Just wondering if any of you have dealt with an issue raised by my director when I suggested use of
strobe (flashing) lights as a transitional device for a scene that is supposed to depict a rapid and unrealistic series of events. She said, "Are you nuts? We can't do that! There might be epileptics in the audience and we'd cause them to have a seizure."
I recognize that there is such a thing as "photosensitive epilepsy". See
Epilepsy Foundation-Photosensitivity and Seizures. However, I have used strobes occasionally in other shows and have seen them used many more times for
theatre and music productions. (I never had, nor am I aware that any of the other
strobe users caused any adverse reactions in the audience.) Were they all "nuts"?
Have any of you considered this as a concern and if so, how did you deal with it? If you didn't find it to be a prohibition on
strobe use, did you take any other steps to warn of or limit exposure?
Thanks in
advance for your comments.