Week 7: Suspended Disbelief of Time and Place

My best friend and I visited our old high school to see their current theater department's production of Charley's Aunt. I was unable to take a picture this week since I was at a play and no recording or photography was allowed. However, I wanted to comment on their lighting design. The three-act show took place in three very different settings and with the help of the lighting cues, I could easily be transported to each one. For example, when the main characters awaited the arrival of Charley's millionaire aunt, warmer colors like ambers were utilized to signify the approaching of noon after a lovely morning. Yet, when the second act opened at twilight, the use of pinks and cool colors such as blue and purple allowed our own eyes as audience members to trust that time had passed and the scene was now outdoors in the garden. Then, in the third act, we were taken out of the garden and into an elegant dining room in the evening. The lights were brighter downstage where the indoor action was taking place, and yet upstage (where they had placed a balcony), we were made to think that the twilight had darkened into a clear night sky. The contrast between the bright lights of the room coupled with the cool colors of the night made me believe that both times and places had really shifted - even though we had not physically moved at all. In all honesty, I had never really paid much attention to just how much the lighting can do for a show. I've always acknowledged it as beautiful and it definitely enhanced a production, but I truly understood how crucial it could be to suspending disbelief. I was pretty impressed and excited to learn that I was beginning to appreciate all elements that go into these works of art.