Lighting Observation #5

March 5th, 2025 in Adams Playhouse Theater–3:32PM.
The lighting cues for Guys and Dolls were being run, my view came from SR wings as I was painting scenery. My work was being done on a yellow wall, which turned into a strange, greenish-hue under the bright blue lights that were hitting it. Other portions of the scenery were hit with pinker tones, which deadened the wall colors but still maintained their original saturation. The blackness of the stage floor and drapery stood out against the strangely-lit scenery.
What should have remained happy pastels of yellow, green and blue instead turned into uncomfortable browns and washed out grays as fluorescent lights hit the walls. The light that obscured them was unusually happy–vivid blues and punchy pinks. The only thing that humbled the two disagreeing parties were the deep pockets of black made up by billowing curtains and creaky floorboards; it was this sea of onyx that made the disfigured pastels wash away. Among the weirdness of these soft-hued color matchings, its bottomless pit drew our eyes in and kept them hostage.

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