Most performance lighting is made up / of a number of different looks / which we have called lighting states.

Each lighting cue / triggers a change / to a new state.

Like actors, / lighting cues usually need a motivation.

This might be something very obvious / such as a cue required / to brighten a room setting / when an actor turns on a light switch / or the rapid increase in intensity / at the end of a dance number / in a traditional musical / known as a button cue.

At other times / we will need a cue / to provide a subtle change in atmosphere / over a number of minutes, / motivated perhaps / by the mention of a sunset / or the intention / to slowly change the feel of the performance / from normal to threatening.

The question, / 'What will lighting do for this production?' / needs to be asked / for each moment of the production, / each dramatic unit or scene, / and each transition.