The most fundamental tenet of lighting technique is known as area lighting. Simply put, area lighting focuses on properly illuminating the actors and the events present onstage. Area lighting can bask the entire stage in light, or, when attempting to emphasize a certain character, area lighting is used to accentuate one actor. In this situation, the lighting is dimmed into a spotlight. This draws the audience towards one particular action or event.
While area lighting emphasizes the actors on stage, toning refers to the use of lighting on props and scenery. As actors move about under area lighting, toning sets the mood of the play. Comedies tend to be brightly lit, with backgrounds bathed in bright and vibrant colors, whereas in dramatic works the background may be much darker. Floodlights and strip lights are often used to convey the effect; entire scenery pieces can be cast in a cold blue or a warm red.
Closely linked with toning, the use of color in theater is an important lighting technique. Color lighting can be achieved through a number of combinations between primary and secondary colors. For example, blue and red lighting can be combined to create a passionate magenta hue. While this presents myriad opportunities for color choice, the importance of color in lighting is that it can be used to convey a mood to the audience. A bright, vibrant red may suggest anger and rage, while amber suggests warmth and a sense of coziness.
Perhaps the most crucial aspect of lighting techniques in theater is understanding that stage lighting can fill the dual roles of form and function. By carefully controlling the application of light on the stage floor, play designers can skew perception, and give figures and props depth. The use of form in lighting techniques determines whether an object or actor displays striking shadows or an illuminated glow. As with color, the form and distribution of light over a stage can send emotional cues to the audience.