Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-28

analysed fact in the theater that a light makes
love doubly effective. By bathing the act in this
color, the big moment will unconscouslv gain added
force and vitality in the audiences mind when arrives
Thus is the relative big in each act built up 10
by light 1t the big scene IS cold, brutal one a
steel blue light is used a romantic one a warm blue
light is Employed if a lazy, lackadasca clnacteric
episode called for then sheer yellow light is brought
into play. Strong, high lights used when normal
dramatic action be projected forcibly across the
footghts cold, hard lights when the action becomes
big and meodranatic; warm, soft lighting when the
action becomes sentimental and tender and dim light
ing when mystery of any is to be suggested As
will be noticed what has been done here merely the
employment for purposes OF drama of what holds true in
nature. Light affects persons the real world in
tain ways, science has outlined In the mimic world
light affects audiences in exactly the manner.
R1 way of illustrating briefly the great stride forward
- that dramatic lightning has made in recent wears
let me draw comparison OF the manner in which i'm
portant in drama such "Dsraeli would have
been put on a dozen years ago and the way in which
the wooed and for frmer effects TO-DAY
have purposely selected the duplicate OF which,
from producing point Of view be found in runner
other dramas,a that reveals the characters
OF the play in quiet mood, but a that neverthe
less demands suggestion OF impending conflict among
those characters, said conflict TO to them from
without. The setting is interior scene
Twelve years ago, in the staging of such scene the
aed for the audience by the characters themselves;
other words, by acting. This, of course would have
been artificial inasnuch the characters were sup
posed at this point in the play to be OF the
arriving nharmony. In this old manner Of staging the
conflict would be wrongly started among the characters
from within themselves instead of from without the
proper evolution of the drama demanded.
Today all the trouble is eliminated by lighting The
is lighted in subdued manner; while, by
way OF contrast, the made to shine brightly out
side the windowsF You have often noticed this same
effect in your They are frequently dim
within, despite the fact that the shining brilliantly
outside. When ransposed to the stage, such lighting
gives the necessary nervous atmosphere to the scene
the necessary of unconscious uneaSiness inside
the through the vivid sensing of the light pulsing
outer world through the windows. 1t is the contrasting
of indoors and outdoors of few haSure hearts against
world OF certain hearts, of half light and full light.
have room to continue with further illustrations
Every year witnessing continued interesting develop
in the science of dramatic lighting, in the throw
ing OF light, to speak, the drama of our day
The of this newest of dramatic sciences are
broad and long, and fertile for research and accomplish
Ii have succeeded merely in indicating the fact
of relationship between light and drama, shall feel
that my purpose here has been attained.