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Theatrical Lighting

View Theatrical Technical Data

All the world's a stage...which means even if your project doesn't have a "real" stage or performance space, you may still benefit from adding a dash of theatrical lighting and control! Restaurants, churches, museums, corporate lobbies and other spaces all can be transformed with proper theatrical lighting. Of course, we can light stages for theatres, universities and high schools, too.


Theatrical Lighting Usage

While most people think of stages when they think theatrical lighting. Think instead about why those lights are there. Stage lighting directs the audience's attention to an actor or a scene, sets the mood and atmosphere, and communicates ideas (for example, a reddish-orange light strobed erratically can suggest fire).

You can use the same principles off-stage. Proper theatrical lighting can direct attention to an exhibit or other item to be highlighted. You can establish a quiet mood in a church or fine restaurant, or a vibrant mood in a nightclub. Companies can get special steel or glass plates, called gobos, to project their corporate logo or any other image against a wall or screen.

As the off-stage use of "theatrical" lighting has expanded, many manufacturers now make specialized fixtures especially for architectural use. These fixtures combine the power and splash of theatrical lighting with extended-life lamps or smaller, more discreet housings. LED-based fixtures are also opening up powerful opportunities for clients to make a theatrical statement in ways that would have been too costly or maintenance-intensive before.

Lighting Associates prides itself on helping architects, engineers, and theatrical designers balance the theatrical and architectural requirements of a space to provide a tastefully designed theatrical lighting system within the client's budget.


Theatrical Lighting Applications

Theatrical lighting can go almost anywhere!

  • Stages of all kinds and descriptions: Use in performing arts centers, universities, high schools, churches, auditoria, gymnatoria, and more!
  • Restaurants: Highlight interesting architectural elements or the chef's creations. Use LED-based fixtures in and around bar areas to complement almost any theme or decor.
  • Convention centers, hotels and resorts: Use in ballrooms, meeting halls, lobbies, courtyards.
  • Churches and houses of worship: Properly applied theatrical lighting can greatly enhance the experience of any religious service by establishing mood and drawing the congregration's attention to elements of the service (minister, choir, etc.).
  • Television and recording studios: Many of our theatrical manufacturers also make the studio fixtures needed for high-quality TV, photography and video production. * Museums: Spotlight exhibits of all kinds from artwork to sculpture to technical exhibits. Control the color of light to complement and enhance displayed pieces. Special filters are also available to minimize the damaging effects of ultraviolet and infrared radiation on sensitive exhibits.
  • Corporations: Project logos, signage, or other images with light! Theatrical lighting can also be used in large meeting areas, in-house auditoria, and to enhance architectural elements.
  • Exteriors: Recent advances in LED-based fixtures have allowed previously impractical designs to take off. Wash massive architectural features in subtle (or not-so-subtle) colors, construct LED walls to display video or images, or simulate natural phenomena such as waterfalls or lightning with light.

Theatrical Control and Distribution

Small theatrical installations, such as a spotlight or two to highlight this week's featured sales, or projecting a company's logo, may not require much of a control system - a simple switch or dimmer will do. Anything much larger will benefit from thoughtfully designed control and distribution.

Theatrical control refers to how you get the lights to create the effects you want. Control may be provided by dimming systems, theatrical consoles, LED controllers, wall stations, touchscreens, and more. Sometimes control may be provided by the same system that controls the non-theatrical lights in a building; other times the theatrical lighting may get its own control system. The effects may range from simple dimming and switching, to color washes and chases, to complex shows and video sequences.

Theatrical distribution refers to how you get power and data signals to all the lights (and sometimes other devices) that need it. This may involve connector strips, outlet boxes, specialized cables, network infrastructure, company switches, and other products. All of these products serve the same essential purpose: to get the right signals to the right places at the right times so that your theatrical system works correctly.

Lighting Associates can assist specifiers with planning for clients' theatrical control and distribution needs. We can also provide factory-authorized local programming and support for some manufacturers' systems.


Getting Started

Because of the extreme range of possibilities that can be brought to life with theatrical lighting, it is impossible to provide a "one-size-fits-all" guide to theatrical applications.

If you are looking for ideas and inspiration, click on our photo gallery. Various theatrical systems are shown there. You can also click on the applications or categories menus to search for products applicable to your project.

If you're ready to talk to one of our representatives about your next theatrical lighting project (on or off stage), please call us at 314.531.3500 Ext. 122.