The art of using lighting means to illuminate the stage and model characters and scenery, also known as stage lighting. Its role is to use the technical equipment and methods of stage lighting to cooperate with the actors' performances to shape the visual image on the stage according to the overall concept of stage art according to the requirements of the performance.
     The role of stage lighting in modern stage performances: ①lighting performances, allowing the audience to see the actors’ performances and sceneries clearly; ②leading the audience’s sight; ③creating characters, emphasizing emotions and showing stage illusions; ④creating the space environment needed in the play ⑤Improve the atmosphere in the play; ⑥Show the transformation of time and space, highlight the contradictions and conflicts of the drama, strengthen the rhythm of the stage, and enrich the artistic appeal. Sometimes it also cooperates with stage stunts.
     In modern performances, the intensity, color, distribution of lighting areas, and movement of lights have greater plasticity and controllability. The artistic effect of stage lighting is shown with the progress of the performance and the continuous change of the stage atmosphere. Stage lighting is a combination of space art and time art. The historical development of stage lighting is closely related to the evolution of drama and the progress of science and technology.
     Stage lamps can be divided into three categories according to the optical structure: floodlights, spotlights and slide lights; according to the parts installed on the stage, there are face light, slap light, foot light, column light, top row light, sky row light, ground row light and flow. The division of light. Floodlight system refers to a lamp that can emit uniform and soft light and can illuminate light in a certain direction. Separate floodlights, top row lights, footlights and curtain lights are generally used to illuminate the sky screen, painting scenery or performance area. Condenser system refers to a lamp that can emit orientation and control the range of the light zone. Generally, the principle of refraction is used to project different light spots through the lens. If a threaded soft lens is used, it can produce a soft spot on the edge. A lamp that uses a reflective optical structure to achieve a condensing effect is called a return light. The slide system is to add a set of objective lenses in front of the condensing lamp to make it project light and image.

This kind of slides can be divided into: ① projection slides that use slide imaging; ② projection slides that cast clouds, water, fire and other moving images on the scene through a rotating disc-shaped chain belt; ③ use a long focal length objective lens Make the small spot sharply image. A follow-up light that highlights the protagonist's image; ④A lamp with an ellipsoidal concave mirror called a modeling light.
    The stage lighting control system must be able to effectively control and deploy all lamps and produce a harmonious artistic effect. It consists of three parts: power distribution board, dimmer and main console.
    The stage lighting design is mainly based on the script, the director's requirements and the overall design of the stage art for artistic conception, drawing of lighting design drawings, and specific arrangements for technical expression work. Lighting design should be able to use a variety of modeling methods to adapt to different styles of performances. Some performances require a realistic style, while others require the creation of abstract, freehand or metaphorical moods.
     Early dramas had a history of open-air or semi-open-air performances, and they all used daylight as the light source. But as performance venues moved indoors or performed at night, stage lighting began to appear. According to written records, after 1102, Bianliang in the Northern Song Dynasty of China performed "Hundred Operas" every Lantern Festival. Zhang Yu, internal combustion rafters, this is the beginning of artificial light sources in China. In Europe in the 16th century, if performances were performed outdoors at night, resin-impregnated ropes were used to make camp lights as light sources. Between the 15th and 16th centuries, Italian decorators conducted experiments with shaded lighting. At the beginning of the 17th century, Italians did various experiments to control the sudden dimming of lights in performances. In French classicism performances, there have also been attempts to express the changes in day and night time. Since the 18th century, it has become a common practice to turn off the audience lights and leave only the stage lights during performances. When the opera "Jeo" was performed in the Dresden Theater in 1755, as many as 8,000 candles were lit on the stage. Since the 19th century, the light source has changed rapidly. In 1808, the Lyceum Theatre in London first used gas lamps. Because the gas lamp can be uniformly controlled by the pipeline and can change in brightness and darkness, it can be promoted. British H. Drummont invented the lime lamp, which can produce light colors similar to daylight or moonlight on the stage. In 1870, Britain used a lime lamp as a follower, and later painted on the glass cover of the lime lamp to obtain a color light effect.