Stagecraft Essay

Since ancient times, people have been enjoying the delights of theatre and play enacted and carried out on stage. The history on lighting for the theatre is very interesting and innovative. As technology has developed over the years, theatergoers have been witness to extraordinary progress as innovations took over and added unique contributions to stage craft, architecture and theatrical lighting.
The history of stage lighting and lighting cues in theatre dates back to Greek and Roman times. Light has always been an important component for theatrical storytelling, and various lighting techniques have evolved over the centuries, Before the 20th century, many experimented with electric lights but it was until the turn of the century where electric lights were used exclusively in most theatres. During the 20th century, stage lighting design became an art in its own right, emerging from the obscurity of props, set designs, and costumes. Great efforts were to bring the subtlety and drama of effective light on the stage. The American playwright and producer David Belasco and his assistant Louis Hartman had developed many light instruments. Jean Rosenthal, another pioneer of American stage lighting, invented a system for recording a particular lighting sequence so that it could be faithfully repeated. Going into the 1940s and 1950s, stage lighting kept on evolving and improving. Many technical advances included special lenses, reflectors, projectors, and new plastic materials for color filters. In 1948, mechanical dimmer switches were replaced by electronic dimmers capable of being controlled with a remote control. Today, the lighting designer programs and operates a computerized control board that can recreate any instant of a lighting performance. These improvements increase the lighting quality and the creativity that can be used on plays