Evaluate the stage space. Is there already a lighting system in place at the theater or will you be renting one? How much power is available to you? Is there rigging available for you to set up extra lights? What is your lighting budget? All of these questions will need to be answered before you begin to design your lighting scheme, as they will certainly affect your design scheme.
Break the stage into acting areas. The typical breakdown is nine areas: three downstage areas, three upstage areas and three center stage areas. These areas are typically 8 feet to 12 feet across. Each area will have at least two lighting fixtures devoted to lighting the actors. The angle and direction of the light should light the performer but not the background area, which will be addressed using other lighting. Typically, 45 degree to 60 degree angle lights, one cool light and one warm light, are used for this front area lighting.
Light the surroundings for mood and effect. Using spotlights, floodlights and strip lights, you can now look at blending and toning the lighting to suit the mood of the production. These lights will blend with the lights already set up for the acting area and add color, which helps add "tone" to the performance. What kind of colors you use will depend on the production. To give a warm lighting feel, use pinks, ambers and yellow; to give a cooler, nighttime feel, use blue; for a neutral effect, use white or lavender.
Light the backdrop or background. Traditionally in theater, backdrops (backgrounds painted on canvas) are used to create the background for a production. Backdrops are typically lighted with strip lights. Again, depending on the effect that you wish to create, you can either light the backdrop using strip lighting on the bottom of the stage, at the top or at both the top and the bottom.
Design any special lighting. Any area that isn't an acting area, background area or toning and blending can be considered special lighting. Special lighting can be used to emphasize the entrance of a character or to create an effect, such as a shaft of sunlight or moonlight. It could also be a fixture light onstage such as a chandelier. What kind of special lighting you use will again depend on the script and the effect you wish to create. A spotlight may help to mark the entrance of a character, while a pale blue gel can create moonlight.