The first
lighting rehearsal
is the plotting session, during which the lighting states, light levels, transitions, changes and cues will be determined. It is extremely important to have a
clear
work procedure for this rehearsal, so that plotting will be efficient, and so that everyone concerned will be able to follow the
cue
information during subsequent technical rehearsals.
This will ensure that the cues and
cue
indications are correctly marked in the script by the
stage
manager, that all information regarding intensities and transitions from one lighting state to the next are recorded by the board operator and that the
cue
numbers indicated by
stage
manager and the board operator are correlated.
Walk-ons (preferably assistant directors or other crew members familiar with the blocking) will be used instead of the actors to mark the positions of the actors on stage, enabling the lighting designer and director to examine the look and flow of the lighting. The walk-ons should wear items of costuming and any special makeup in order to allow the lighting designer to fine tune the look of the actors by adjusting the lighting.
During the plotting session the lighting designer and the director work together, building the lighting states and deciding how the light will change from one state to the next (timing and type of fade), where in the show the change will occur, and the nature of the
cue
for the change (text, movement, music etc.). Several options of lighting states may be tried out , and alternative lighting patterns may be considered until the
cue
is recorded.
It is only at this
stage
that the results of the lighting designers initial discussions with the director and with the rest of the artistic crew become evident. If they have worked well together, plotting should be smooth and there will be less need for subsequent changes and refocusing which will necessitate interrupting rehearsals.
