Walter Hennerfeind

Lighting II

14 December 2017

The Hard Problem Lighting Design

For my lighting design of The Hard Problem, I want my lighting to allude to the

dominant theme of faith vs. science. In The Hard Problem by Tom Stoppard, the

characters debate whether humans consciously make decisions or if decisions are driven

by natural selection. In turn, suggesting the idea that humans either create their own life

path or that their path in life is predetermined by an outside force. For my design, I have

decided to create two worlds: a sterile world that is void of warm lighting (science) and a

natural world full of warm lighting (faith).

To accomplish this, I want each scene to the possibility of having six acting areas.

The hope is that whichever world is presented in a given scene, each part of the stage will

be well lit no matter where the action takes place. For each acting are there will be the

following systems of light: front light, diagonal sidelight, scenic love and top light.

Source Four Zooms should produce the front light with an R3208+R119 color correcting

gel. The diagonal sidelight should work in a Stanley McCandless fashion to gorgeously

light characters in each acting area. For diagonal sidelight, there should be two 50º

Source Fours hung per acting area with different gel colors. One of these fixtures should

have an R09+R119 gel color (warm light) and the other should have an L201+R119 gel

color (cool light). Additionally, the scenic love should be produced by 6” Fresnels with

an R06+R119 gel color. Lastly, the top light will vary depending on which world each

scene is in.
 In the sterile world of science, I would like for the top light to be very cool and harsh.

I would like the following locations to be lit in this fashion: The Krohl Institute lobby and

Hillary’s office. Although these spaces are meant to be state of the art, I think that they

should be void of warmth given the nature of the facilities. The top light in these scenes

should be produced by 6” Fresnels with an R81 Urban Blue gel.

In the natural world, I would like for the top light to be warm and soft. The following

locations should be lit in this fashion: Hillary’s apartment, the breakfast room, the yoga

room and the Venice hotel room. I would prefer for these locations to suggest Hillary’s

belief in altruism–the belief in selfless concern for the well being of others. The top light

in these scenes should be produced by 6” Fresnels with an R301+R119 gel at half

intensity.

To conclude, a paradox can be defined as a statement or proposition that seems

self-contradictory or absurd but in reality, expresses a possible truth. I want the house

lighting and the lighting in the walkway to the house to be just that. I want these spaces to

be lit with both warm and cool lighting to suggest an opposing theme. To do so, I would

like for the warm lighting to be created by individually hung warm Edison bulbs. To add

contrast, I want the cool lighting to be created by hanging LED sticks that produce cool

hues. My hope is that the audience can find a common ground between faith and science

by the end of the play.