Necessary Targets: Lighting design (direction, colour, intensity, special effects)

General Lighting Principles

Lighting in Necessary Targets functions not just to illuminate the action but also to imbue scenes with certain moods and highlight specific moments or characters.
The intensity, colour, direction, and use of special effects in lighting all contribute to the overall dramaturgy, having a significant impact on the emotional tonality and thematic underlines of the Ensemble’s performance.

Direction of Light

The direction of light plays a critical role in casting shadows, sculpting characters’ features, and setting the overall mood of a scene.
Dramatic effects can be achieved by altering the direction of light. For instance, side lighting can create stark contrasts, while backlighting might suggest ambiguity or emphasise isolation.

Colour of Light

The colour of light suggests different times of day, different settings, or different emotional states, subtly steering the audience’s perception and emotional response.
Lighting colours can fluctuate between cool and warm hues to denote changes in time, place, or mood. For instance, warm colours might establish a comforting domestic scene, while cold light could underline trauma or fear.

Intensity of Light

The intensity of light can highlight the emotional intensity of the scene or draw the audience’s focus on a particular character or prop.
A gradual increase or decrease in light intensity can dramatically build suspense or diminish tension, respectively.

Special Lighting Effects

Special lighting effects such as spotlighting, strobe lights, or gobo projections can enhance dramatic moments or contribute to the general atmosphere.
Spotlights can be used to isolate characters during monologues, intensifying their emotion and the audience’s focus on them.
Strobe lights might be used sparingly to suggest chaos, violence, or to amplify tension.

Understanding and analysing the use of lighting in Necessary Targets will offer a detailed insight into how Ensler and the production team manage to evoke specific atmospheres, modulate audience reactions, and highlight dramatic crux points throughout the play.