Gobos have a variety of purposes, and in a theater they can be used to bring a show to life. Moving gobo images, patterns colors and other custom designs can lend a much more engaging look to any scene, and the broad variety of uses these lights provide means that a theater can do rather innovative things through a performance – including make the stage seem haunted.
Ghost stories have been a popular medium for centuries, and many of the best plays include them. In "Hamlet," the play opens with the ghost of the protagonists father walking the ramparts of his castle. The telling of ghost stories has long been a tradition on and off the stage, but with gobo lights, these tales can be given new life, using custom designs to lend an air of authenticity to the performance.
Many theaters have their own ghost stories as well. The Elsinore Theater in Salem, Oregon, is famous for its ghosts.
"Most [theaters] have such a history," Stephen Martin, executive director of the Elsinore, told the news source. "It's always fun to have a story in the background. You have spirits to protect you, to lead your way and help you have a good time."
Using gobo image, a theater could create a realistic, semi-translucent ghost and have it wander not only the stage, but throughout the seating and balconies as well. The specter can even be projected onto to walls to appear as if it is floating through the air. All it takes is a high-quality custom gobo design and the right tools.
If you're trying to design a gobo for a unique production of a ghost story, contact GoboSource. We can assist with design work, as well as all your other gobo light needs.
