Drama 16 Stage Lighting

Date: 1/30/16; Time: 1:38 PM; Location: Monroe Hall Room 216

Objective Description: I was seated on the piano bench and the overhead classroom lights had just turned off. The main lights are set on a timer to turn off if there is no overt movement. However, once the main lights turned off(as I was playing), I was left with the singular spotlight that remains on unless manually turned off. It was positioned directly over the piano. the mood immediately shifted and the light created something even more poetic.

Subjective Description: The room was filled with artificiality in light, structure, and form. The man-made desks and left over trash that had been left was ablaze in such a way that it was almost distracting. My fingers moving swiftly across the piano keys suddenly noticed a sudden serenity. As the bright manufactured glow dissolved immediately like that of the theatre beckoning the start of show, the soft and dimly-lit beacon directly above me showcased the piano in an entirely new way. The man-made materials and abandoned trash were now dark, no longer alive and taunting. The piano, however, had new life, and it danced as my hands progressed down the keys. The shiny black veneer of the piano showed, for the first time, my true reflection. No longer did the room feel counterfeit and fabricated, but it felt organic and raw.  There was a feeling of peace as even the music felt more organic and the anguish of the song and my aura was ever-present. It was just me and the piano. Everything in that moment felt more personal. Although the main overheard lights remained off, the spotlight beamed on and music lit a fire that burned steadily.

Taken by Me at my house.

3) Inspiring

4) This picture reminds my why I am involved in theatre. The one single light illuminated the  sheet music and piano while leaving all else in blackness makes it clear that music is the sole focus of this photo. It reminds me of how I feel when I play piano or do anything in theatre: All else seems to disappear and it is the only thing that matters at the moment.

Date, Time, Location: Sunday February 20^th , 2011; 6PM, at home

Objective Description: a “spotlight” fixture used as a piano light as my brother plays.

Subjective Description: I begin to walk downstairs in my house as my brother plays some exercise music on the piano. He is not very good, but I had a lighting moment. The light he was using to illuminate his sheet music was also directed toward his face. This effect made an outer edge of light on the top of his body, like a halo,  more vibrant than the normal lighting of the room. Combined with his poor playing skills it gave me a feeling supporting his abnormal behavior.