The West of Lenin black box theater in Seattle, Washington, brought four short plays by Samuel Beckett together for an evening of tragedy, comedy and existential dread. As part of the city's Beckettfest, a celebration of the writer's poetry and prose put on by the Seattle Shakespeare Company and Theatre Puget Sound, the event – Life = Play – included "Come and Go," "Act Without Words Part 1," "Rockaby" and "La Derniére Bande (Krapp's Last Tape)." The event was held from August 13 through the 24.
According to The Sun Break, a local online news and culture magazine, the performance that stole the show was "Rockaby," thanks in part to the lighting design used to convey the passing of hours and years over the main character, who sits rocking in a rocking chair throughout the short play. Using custom gobo design to imitate Venetian blinds, the lighting had a near strobe light effect on the actress's face as she rocked back and forth to a recorded narration.
The use of unique lighting can be a powerful way to demonstrate mood and create subtle or overt shifts in emotion during a play. From creating a dramatic aging effect on actors to presenting the movement of the sun through windows, gobo lights can improve a performance by ensuring the proper tone is set throughout each act.
In order to create custom gobo designs, contact GoboSource for assistance and the purchasing of gobos, projectors, bulbs and other accessories. The right lighting equipment is just as important as using the right gobo images, and will improve lighting work for any show.
