I agree with Goph, don't focus on the technology, and what you have quite yet (but keep it in the back of your mind)
This is how I normally go about doing a lighting design.
I normally read the script once without making many notes. Just read it to see what goes on what I
pick up etc.
Then I re-read it, and
mark down what places make sense for a light que/change.
By this time I've figured out the mood of the
play, the certain acts, I've started to get a small understanding of how the scenes flow into each other and what the important moments may be.
Then I'll sit in rehearsal and make notes of
blocking that seems important. If I can, I'll see two or more run through of the entire
play. I'll change light cues based on what happens at rehearsal and what I can feel out there.
Is there a lot of action happening at one particular spot on the
stage? Can I get the director to set people there? (dont be afraid to ask to change the
blocking to make the show look better).
Do actors flip on and off a light
switch? (okay I know that the Crucible takes place before electricity but maybe your production has been set modern day?)
Talk with the director about their intent, what ideas they may have, which scenes they see as the most important / pivotal to the story. They've read the script more times than you have, they may help you figure out what they want by saying stuff like "dark and moody" or "like a sunlit cold day in new york". Write down those buzz words they use and try to figure out what they mean by it.
When it comes to figuring out angles, color,
etc. This is kind of what goes through my mind...
My first concern is always lighting the actor, making sure their
face and body can be seen.
After that I consider the different angles of light and what effects they have.
A light coming from about 45 degrees in the air will look pretty natural to the audience.
While a light sitting on the floor in front / below the actor will make the actor look creepy (like a flashlight under the
face).
Of course, what angles you can have are based on where you have lighting positions, where you have circuits / where you can run
power to.
After deciding on angles, figuring out what colors, what moods do you remember reading? How could the lights on
stage match that mood? what did the director say about certain scenes? Did they want a green
wash there? how will that tie into the rest of your design? is that the only moment in the
play you want that, maybe you want it more other places? Did they actually want a green
wash or did they want a green
wash because they wanted to portray an idea and that's how they decided it should look? (will that green look good on your actor's?)
Most places have these things, of course the implementation of color choice and specials make each lighting setup different.
-front
-side SR
-side SL
-top
-back
And of course, any of the things I've said here are not solid facts. Lighting DESIGN is an art form, and therefore you can use artistic license to do whatever you really want. Since we are working in theater, we have the unique position of collaborating on art, always. Never is a show only about lighting, set, costumes, actors,
etc. A show is everything coming together to tell a story.