The Play That Goes Wrong

In this physical comedy - set as a botched whodunit play within a play - I intentionally chose not to make the look of the show too stylized to create the feeling of a disastrous production being put on by an amateur theater company. I lit the set to look like a theatrical interior, as opposed to a more realistic set, choosing a simple color palette of medium white overall. I then layered in intentionally tacky choices, such as a colder, white light coming through the windows of the “mansion” in the set, as well as an obvious red wash that the company might use in moments for “dramatic emphasis.” From a design standpoint, my favorite moment of the show was an elevator scene where the entire joke hinges on an illusion. Using two GLP X4 Bar 10's mounted behind louvered doors, I created the illusion of a (very cranky) elevator going up, only to get stuck halfway to its destination. This was a moment when lighting design partnered with the dramatic timing of the ensemble to deliver a punchline.