We have the Load-In for Fate’s Imagination today. The electricians are, I presume, hard at work installing the lighting units for the show. I am finishing up a few of my focus documents and double checking a couple of the things on the lightplot against what I have seen during rehearsal. Most of the changes are simple reassignments of the purpose and functions of lights rather than moving them around.
The space has a VERY low ceiling. The result of a low ceiling is that the space demands a LOT of lighting equipment. It is the irony of these small spaces. Having worked in quite a number of these kinds of spaces I have tried numerous approaches to addressing this issue. This time around I am using many worklights crafted to be functional to the dramatic needs of the play.
The great thing about worklights is because they are designed to flood a room with light, they work very well in these low ceiling situations and allow fewer lights to be used than if conventional theatrical lighting were to be employed. Another aspect of that is how it changes the aesthetic approach to the play. Because these lights move so differently through the volume of the room, one must re-conceive all the lighting for the play to remain stylistically consistent.
The play is structured such that it has three rather different acts thus affording a style change with each act. Further, the acts are largely grounded in location making these style changes easier still. This, combined with the somewhat new approach to lighting the play that I am taking, is looking to be rather exciting. There is an element of risk to some the aesthetic choices I have made that I will find out in a two days if it was the right way to go. I am fairly confident, but there is still the element of the unknown that I look forward to.
Overall the design encompasses a nice hybrid of conventional and non-conventional lighting strategies for the play. In addition to trying out some new structural elements in the design, I am also exploring a few new colors that should be exciting. Color is one of the easiest things to experiment with, as it is one of the cheapest aspects to lighting.
Interestingly color is also one of the easiest elements to fall into rote use with. I have heard designers say so many times “Well I always use . . . whenever I design a lightplot.” I do not understand this approach. A graphic designer would never “always use” a particular font or color palette yet somehow this is accepted in lighting. Certainly there are very useful colors that can and should get reused, but to “always” employ the same ones seems silly.
At the same time I can easily see the color palette in Fate’s Imagination evolving into something a lot more conventional as we progress through tech. There is a solution to one of the main design challenges that would use most to all of the lights with no color media. Most of the effect needed for this play is independent of color, relying on the shape, intensity and quality of light itself. In fact I could easily see a version of this play where no color was used at all. While it is possible we might get there by the end of the week, I do doubt it, but one never can tell.
The director and design team are a great group and we have had a lot of fun in our design meetings so I think this week should be quite enjoyable.
