Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2022 - 38

instead called on Kwagh-hir designers to
improve on the designs of costumes and
puppets to cover the exposed part of the
performers. One of the performers commented
that this lighting experiment was
the first study that didn't simply focus on
their performance but rather the growth
of Kwagh-hir.
Similarly, the Ogrinye audiences
asked the researcher to give the company
the lighting systems so that they can
continue to perform for the Igede society
and beyond. They also solicited government
support to enable them to procure
the lighting and other performance elements.
Fundamentally, the lighting experiment
rekindled the spirit of Ogrinye
in the people. The Ogrinye performance
is going extinct and the researcher had to
search for surviving performers to recreate
the performance. Community youth
were fascinated by the performance and
showed an interest in learning and continuing
this traditional performance practice
of the Igede people.
The study also suggests that the
originality of Ogrinye and Kwagh-hir were
not distorted by the experiment with
modern lighting systems. In both experiments,
audiences emphasized that the
essence of the lighting systems remained
within the context of performance. That
is why the bonfire and sunlight are used,
even when performances are carried out
in the day time. Distorting the originality
of these performances would mean removing
their original lighting systems.
Replacement of the natural sources
with modern lighting only would create
a serious problem for the performances,
both performers and audiences agreed.
For instance, if the bonfire of Ogrinye
is removed and replaced with a flame
machine, the flame machine would
be unable to perform the same functions
as the bonfire, including providing
warmth to the performers, and roasting
yams and the animal killed in a hunt.
Audiences all also agreed that the modern
lighting experiment did not affect the
originality of the Ogrinye performance.
In the controlled lighting experiment,
the traditional and modern lighting systems,
while playing individual roles, appropriately
complemented each other
to enhance an aesthetically pleasing
performance.
Similarly, if the original lighting system
of Kwagh-hir is replaced, modern
lighting cannot perform the roles of the
traditional lighting system. The Kwaghhir
lighting system is used in directing
or leading the movements of performers,
which can't be achieved with modern
lighting systems. While the traditional
lighting system helped in coordinating
and directing the movements of the
performer, the modern lighting systems
created a beautiful atmosphere for the
performance.
The value and use of modern lighting
in traditional performances goes beyond
enhancing their beauty. It has the
potential for preserving these cultural
performances, transferring these performance
forms from one generation to
the other. The deployment of modern
lighting also permits traditional daytime
Theoretical Frameworks
The study relied upon three different theories-two
lighting and one reception-to
analyze the experiment's results. Although
the two lighting theories (McCandless and
Pilbrow) are predominantly western-oriented
and framed for the proscenium stage,
they seem flexible and give insight as to how
other stage configurations can be treated
with light. Reid Francis (1996) in (Duro Oni
2006, 76) affirms that " different productions
will use different mixes of the standard
lighting aims, and the mix for any particular
production will arise from the style of that
production. " When applying these three theories,
the unique qualities of individual performances
and spaces must be considered.
Further, the application of these theories on
Ogrinye and Kwagh-hir elicited a significant
audience response, which provided important
data for the study.
Richard Pilbrow's Four-Dimensional
Lighting Theory envisioned an era of theatre
production where lighting will be flexible,
movable and dynamic (1997). Pilbrow's
lighting theory presents four approaches
to the act of stage lighting, including dominant
lighting, secondary lighting, rim lighting,
and fill lighting. Oni (2006, 77) explains that
" while the dominant lighting is expected to
set the dramatic key of the scene, the secondary
lighting is a mix of the acting-area
and supplementary acting-area. The rim
lighting is expected to provide highlighting
" from the high top, back, or sides of the actor, "
while the fill lighting is lighting " generally
from the front, which softens the shadows
and blends the key and secondary lighting. "
Pilbrow further notes that " as an aspect
of theatre less than a century old, the new
lighting has already influenced the shape of
theatres themselves. The interest in open
staging, breaking through the proscenium
frame, has been strongly influenced by developments
in lighting " (in Oni 76).
Pilbrow argues that lighting transcends
general illumination of performance and
stage to create mood and environments. He
also emphasizes the use of secondary lighting
where acting and supplementary acting
areas are evenly lit. This can be achieved
through the deployment of modern lighting
technology in ways that traditional lighting
cannot achieve. When this revolution is
gauged against the static state of lighting
design in traditional theatrical performances,
Pilbrow's theory provides the basis for
the researcher's argument for the need to
rethink and reconsider the lighting design
formation of traditional performances. However,
Pilbrow's postulated lighting design
38 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | SUMMER 2022
does not fit perfectly into the arena stage
configuration because the arena stage does
not have a back platform and or background.
In African performance praxis, it is impossible
to define the back, front, and sides
of a player, due to the arena stage seating.
With audience members at all sides of the
stage, players move freely and could face
towards or away from any side of the audience.
Therefore, applying the dominant, rim
and fill lighting on the arena stage will be
impractical. However, the secondary lighting
approach applies perfectly on this arena
stage. Because the performer is mobile,
lighting acting and supplementary acting areas
of the stage is pertinent. In this manner,
the performers will be revealed as they move
from one point of the stage to the other. Further,
Pilbrow's theory is particularly relevant
for traditional performances because, as he
notes, " my approach stems from a desire to
create a three-dimensional atmosphere of
light around the actor. It is founded upon the
inspiration of natural light, although the way
in which it is developed will allow any type of
production " (77).
McCandless's Area/Method Lighting
Theory provides an explicit explanation
of how the stage areas can be partitioned
and lit in the area/method lighting theory
Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2022
