INTRODUCTION
Stage lighting is one of the elements of design, or technical aspect of theatre, which cannot be ignored in modern theatre practice. According to Domba Asomba, “the art of stage lighting is, at its best, science and technology in service of the art of the theatre” (ix). The implications of Asomba’s statement above are as follows:
.Theatre can be done without stage lighting.
.Theatre and the art of stage lighting observe master-servant
.Stage lighting plays supportive role in theatre.
Although stage lighting is not quintessential in productions occurring during the day, it is crucial to night performances. In modern times, most productions are night affairs.
In this unit, attempt will be made to trace the origin and development of stage lighting, as well as the purposes of the art of stage lighting in theatre practice.
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3.1 The Concept of Stage Lighting
Stage lighting is an art of using artificial light (now mostly electric light) to illuminate the stage, in order to showcase actors in their dramatic world, to punctuate their moods and emotions, to fire their imagination and that of the audience, as well as to lay bare, the actors’ fields of thought. In the words of Asomba, “the art of stage lighting goes beyond switching on and off the stage lights to provide illumination” (xi). It is a creative art “absolutely aimed at aiding/supporting the actor, the chief priest of the enactment, in expressing directly to an audience, the spoken and unspoken thoughts and feelings of the character(s) in the action” (xi). This means that apart from revealing the actors in their dramatic environment, stage lighting is employed creatively to accentuate emotions, externalize thoughts, indicate time, as well as weather conditions.
In the light of the above, stage lighting can never be a business for all and sundry. It must be handled by someone who is knowledgeable in the value of light; one who understands the impacts of colours in human psychology, as well as their conventional usage.
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1
How is stage lighting different from ordinary lighting?
3.2 Origin and Development of Stage Lighting
Although some writers suggest that lanterns were used to indicate night scene during the classical Greek period, and that the addition of roof on the Roman theatre necessitated the use of torchlight on the classical Roman stage, the Renaissance “was the first time stage lighting became one of the powerful tools in theatre performance”. Not only that “Chandelier was invented for illumination of the stage and auditorium”, “it was the period light fading after each scene became important” (Ugwu, 2005: 4-5).
To secure scene change at this period of stage lighting development, “open cylinders were suspended above the lamps and lowered over them to darken the stage, or raised to brighten it, or all lamps might be mounted on rotating poles that could be turned either toward or away from the visible portion of the stage” (Brockett, 1999: 142).
There was an attempt to introduce colour in stage lighting during the Renaissance period, but the scientists of this era had little control over colour, and even intensity. Thus Brockett observes that “since the intensity of lamps and candles was so limited, producing an adequate level of illumination took precedence over other functions of stage lighting” (142).
Because of the problems of haze, fumes and heat generated by this crude method of stage lighting, scientists, continued to attempt on improvement. A more scientific way of controlling and manipulating stage lights in order to create various atmospheric conditions and moods was attributed to a French man, Louis – Jacques Daguerre (1787-1851), whose interest in optics even led him to invent “the first effective form of photography in 1839” (348). In 1822, gas lighting was introduced.
However, Thomas Edison’s invention of electric lamp in 1879 revolutionized stage lighting. Brockett posits that “in 1881, The Savoy Theatre became the first in London to be lighted throughout with electricity and by 1900 almost all English theatre had followed its example” (399). Earlier in 1860, the incandescent lamp had been placed in a housing and equipped with lens to create a spotlight” (399). By 1913, the use of colour media had become common throughout Europe and America. The invention of computer in the twentieth century makes precision in stage lighting possible.
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2
Trace the origin and development of stage lighting.
3.3 Functions of Stage Lighting
Generally speaking, light functions as a means of illuminating dark environment. In the theatre, light is not only a means of ensuring visibility, it can be a source of delight, glamour and wonder. It can be used to accentuate emotions, depict time, atmosphere and weather conditions. But for theatre lights to achieve the above, they “must spring from the text and action of the play” (Bowskill, 1979: 301). For purposes of clarity and easy comprehension, we will attempt to explain these functions one after another.
.VISIBILITY
As the theatre moved indoors from the arena, the need for visibility became imperative. This led to the first attempt at stage lighting. Talking about the importance and inevitability of visibility, Michael J. Gillette states that “if you can’t see them, you can’t hear them” (289). Trevor Griffith buttresses this idea when he opines that “without a creative and technically approach to lighting the audience cannot fully appreciate the set and costumes, and most importantly, the actors on stage” (93). In essence, light ties all the aspects of production together.
.INTERPRETATION OF MOOD
A creative function of stage lighting is its ability to accentuate emotions. Through mood accentuation, stage lights help the actors to externalize their thoughts and feelings and by so doing, they bring out the implicit meaning of the play, the subtext. According to Domba Asomba, “the mood of a drama is what moves an audience beyond itself, from its real self into the virtual space and time of the action” . He further observes that “the mood of a play is not something that a lighting artist brings into a theatre but something inherent in the drama in focus that he only strives to heighten and reinforce, through associative employment of symbols and exploitative manipulation of the variables of light” (115). The implications of the above statements include the following:
.The lighting artist must read the script thoroughly, in order to become ted with the emotional implications of the play.
.He must know the symbolic meaning of colours and their values, as ualities of light.
.MEANS OF SCENE CHANGE
Light plays a major role in scene changes. James Roose-Evans remarks that light serve not merely to illuminate what is happening on stage but to highlight the emotional mood of a scene from moment to moment”. In support of this notion, The New Encyclopaedia Britannica notes that “the dynamic potentials of lighting are best realized when the changes of light underscore and propel the development of drama” (607). As a means of scene change, stage lights help to add rhythm and create pause in performances. The pause enables the audience to contemplate on what has been presented. As a mobile factor in theatre production, Charles Ugwu posits that stage lighting “should not be stagnant but should be changing frequently, from moment to moment, in order to heighten the tempo of the production” (10).
.AESTHETIC VALUE
Ugwu Charles opines that “colours add immeasurable beauty” to productions. When colours are mixed appropriately to blend well with the setting,mood and atmosphere of any performance, the entire stage picture can be a wonder to gaze at, a glamour to cherish, and a marvellous beauty to behold.
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3
List and discuss two functions of stage lighting.
3.4 Qualities of Stage Lighting
Stage lighting possesses four variable qualities, which include intensity, colour, movement and direction.
INTENSITY
When we talk of intensity, we mean the lowness or brightness of illumination, the fluctuating tendency of light. With reference to stage lighting, Asomba sees intensity as the “actual amount of light, the quantity that strikes the stage at any given moment in the revelation of action” (102). Intensity is a major means of accentuating mood and atmosphere in theatre production. Intensity of stage lighting can be regulated by the use of control device such as the dimmer, colour medium or “by changing the position of the lighting instrument” (102). A good quality light, according to Albright et al, should possess “intermediate value. Its intensity should neither be too soft nor too high. Very soft light blurs vision, while too bright one can be blinding. Under each case, the spectators will have “difficulty in distinguishing details of form, or subtleties of expression” (294).
MOVEMENT
Light, as we have earlier noted, is a mobile factor in theatre production. Movement entails “visible change of any of the qualities of light” (Asomba, 2006:103). Increase or decrease in colour intensity, or change in direction of lighting instrument constitutes movement. The essence of movement of light is to direct, or focus attention, to create emphasis.
COLOUR
Colour is, perhaps, the most influential quality of stage lighting in terms of production of variety of mood. Although the use of colour is highly conventionalized, and its emotional response very much subjective,
Bowskill rightly observes that:
. Warm colours tend to advance
. Cold colours tend to recede.
.Reds and oranges are powerful and strong; assertive, aggressive and
.Yellow is gay, happy and cheerful. It stimulates.
.Blues and greens are tranquilizing, restful and cold.
.Purple and magenta are pompous, regal, powerful and stimulating. .White stimulates (easily over stimulates).
.Black depresses (easily over depresses).
.Grey neutralizes (309).
Colours can be used to create a wide range of emotions and meanings on stage. It can be used to create natural, as well as abstract effects. Consequently, the lighting designer must work in concert with the set, costume and make-up designers, in order to avoid creating colour riot on stage.
COLOUR MEDIA
These refer to the means of creating the various colours required for stage use. They are usually “chemically engineered and manufactured to filter out undesired colours” and to boost the wavelengths of the needed colours. They are placed in front of the lighting instruments and activated by the light source to produce the required colours. Colour media include dyed gelatine, coloured glass and dyed plastics.
DIRECTION
Direction has to do with the angle from which the light throw emanates. The course of the stage light is very important. In fact, its usage appears to have been conventionalized. For example, “natural effects are created with light coming from the top of the stage, unnatural effects can be created with light coming from below the stage” (Ugwu, 2005:30)
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 4
Why is colour very important in stage lighting?
3.5 Lighting Instruments
According to Asomba, “stage lighting instruments are classified into two broad categories based on whether they are engineered to use lenses or not, and they include spotlighting and floodlighting instruments”.
FLOODLIGHT
This instrument has a single permanent reflector which enables it to throw out light without change. It has no focusing lens and, therefore, throws light out evenly on stage. It produces soft beam of light and used for mere illumination. Floodlight instruments are usually “available as individual units or linked together to form a baton, or through” (Bowskill, 1979:302).
SPOTLIGHT
This is the type of lighting equipment with lens. It is used to focus light as demanded by the production. It is used for selective lighting aimed at emphasis. It is used for versatile purposes.
LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM
The control system is the heart of stage lighting. It is the means by which the intensity of light is regulated. Today, the dimmer is the device used in regulating the flow of current into the incandescent lamps. It is a sort of remote control that has continued to be modified as a result of improvement in electrical and electronic engineering. Certainly, there must have been computerized dimmers to help make stage lighting more precise and less cumbersome.
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 5
What is a floodlight?
4.0 CONCLUSION
We have explained that the art of stage lighting is a child of necessity. This is because it was developed to solve the problem arising from indoor and night performances. We explained that apart from general or mere illumination, stage lighting can be used to accentuate moods, highlight thought, indicate time and clarify atmospheric conditions, etc.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, we specifically examined the concept of stage lighting, its origin and development, functions and qualities of stage lighting, as well as stage lighting instruments.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
Distinguish between flood and spotlighting.
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS
Albright, H.D, William P. Halstead and Lee Mitchell (1968). Principles of Theatre Art. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Asomba, Domba (2006). Fundamentals of Stage Lightning. Enugu: ABIC Books.
Bowskill, Derek (1979). Acting and Stage Craft Made Simple. London: W. H. Allen and company.
Brockett, Oscar.G. and Frankly J. Hildy (1999). History of the Theatre. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Gillette, Michael J. (1992). Theatre Production and Design. California: Mayfield.
Griffith, Trevor (1982). Stage Craft: The Complete Guide to Theatrical Practice. New York: Phaidon Press.
Rose- Evans, James (1970). Experimental Theatre. New York: J.T. Press.
Ugwu, Charles (2005). “Psychological Effects of Stage Lighting on the Audience”. B.A. Thesis submitted to the Department of Theatre
Arts, University of Nigeria Nsukka.
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol.28.
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