Lighting
Theatre Spaces
Theatre Terms
Design Elements
Design Principles
100

This lighting design objective is probably the most important of them all--we gotta see what's happening onstage!

What is to provide visibility?

100

A stage that provides a picture frame-like view into the world of the play (Example: Stump Theatre).

What is a proscenium theatre?

100
An automated lifting machine that technicians use to reach lights above the stage.
What is a genie lift?
100

Visual characteristic of an object based upon the light reflection measured in hue, value, and saturation.

What is color?

100
The visual aid used to show a severe difference between two scenes or a group of characters-- light vs. dark, cool vs, warm, tall vs. short.
What is contrast?
200

Template in a lighting instrument that determines the shape and arrangement if the beam or pool of light thrown by the instrument.

What is a Gobo?

200

A theatre shape that places the audience on three sides around the playing space.

What is a thrust theatre?

200
The part of the acting stage that comes forward of the proscenium archway.
What is the apron?
200
A mark that connects two points.
What is line?
200
Visual calm and ease that is caused by symmetrical placement of lines, shapes, colors, etc.
What is balance?
300

A schematic diagram showing where and what types of lights are to be hung for a production.

What is a light plot?

300

A theatre space in which the audience surrounds the stage on all four sides; another way to describe "in the round."

What is an arena theatre?

300

The off-stage sides of the stage that are hidden by masking.

What are the wings?

300
A line that encloses a space-- form walls, windows, doors, outline of a garment silhouette, lighting templates
What is shape?
300
The natural sweeping guidance created by line, color, shape to move your eye across an object or canvas.
What is movement?
400

The lighting designer creates these specific arrangements of lights that come up at precise moments during the production.

What are cues?

400
The large white piece of fabric that wraps around the back of the stage that is used for lighting and projection.
What is the cyclorama (cyc)?
400
The common naming of the locations on stage in reference to the actor when he/she is facing out towards the audience.
What is stage left and stage right?
400
Visual or tactile surface or appearance of an object.
What is texture?
400
The idea of having a single object or person stand out against the rest of the stage picture to show importance in that moment.
What is emphasis?
500

This scenic component is a cloth or gauze that can appear opaque when lit from the front, or translucent when lit from behind, used to create magical transformations.

What is a scrim?

500

The part of the stage where lines and pulleys raise and lower hanging items.

What is the fly rail?

500

Three dimensional manifestation of a shape.

What is form?

500

This is the size relationship between individual parts of a object with relation to the whole.

What is proportion?

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