Lighting a small stage on a smaller budget

Good lighting is less about how many fixtures you own than about where you point the few you have.

Three lamps, one scene

A key, a fill and a backlight will shape almost any moment. Add colour sparingly; a single warm wash reads as evening far better than a rig full of gels used badly.

Sound is half the set

A distant train, a clock, a room tone — audiences build the world you suggest. Design the ear, not just the eye.

We teach a lot of this at our community workshops.