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Lightning Flash
On paper, Venus in Fur just asked for a basic wash to set the scene in an empty warehouse. But I wanted to the lighting to build a world the audience wanted to explore and was drawn into. By digging into the script, I found opportunities where the lighting could do more than just illuminate the stage it could actively shift the mood and support the actors.
The stage directions calls for either "thunder" or "lightning" outside, as well as high warehouse windows. For close lightning strikes, I programmed the face lights and gobos to flicker together. When thunder rolled in the distance, the gobos gave a soft, subtle flicker. It made the storm feel alive and made the world of the play seem larger than just the stage.
For most of the show, I intentionally kept the color palette monochrome. I saved the first real pop of color for the very end, when the female lead takes total control and steps into her role as the goddess Venus. I put her in a pool of dark pink downlight, contrasting it against a sharp, stark white light that trapped the male character in the background. It was a sudden, striking visual shift that highlights the final power dynamic between them.
Venus in pink pool of light
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