Light Observation #5
DATE-TIME-LOCATION: February 23rd, about 8:45pm, 21 Clinton Street, NY–The Living Theatre
OBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION: In an interactive theatre performance, as “Joan of Arc” was “burning at the stake,” a spotlight shines from one corner of the room to the other, lighting Joan of Arc and shining directly at me. I believe the light has a red gel, but I can’t tell for certain because the light is near blinding me.
SUBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION: This was a very strange moment that invoked several emotions. First, I felt awkward, very singled out, almost as though every eye was on me, even though I knew logically that no one was looking at me instead of the actor in front of me. Still, there was no way to shake the feeling that I was under the microscope. The other very notable reaction was a sort of fear. Because the light was hitting me so directly in the eyes (and there was not enough space for me to move out of it) and the room had been relatively dark for the majority of the performance I was blinded, seeing spots, and it made the illusion of Joan “burning” seem so much more real. It was as if I was seeing a real pyre, and something about being in that direct light alone made me want to shy away, as if from the heat of a raging fire.