Les Engineer
Member
Hello hive! Quick question: practical fluorescent lighting with the instruments visable to the audience - how distracting is this? Time is moving and the budget for this little drama (as usual) is small. The design calls for fluorescent lighting that can be manipulated by the actor. Shop lights from the hardware store plugged into a common extention cord and run to an outlet whose switch is in full view of the audience (existing, fortunately), seems to me to be the quickest/cheapest/easiest solution. However, inexpensive shop lights only come (at least locally) without a diffuser/shade, leaving the bulbs bare, making them quite visable to the first 1/2 dozen rows, diminishing in visability as the auditorium seats move higher and away from the stage. As I understand it, these lights cannot be dimmed, and so are either off or at full strength. Has anyone been in this spot, seen this configuation, or had any experience with bare fluorescent bulbs on stage in a play (as opposed, say, to a rock 'n roll performance) and would like to share. Thanks! [Maybe I should add that this is a converted movie theater with limited loft height and no fly system. These lights are to be hung with chain, and will be made visable by necessity.]