I get why stages have multi colored lights to set mood when just certain colors are on. But I often see the full rainbow of lights on. So just wondering why? Is there some benefit versus just white lights (which are also on)?
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Former high school theater tech here.
Opposing colors (slightly blue and slightly yellow) are used to light actors with a natural look, one from the left and one from the right. This increases the definition of the actor’s face, whereas a straight on white light will make them look flat and surreal as they will have less shadows, making it difficult for our eyes to perceive details. The same applies to set pieces, which need lighting that is different from the actors to make it easier to see the actors in front of a set piece.
And of course the color of the actor’s skin and the sets also affect the color choices. Then the leads in a scene often are lit differently to make them pop, and actors tend to move, meaning general washes of light are needed to fill gaps.
So, in an advanced production, every mark an actor hits during a scene is lit for them at that moment in the scene, and every thing else is lit to provide context to the setting.
Then the overall shades of color and brightness can be adjusted for mood, and rules broken to hide something or exaggerate a scene.
The end result is the lighting can look like a random selection of bright colors, especially if you look at the lamps during a production while the theater is dark. If the house lights are up, then it is easier to see that the lights are mostly muted colors.
Light sources all have a color to them. We rarely have actual “white” light as a source. Different places tend to use common light sources that give a certain common appearance between them. Most homes tend to use “soft” bulbs that have a red color. Offices usually have a “hard” blue color.
Stages can’t just use plain white for most scenes, even when the stage is meant to be well lit and not giving an emotional cue. It doesn’t match the light commonly associated with the depicted location. So they may have a white light to provide visibility, but will also have red/yellow/orange to give the softer tone of a living room. Or they may skip the white light because enough of the colored lights are used to provide the illumination needed.
Lighting designer here: most likely it was the choice of a person who pays lighting designer. LD has a computer that controlls all lights on stage, most of the time they get to pick intensity, direction, color, and beam shape. Lights that allow for it all are moving head lights.
Multicolored lights on theater stages serve various purposes, including setting the mood, creating atmosphere, highlighting specific areas or actors, and enhancing the visual appeal of the performance. Different colors evoke different emotions and can help convey the tone of a scene or production.
Older style conventional par lights can’t change color, so they only have a red, or blue, or yellow gel in them.
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