Spotlighting Plot, Theme and Mood

Theater is simply storytelling. Impermanent and fleeting but still bound by the rules of literature. That is why the best light crews are the ones that understand and can recognize the important elements of good stories.

A follow spot can be like a highlighter on the printed page. It draws attention to some characters and relegates others. It tells the audience that this person (or object) is significant and demands attention.

Floods, cyc and fill lights develop the mood or tone of a scene. Cool colors calm or give a sense of darkness while warm colors draw the audience in. Changing the colors can signal a change of setting or impending doom. When coupled with music, the visual and audio effect alone can have a powerful effect on the audience.

A good light package will allow the audience to become absorbed in a good story. A bad light setup can become so much of a distraction that the audience has difficulty connecting with the story line. Perhaps that is why I have an affinity for light crew, the unsung heroes of the theater - their best work is often unnoticed, but essential to a show's success.