There are two fundamental functions of light in the dramatic arts, illumination and expression . Illumination is the practical problem of getting enough light for an audience or camera to see clearly, and expression is the creative and artistic dimension. There is a higher proportion of women to men in this field than in any other except costuming. I wonder sometimes if the reason for this might be that men tend to think more concretely and women more abstractly. Men like to work with saws and nails and wood and metal, things that they can touch.
Women seem more comfortable with the slippery medium of light.
Brief History of Lighting From ancient times through the age of Shakespeare, theatre was done outdoors or in open-roofed structures during daylight hours. Under those conditions artificial lighting was unnecessary. But beginning with the Renaissance in Italy in the 1500s people began to stage plays indoors. The only source of illumination at that time was fire in the form of candles, oil lamps, and torches. The biggest challenge was to get enough illumination indoors to allow the stage to be clearly seen from a distance without burning down the house.