How do you properly light a show?

Question: How do you properly light a show!?

I'm the stage manager in my city for the production of Urinetown!. The director asked if I could fiqure out what lights should be on, onstage, at what times, and what intensity!. How does the intensity work!? Any tips would be appreciated! (just on general lighting)

MarieWww@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Wow! First of all, stage managing is a full time job!. You really need a technical director to do this, especially during the performances!. This is a HUGE assignment and may involve electrical wiring!. How you light the stage will depend on the equipment you have!. Do you have spotlights, light banks, cascades!? If so how many and where!?

At the theater I work at we have 5 sets of lights set a different angles from various locations above the audience!. We also have 4 sets of lights above the stage itself!. The entire thing is controlled by a computer program that our tech director operates!. In very, very basic terms each individual light has a "dimmer" switch!. The higher the switch the deeper the intensity!. You can also create moods by putting different colored gels over certain lights!. Be sure to watch shadows and set your lights so that they effectively light the areas the actors are standing during the production!.

Once you have your general lights set you will need a specific tech rehearsal where the actors walk to their spot on stage and you set the lights to frame them!. Both you and the director also need to carefully go through the script and determine when you want bright lights, low lights, spot lights etc!.!.!. This is really the assignment of the director!.!.!.don't let him wiggle out of it since this has a major bearing on the outcome of the show!.Www@QuestionHome@Com