Lighting designers for theater are sometimes called lighting directors, although the latter term may encompass additional duties. Lighting designers decide where each light in the theater will be placed, where it will aim, what color it will be and how bright it will shine in each scene. Scenic designers, also called set designers, design the physical environment in which the actors work. This may include walls, trees, floor treatments, stairs, backdrops or more abstract elements. Scenic designers coordinate with properties designers for smaller, movable set elements such as furniture.
The primary reason for any lighting design is to allow the audience to see the performers. Once this is accomplished, lighting can be used to establish location or time, create or enhance a mood and for special effects. Scenery gives the actors a physical space with which to interact beyond a bare stage. It is designed with the context of the play in mind as well as the practical needs for entrances and exits. Scenic design often introduces the element of different levels, giving the actors higher and lower spaces from which to perform, adding a dynamic visual element to the performance.
Scenic and lighting designers must coordinate their designs to create the best look for the play. Backdrops are a key example of this, as a well-painted backdrop must be properly lit to be effective. Backdrops are also often a combination of set and lighting, using physical scenery such as foliage or buildings in front of a large piece of stretched fabric known as a cyclorama or cyc, which is lit with colors and sometimes patterns to mimic the changing colors of the sky over time. Color coordination is especially important, as light color can enhance or detract from paint colors. For example, green paint will look green under lightly tinted warm colors of light, but under red or orange light it will simply look brown.
Lighting and scenic design require the ability to analyze a script to determine a play's physical needs. Designers must also be able to analyze a performance space and come up with a design that works within the features peculiar to that space. Drafting skills are required for both designers, as the set and lights are both plotted out on paper using scaled drawings that can either be hand-drafted or computer generated. Both types of designers must also be able to work collaboratively with all other technical departments to ensure each element of the show works with the others.
Professional theater designers generally have some sort of college degree. A Bachelor of Arts degree in technical theater is a good starting point to gain hands-on experience during an internship or with a local theater group, and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees offered through some schools include more specialized design training. Master of Fine Arts degrees are available for those seeking advanced training, although hands-on experience that leads to a solid portfolio can be equally beneficial for job seekers. Internships and apprenticeships are common among all levels of theatrical design training.