How Light Influences the Perception of Costumes and Scenery

October 4, 2025

October 6, 2025

Light in theater is not only a means of visibility, but also a tool that shapes the artistic image. Costumes and scenery, created by the set designer and costume designer, acquire their final appearance only in light, and it is the lighting that determines how the audience will see them.

Costumes as “Moving Scenery”

The costume designer works within the same system of principles as the set designer and lighting designer, but on a smaller scale. Costumes do not exist on their own, but form a unified composition that reflects both the mise-en-scène and the development of the action. Therefore, they are considered “moving scenery” that dictate changes in the structure of the lighting score.

Light influences the perception of a costume through four main aspects:

color
brightness
texture
volume (sculptural quality)

Color and Lighting of Costumes

The color of fabric under light can change radically. Unlike scenery, where paint provides a stable shade, fabrics often behave unpredictably. Even a costume sewn from different fabrics of the same color can appear multicolored under lighting due to the phenomenon of metamerism.

Synthetic dyes reflect narrow spectra, and when using colored filters, a “color dropout” effect may occur. Sometimes, mixing additional light sources to expand the spectrum helps solve the problem. Atlas and satin in this case provide a dynamic effect due to multidirectional light reflection.

Light can also distort the color harmony of costumes: bright filters can “suppress” the true shade of fabrics and cause color fatigue in the audience.

Brightness and Costume

Even a meticulously crafted costume can get lost if the stage area is lit too dimly. Costume designers suffer especially when details created with great effort remain invisible to the audience.

On the other hand, white or shiny fabrics under bright lighting can disrupt the scene's balance. Sometimes a costume looks rich in low light but turns into “rags” when brightness is increased.

Texture and Modeling

Fabric interacts with light in different ways: velvet “absorbs” light, creating depth, while shiny materials produce bright highlights. Light can emphasize or destroy the sculptural quality of a costume, so lighting must be calibrated taking into account the texture.

Influence of Light on Scenery

Light “extracts” the scenery from darkness, allowing the audience to “read” its image, similar to how a sculptor reveals form by chiseling away the excess.

Brightness determines which details will be visible. Lack of light hides elaborated elements, while excess makes the conventionality of the design too obvious.

Construction dictates the character of lighting: gaps in boards or the depth of an enfilade require backlighting or different lighting zones.

The color of scenery influences the perception of costumes. Reflected light can distort the fabric’s shade: contrast helps to accentuate attention, but similar colors create a “merging” effect and color fatigue.

Conclusion

Light in theater is an active co-author of the costume and set designer. It can emphasize fabric texture, reveal scenery details, create harmony or destroy it. Successful interaction of light, costumes, and scenery requires precise experiments and collaboration of all the production team.