areas and to add color to the set.

Lighting Instruments

PAR Can - produces an intense oval pool of light with unfocused edges (like a car’s headlight)

Lighting Director Interview

Chris Binder, Lyric Opera of Chicago