Candle Love

This weekend I went to the San Juan Capistrano Mission for my drama 120 project but while there I though I would kill two birds with one stone and do two homework assignments! It was a beautiful sunny day outside but what really captivated me was the inside of the chapel. It was mostly dark but in different corners there were bunches of red candles all glowing with bright flames. I am so used to having all of my light be by the sun or by electricity that this made me forget how beautiful and unique the glow and light of fire is. The flames flickered and moved when someone would walk by or when a bit of the breeze came in through the window. They drew so much attention with their single, strong flame. The glow created little shadows all around and the fire slightly differentiated in it's shades of yellow,orange and red. This made me think about how much I love the use of candles on stage. While electrical light is very much needed I think that there is nothing more captivating than a single flame surrounded by darkness. And since we have recently been discussing lighting history, this made me think about how waaaay back in the day candle flames were the only option for lighting shows. I love how the flame from a candle is so true to the essence of what theatre is. Candles and their flames are not predictable from light to light just as a theatre is never duplicated exactly from show to show. Yet I find such a power and uniqueness in this inconstancy and unexpectedness. The beauty of the candle light basically inspired me so much that I am going to try and incorporate a candle onstage in the play I am directing!