Towards Good Lighting for the Stage: Aesthetic Theory for Theatrical Lighting Design explores the aesthetic underpinnings of good lighting design for live performance and its articulation in production. 

Through an investigation of broad art theory and the author’s own aesthetic point of view, this book proposes a way of thinking about lighting design that elevates it from its commonly understood position as a utilitarian vocation to that of an artistic practice, worthy of equal consideration in the collaborative process. It fills the unexplored gap between a philosophical point of view that fuels a dramaturgical conception of a design for a work of theatre and the actual articulation of it through light, presenting a set of principles by which to judge lighting that is beautiful, more than functional. Inspired by the movements of the broader art and design worlds of the late 19th through the 21st centuries, citing influences as diverse as Jennifer Tipton, Lois Tyson, Dieter Rams, and Dave Hickey, this book charts the path from dramaturgical conception to the writing of light cues.

Engaging, wide-ranging, and deeply researched, Towards Good Lighting for the Stage is a provocative read not only for academics, advanced students, and practitioners of lighting design, but also for those interested in performance studies, aesthetic theory, and theatre practice.