Initial Goals and Concepts!

I wanted Urinetown to feel dramatic through deep, intense colors, harsh and sharp shadows, and for the first time, haze! My goal was to use lighting to reflect the emotions of the characters throughout the story. I relied heavily on deep-colored side light with random shadow gobo patterns to represent the impoverished city. However, in the “richer” parts of town, I used bright, monotone lighting with fewer shadows to visually distinguish wealth and privilege. It was also important to me to have at least one lighting effect running in each song to enhance the emotion and storytelling. This was my senior show, so I wanted it to feel special—not just for me, but for the cast and audience as well.

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Act One Finale

The Act One finale best represents my goals of dramatic effect and storytelling. Harsh shadows were used throughout, while the haze enhanced the visibility of beams and effects running on other lights, adding intensity and focus to the song as a whole. Drastic colors, such as R80 and R24, heightened the emotional impact, while front light helped direct focus. Backlight created striking silhouette effects during intense moments, and top light washed the stage in deep, atmospheric color. Every lighting choice was intentional, working together to amplify the power of the scene. This number was already intense, but the lighting helped make it truly powerful.

Reflection and Final Notes

This show taught me a lot. It was the first time I truly considered the emotional impact of lighting, focusing more than ever on how it could enhance the story. I wanted the lights to flow seamlessly with the narrative, highlighting the differences between characters—whether they were sad or angry, poor or rich. I also discovered my love for haze; even in small amounts, it made it easier to fill a scene and helped special effects stand out, even when other lights were bright. Beyond that, this show taught me valuable lessons about planning and mapping. It pushed me to be more creative and detail-oriented in my design process. Surprisingly, even though I originally thought I would hate it, it ended up being one of my favorite productions. Somehow, in those final days before opening, everything came together—and the end result was pretty amazing!

Photo Credit For Urinetown: Mary Henry

Addams Family

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