📚 Artificial Things — 6a.7
Lighting
Designed by Chahine Yavrovan · Section by section · Multiple ways of seeing
📚 What you'll learn on this page
- Describe the lighting accurately for each of the four key sections of Scene Three
- Link each lighting choice to the stimulus, choreographic intent and mood
- Explore multiple valid interpretations — and decide which resonates most with you
6a.7.1 Description
Lighting Designer: Chahine Yavrovan
The lighting uses a restricted palette of four colours, each associated with a specific emotional quality. The lighting journeys through Scene Three — from cold isolation at the start to warmth and resolution at the end.
● Cold white
● Cold blue
● Deep blue
● Warm amber
The diagrams below show each lighting state from the audience's perspective. Lighter areas = light; darker areas = shadow.
Section 1 · Dave & Laura's Duet
Two cold white spotlights · Darkness
Two overhead cold white spotlights create circular pools on the floor — one centre stage, one downstage right. Laura is encased within the DSR pool. The rest of the stage is in complete darkness.
Section 2 · The Gliding Trio
Cold blue wash · Warm amber sidelight
A cold blue wash covers the entire stage. Dave is lit by a warm amber sidelight from upstage left. More expansive than the opening — the whole stage is visible.
Section 3 · Family Portraits
Focused cold pool USL · Dim ambient
A focused cold blue pool illuminates the upstage left area where the portraits take place — containing the four dancers within a defined, restricted space. The rest of the stage remains dim. The tableaux appear frozen in the light.
Section 4 · Dave's Solo
Deep blue wash · Central white spotlight
A deep blue wash covers the stage. A central white spotlight isolates Dave at centre stage — intense, focused, like a cabaret or club spotlight. Every facial expression is visible to the audience.
The lighting journey
The lighting moves through Scene Three: two isolated pools in darkness → full cold blue wash → focused pool on portraits → deep blue with central spot. This mirrors the choreographic journey from isolation to togetherness to individual resolution. The gradual introduction of warmth (the amber in Section 2, the human spotlight in Section 4) reflects the intent of finding resolution.
6a.7.2 Appreciation — Section by Section
Here, DLIE is organized section by section. The Describe and Link points are provided. For Interpret and Evaluate, you'll find multiple valid readings to explore — tap each to read it fully, then write your own in the space below. This reflects how a real exam answer works: there is no single "correct" interpretation.
1
Dave & Laura's Duet — Two cold white pools
Darkness · Isolation · Two circular pools of cold white light
▾
D
Describe — what you can see
Two cold white spotlights from overhead create circular pools on the floor — one centre stage and one downstage right. Laura is encased within the DSR pool. The rest of the stage is in complete darkness.
L
Link — connects to stimulus and intent
The circular pools directly resemble the shape of a snow globe, referencing Stimulus 1. The spotlights restrict the dancers' space, physically embodying the intent of life's limitations. The darkness beyond the pools links to the intent of being the subject of the gaze of 'the other' — watched, isolated.
💜 Interpret — tap each reading, choose one that resonates:
Option AThe circular pool around Laura — trapped in the snow globe›
The circular pool of light encasing Laura could represent the interior of the snow globe from Stimulus 1. She is literally trapped within its shape — constrained, observed, subject to the gaze of anyone who looks. The light makes her visible while the darkness makes her feel alone.
Option BTwo separate pools — two worlds, isolated from each other›
The two separate pools could represent two separate worlds — Laura's (DSR) and Dave's (CS). They are both in light, but not the same light. This could suggest that even within a shared experience of limitation, each person's struggle is private and separate.
Option CThe darkness — the vastness of loneliness and the unknown›
The complete darkness beyond the pools could represent the vast emptiness of loneliness — all the things that exist beyond the small world these characters inhabit. The unknown, the unseen, the things they cannot reach or escape towards.
⭐ Evaluate — tap each, choose the most convincing:
Impact AImmediate mystery — who is she, what has happened?›
This is effective because the darkness with just two pools of light immediately creates mystery — the audience wonders who these two figures are and what has happened. The isolation of the light makes the audience lean forward, curious and already invested before a dancer has moved.
Impact BCommunicates intent without words — powerful and immediate›
This is effective because the lighting communicates the intent — isolation, being watched, confinement — without a single word or movement. The audience understands the emotional world of the piece from the very first moment of light. This is rare in any art form.
2
The Gliding Trio — Cold blue + amber sidelight
Full blue wash · Warm amber on Dave · Expansion of space
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D
Describe
A cold blue wash covers the entire stage — a significant expansion from the two isolated pools. Dave Toole is lit additionally by a warm amber sidelight from upstage left, setting him apart from the cold blue world around him.
L
Link
The cold blue wash creates an atmosphere of a frozen landscape — an ice rink or frozen lake — which links to the snow-covered landscape of Stimulus 1 and enhances the gliding, flowing quality of Laura's wheelchair movement. The amber sidelight on Dave links to the intent: he is warm, perhaps outside the snow globe, looking in — an observer as well as a participant.
💜 Interpret:
Option AThe blue wash — an ice rink, matching the gliding movement›
The cold blue wash could suggest an ice rink or frozen lake — perfectly matching the smooth, gliding quality of Laura's wheelchair as it is propelled across the stage. The lighting and the movement create a single, unified image of controlled grace on ice.
Option BDave's amber — warmth outside the snow globe›
Dave's warm amber sidelight could suggest he is located outside the snow globe — in a place of warmth and different perspective. He watches, guards and guides. The amber separates him from the cold blue world, suggesting he sees the limitations from a different place.
Option CCold and warm together — isolation and hope coexisting›
The contrast between cold blue and warm amber on the same stage could suggest two emotional states coexisting: isolation and hope. The limitations are still present (the cold), but there is warmth nearby — resolution is possible and it is beginning to appear.
⭐ Evaluate:
Impact APhysical chill — the audience feels the cold›
This is effective because the cold blue wash creates an atmospheric chill that the audience can almost physically feel — they are drawn into the cold, icy world of the snow globe. This immersive quality is highly effective in supporting the intent of a bleak, wintry emotional landscape.
Impact BThe lighting tells the story without words›
This is effective because the shift from darkness to full blue wash creates a sense of expansion — the audience senses that connection is beginning. The silver, glassy quality works perfectly with the piano music, creating a unified atmosphere that tells the story of growing togetherness without needing words.
3
Family Portraits — Focused cold pool USL
Contained cold light upstage left · Tableaux frozen in light
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D
Describe
A focused, cold blue pool of light illuminates the upstage left area — where the vitrine, stools and all four dancers are positioned for the Family Portraits section. The rest of the stage remains in a dim ambient glow. The four dancers are contained within the lit area as they hold their seven tableaux.
L
Link
The focused pool on the USL area links to the intent: the dancers are literally spotlit, on display, the subject of the gaze of 'the other'. The cold colour links to the bleak mood words of Scene Three (sorrowful, wintry, bleak) and to the frozen, static quality of the tableaux — like being frozen inside a snow globe or caught in a Djurovic painting.
💜 Interpret:
Option AThe focused pool — the gaze of the other made literal›
The focused pool of light directly mirrors the act of being watched — the light is the gaze. In my opinion, by confining the dancers within a contained circle of light during the portrait section, the lighting designer makes the audience feel like they are observing specimens in a display case, reinforcing the intent explicitly.
Option BFrozen in the light — like a photograph›
The defined, still pool of light on the tableaux could suggest the fixed, frozen quality of a photograph — the light holds the characters still and captures them as subjects. This connects to the idea of being trapped in memory, in a moment that cannot change or evolve.
Option CThe blue tint — faded, cold, tinged with melancholy›
The cold blue tint on the tableaux could suggest the quality of an old, faded photograph — removed from time, tinged with melancholy. This reading connects to the Djurovic paintings (Stimulus 2), which also have a cold, removed, almost archival quality.
⭐ Evaluate:
Impact ADirects the gaze — audience looks exactly where intended›
This is effective because the focused lighting on the USL area directs the audience's attention with complete precision — they look exactly where the lighting designer wants them to look. This recreates the experience of being an observer, making the audience themselves into the 'gaze of the other'.
Impact BLight and movement reinforce each other›
This is effective because the contained, formal lighting perfectly matches the contained, formal quality of the tableaux — the restriction in the movement and the restriction in the light reinforce each other powerfully, creating a unified and concentrated moment that stands out in the scene.
4
Dave's Solo — Deep blue + central spotlight
Deep blue wash · Central white spotlight · Cabaret quality
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D
Describe
A deep blue wash covers the stage — the darkest, most intense blue used in the piece. A central white spotlight isolates Dave at centre stage: focused, intense, focused on a single human being. Every facial expression is fully visible.
L
Link
The central spotlight connects directly to Stimulus 3 — Dave's father was a club singer in Leeds. A single white spotlight is a classic cabaret or variety-show lighting state. The deep blue wash links to the mood words of the piece: bleak, sorrowful, wintry. The lighting journey (dark → blue → amber → deep blue + spot) links to the structural climax of the scene.
💜 Interpret:
Option AA tribute to his father's world — the club singer's spotlight›
The central white spotlight could represent the stage light his father stood under as a club singer — Dave is not just dancing, he is stepping into his father's world, his father's light. The spotlight connects father and son across time. In my opinion, this is the most personal lighting moment in the entire work.
Option BIsolation — Dave alone carries the emotional weight›
The central spotlight in the deep blue darkness could suggest that Dave alone carries the emotional weight of this moment — he is the only warm presence in a cold world. The isolation of the spotlight reflects the isolation of grief: it is, ultimately, something you must face alone before you can share it.
Option CThe gaze turned inward — now we watch him›
The spotlight makes Dave the subject of the audience's gaze — he is watched, observed, on display, just as his father was as a performer. The lighting reverses the power dynamic: Dave, who earlier watched the others, now becomes the one being watched. This connects the title Artificial Things to performance itself.
⭐ Evaluate:
Impact AThe most powerful visual contrast in the scene›
This is effective because the deep blue + central white spotlight creates the most powerful visual contrast in the entire scene — warm versus cold, alone versus surrounded, remembered versus forgotten. The contrast makes the audience feel the weight of the solo before a single movement occurs.
Impact BIntimacy — the audience sees every expression›
This is effective because the spotlight creates an incredibly intimate atmosphere — the audience sees every detail of Dave's facial expression, making the tribute to his father deeply personal and moving. This is the lighting literally making the invisible visible: grief, love, memory, all readable on one face.
6a.7.3 💜 How Does the Lighting Affect Your Emotional Response?
💜 Your Personal Response
These prompts ask about how the lighting makes you feel as an audience member — physically, emotionally and atmospherically.
Prompt 1 — The opening darkness
Imagine sitting in the theatre as the lights go down completely, then two cold white circles appear on a dark stage. Before any dancer has moved, how does this make you feel? What emotional state does it put you in?
Prompt 2 — The blue and amber together
In the Gliding Trio section, the cold blue wash and Dave's warm amber sidelight exist on stage at the same time. Do these two colours feel contradictory — or do they feel right together? What emotion does that combination suggest to you?
Prompt 3 — The lighting journey overall
Looking across all four sections, the lighting moves from cold and dark to slightly warmer. Do you feel that this lighting journey supports the choreographic intent of moving towards resolution? Does it feel too subtle, or exactly right?
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6a.7.4 💜 Does the Lighting Shift Your Interpretation at Any Point?
💜 Does the Light Change What You See?
Sometimes a lighting choice makes you reconsider what you're watching — it adds meaning that wasn't there before, or changes a feeling. These prompts explore those moments.
Prompt 1 — Dave's amber light
Dave is lit in warm amber during the Gliding Trio while Laura and the others are in cold blue. Does knowing this shift how you interpret Dave's role in that section? Does the warm amber make him feel more hopeful, more isolated from the others, or something else entirely?
Prompt 2 — The solo spotlight
When the central white spotlight appears for Dave's solo, it looks like a cabaret or club spotlight. Does this change how you see Dave in that moment? Does it make you think of him differently — as a performer? As his father? As both?
Prompt 3 — What lighting could NOT do
Is there anything the lighting cannot communicate about this work — something you feel would need movement, music or costume to express? What is the limit of what light alone can say?
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📌 Revisit This — Key Points from This Page
DesignerChahine Yavrovan. Palette: cold white · cold blue · deep blue · warm amber
Section 1Two cold white pools in darkness. One CS, one DSR encasing Laura. Complete darkness elsewhere.
Section 2Cold blue wash (full stage). Warm amber sidelight from USL on Dave.
Section 3Focused cold pool USL on family portraits area. Rest of stage dim. Dancers contained, on display.
Section 4Deep blue wash. Central white spotlight on Dave. Cabaret/club quality. Every expression visible.
The journeyDark → blue → focused → deep blue+spot. Mirrors the journey from isolation toward resolution.
6a.7.5 Revision Check
✍️ Revision Check
9 questions covering all four lighting sections and the DLIE framework. Answer all nine, then submit.
1. Who designed the lighting for Artificial Things?
2. Describe the lighting at the very opening of Scene Three (Dave & Laura's Duet).
3. What additional lighting is given to Dave Toole during the Gliding Trio section?
4. How does the lighting in the Gliding Trio differ from the opening lighting?
5. What type of light is used for Dave's Solo, and what does it connect to?
6. How do the circular pools of light in Section 1 link to Stimulus 1?
7. What does the overall lighting journey (dark → blue → focused → deep blue + spot) connect to?
8. What could Dave's warm amber sidelight during the Gliding Trio most convincingly suggest?
9. Which of the following is the strongest Evaluate point about the lighting?
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