This document discusses an experiment on the effects of colored lighting on actors' faces during dramatic performances. Three scenes from different genres - a serious drama, comedy, and farce - were performed under red and blue lighting. Observers then stated their lighting preference for each scene and answered questions about color preference and experience. The results showed color preference may have influenced reactions to the comedy and farce more than the serious drama, where blue was sometimes seen as more "deathlike" or "spiritual". The document also briefly discusses the history of stage lighting technology like the Klein Color Projector.

1. Joel E. Rubin
Sarah Lawler
9/23/14

2. BOX 22 Reel 14 – Iowa Theses
•Experiment in colored light on Actor’s faces in dramatic scenes.
•Summary: At present we are but laying the foundation for research which is to follow; determining the psychometric approach to experimentation in these areas; learning various elemental factors that enter into the problem; and attempting to ascertain any specific areas of light and color that might reward further research.

3. •In this experiment there were three different types of dramatic performances. First performed in red light and then performed again in blue light.
•The dramatic pieces varied in genre.
•Elizabeth the Queen (Serious)
•Too Many Husbands (Comedy)
•Doctor in Spite of Himself (Farce)
•Roundels were used for color.

4. Three scenes from: Elizabeth the Queen, Too Many Husbands, and a Doctor in Spite of Himself will be performed. Each scene will be repeated. After the second performance of the scene, state whether you prefer the LIGHTING in the first of second performance of the scene by the placing of number 1 (for the first performance), and number 2 (for the second performance), after the correct scene number. Be sure to make a choice!
Scene 1: (1 or 2)
Scene 2: (1 or 2)
Scene 3: (1 or 2)
1.Are you color blind? (Yes or No)
2.Are your eyes normal? (Yes or No)
3.Which of these two colors do you prefer, red or blue?
4.Have you ever had any vivid experience in your life connected with either red or blue? (Yes or No)
1.If so, which color, red or blue?
2.Was the experience pleasant or unpleasant?
5.Remarks: What are you general reactions to the LIGHTING of the scenes (use scene and performance numbers): was the lighting pleasant or unpleasant? Did the lighting convey any emotional, psychological, or symbolic impressions with relation to the scenes?

5. •The serious scene was close in % of color choice. Some observers who felt that Elizabeth in this scene “dies spiritually,” chose blue, stating that it gave a “deathlike” and “spiritual” quality to the scene, and therefore helped to convey the proper mood. Others who chose red interpreted the scene in the light of “Essex’s impending doom.” A few reported that the red created the feeling of “violent death” and “blood.”
•The comedy and farce scene are suspected to be influenced by the “preferred” colors of the audience and not by reactions as shown in table 2.
•Side Note: Is red more of a literal color vs blue being more of a suggestive color? This is based off the audience’s responses to the serious scene.

6. •Table 2 shows the color preference for the three types of dramatic scenes by seventy-six observers with a natural color preference for red and eighty-six observers with a natural color preference for blue.

7. Why red and blue?
•John F. Dashiell, Mathew Luckeish, and William E. Walton all did experiments that dealt with color preference between men and women. In their research they discovered that women prefer red and men prefer blue.
•Side Note – I would like to have seen what the results would have been between men and women in the preferred color results for each scene. I feel it would have better reflected the research of Dashiell, Luckeish, and Walton.

8. BOX 22 Reel 13 – Yale Theses: The History of Stage Lighting. (Excerpt)
•The Klein Color Projector
•The projector is in essence a spectroscope with a set of electronically controlled shutters, each opposite a predetermined portion of the spectrum.
•It was a way to create projection onstage that had the ability to dim, and change color by way of a prism.

9. Spectroscope

10. How does it work?

11. Spectroscope Uses
•They have been used to measure
•the chemical composition of our sun,
•the stars
•their age
•their magnetic fields
•electric fields
•their velocity ( the expanding universe)
•the presence of planets around other stars
•They have been used to discover and quantify all of the chemical elements in the periodic table.
•They told Madam Curie that radium broke down into helium.
•Edison used them to make light bulbs
•They gave us quantum mechanics
•They gave us high quality steel sophisticated alloys, plastics, etc.

12. Cinematography
•Dafucolor
•British Cinema
•Klein switched from Gasparcolor to Dafucolor because Gasparcolor didn’t have what it needed to support live action film.
•Gasparcolor – 1932
•Three color system
•Subtractive-process print film.
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIuFc0ghQWo
•Adrian Klein was the Technical Manager of Gaspacolor in London.