Rent Tech Reflections

I've never been a part of a musical before. It's a completely different experience than being in a straight play, especially in terms of lighting. The new moving lights have also changed the experience, because their capabilites allow for a lot more variety. Musicals use more color, it seems, or maybe that's because I'm paying more attention now to the colors being used. The movement of the lights also adds an effect that would probably be distracting in a straight play, but which adds to the drama and characterizations of a musical. The gobos being used are stylized and exaggerated, and looks are very specific for specific scenes. Spotlights are another element of the more stylized approach of the musical, because it accentuates the direct adress to the audience. The lighting looks change many times over the course of a song in a musical, while they seem to change fewer times in a straight play. Conclusion: Musicals are a lot more work. But they are also a chance to take risks and play around with new lighting techniques.