How to Cue the Lights During Stage Productions
Stage lighting involves a lot more than turning the lights up and down when the show begins. Lighting not only makes the actors visible but also sets the mood for a scene and changes when the mood or setting of the play changes. If you're stage-managing or assistant stage-managing a play, it's up to you to give the lighting operators their cues.
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Instructions
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During Rehearsals
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1
Become familiar with the play. Read the script, then show up at rehearsals to develop a feel for the show.
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2
Mark the cues in the script where the stage lighting changes based on what the director or lighting designer tells you. A cue may be a line of dialog, an actor walking offstage or the end of a scene.
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3
Record the lighting plan for each scene, and all changes, on a cue sheet. The cue sheet spells out, in detail, which stage lights are on at any given time, how bright they are, and when they change.
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4
Program the same cues into the computerized lighting controls, if your theater company uses them. Keep a hard-copy record, so if the computer crashes, the design of the stage lighting isn't lost.
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Rewrite your notes and reprogram the computer if the director or designer decides to change the lighting during rehearsal. That happens a lot.
On Show Nights
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Check the headsets used to communicate backstage. Do this for every performance and fix any glitches before the show starts.
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During the show, tell the person running the light boards when the cue for a light change is coming up. Alert him a page or two in advance so he is ready.
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Collect the headsets after the show and plug them into a recharger. You'll need them again for the next performance.
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Tips & Warnings
If you miss a cue, don't panic; just correct the error at once. Actors know how to cover for mistakes, so the audience may not even realize what went wrong.
