Drama 16 Stage Lighting

1) March 1, 2012, around 8:00pm
Calkins room 139

2) The rows of fluorescent lights were reflected on the mirror and through the windows behind my head.

3) We were in a little bit of a lull during rehearsal tonight, so my attention was suddenly drawn to the reflection of the light in the window behind me. It was a very cool industrial look, and also made the space seem bigger.

Though the light made me feel rather small and slightly insignificant, it also provided me an inspiration to show onstage. A mirror with a reflection of light has the ability to make a stage appear deeper and the actor to feel small and insignificant compared to it all as well. Also, the lights I saw were florescent tubes, giving the space an industrial feel, but onstage you could use a variety of different lights/colors/sizes to get different effects.

DATE-TIME-LOCATION: Tuesday, February 21, 3:53am. My dorm room.

OBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION: There are no lights on in my room, but it is illuminated by the glow of the street lights 11 stories below.  The light comes through at such an angle as to cast the shadows from the separations of window panes onto the ceiling in an irregular grid.  In 2 of these grids, Prince Henry, our morning glory, also casts his shadow as he hangs just below the blinds. Prince Henry’s leaves and stem, however, are casting double-shadows. As the heater that lies directly below blows, Henry quivers and sways, naturally making his shadow dance on the ceiling.

SUBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION: I woke spontaneously, and rolled onto my back. I noticed the shadows from Henry on the ceiling, and then I suddenly felt as if I was being rocked. My head began to spin, and I was in that world between reality and dreams. The shadow seemed alive, pulsing perhaps, but reaching out to me. I was transfixed by the shadows, but it took me quite a few seconds to realize that all of this was the case because the source of the shadow was moving. Then I was brought firmly back to reality. I looked, saw the heater on, refocused on the shadows. The double shadow intensified the feeling of other-worldliness, but now, my eyes couldn’t be fooled and I watched the shadows dance and tried to get back to the sheerly emotional response I began with.

1. February 25th – 6:30PM – a side street in Jericho, NY

2. My car headlights

3. Saturday evening I was out running errands with a friend. The last stop on our list of places to go was Kohl’s, which is located in Jericho. We’d never ventured to that area before, so finding the store took a little while. We eventually got there though, and picked up what we needed. As we were about to leave, however, we realized that not only had the sun set completely, but it had also began to snow. Hard. As we were making our way back to Hofstra, we took a wrong turn and ended up on some side street devoid of any streetlights. The area all around us was pitch black; the only light visible was that from my headlights, illuminating the falling snow and the road in front of us.

The effect this light had was an immediate sense of foreboding. Coupled with the fear that was associated with driving in the dark/snow in an unfamiliar area, the light itself hinted at the unknown. You could only see what the headlights enabled you to see; everything else was a mystery. In addition to that, the only thing you really could see in the light was snow – falling madly, and in every direction. It created a sense of uneasiness, fear, and isolation. It contrasted greatly from my lighting observation from a couple weeks ago, where I witnessed snow being illuminated in a warm, almost romantic way. This light displayed the frantic snow, hinting at the harm it can cause.