Creating a Role for Light: A Lighting Design Teaching Method Based on Stanislavsky

Abstract

ABSTRACT The creative role of stage lighting is increasingly appreciated in contemporary theatre practice. However, aesthetic sensibility seems harder to teach than technology. This essay focuses on lighting design students and a learning journey inspired by Konstantin Stanislavsky. According to Scott Palmer, “[Stanislavsky’s] use of light at the Moscow Art Theatre made a fundamental contribution to the evolution of his acting method.” The connection between Stanislavsky’s work with light and the methods used by pioneers in the field of lighting design including Adolphe Appia, Edward Gordon Craig, Stanley McCandless, and Jean Rosenthal is examined. Beyond purely practical considerations, such as visibility and smooth transitions between the scenes, this essay sheds light on how Stanislavsky’s method can be used to help young aspiring lighting designers conceive the dramaturgical role of light. A proposal for a teaching approach is presented, using Stanislavsky’s basic techniques as an example. From the analysis of the text and the given circumstances to the magic “if,” which takes the actor into the world of the play, Stanislavsky’s approach can easily be applied to the creative process of a contemporary lighting designer. The interpretation of Stanislavsky’s work from a lighting designer’s perspective also leads to useful conclusions about the art of collaboration in the performing arts.