Setting should immerse an audience. Settings in plays come in the form of scenery, and need to be functional and visual. Many plays rely on limited scenery, so every element included in a play's setting evokes some element of time and place.
Lights are used to create ambiance and movement. Directional lighting moves the audiences' eyes from one performer to the next. It also helps to control shadow and give the scenery depth. Colored lighting is used to create mood. Harsh lights can deteriorate a performance because of the way it adversely affects the visual of the makeup artists. The key functions of lighting are to control visibility and help reinforce mood.
Lighting and set directors work together to produce an overall experience for the audience. Green lighting with a jungle setting can reinforce the experience of being in a dense jungle. Setting and lighting both function to reinforce a scene's mood and sense of place. Backlighting settings with dark or light colors is a technique used frequently in plays to bring these two components together.