Date of Graduation
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts in Theatre (MFA)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Theatre
Advisor/Mentor
Irish, Shawn
Committee Member
Seibrits, Helene
Second Committee Member
Marzolf, Steven
Keywords
Design; Lighting Design; Mack; Olivia; Theatre; Trojan Women
Abstract
This thesis documents the lighting design process for The Trojan Women at the University of Arkansas, exploring how light can hold space for grief, devastation, beauty, and survival. Guided by the central conceptual image of “flowers burning in a garden,” the design sought to balance fragility and destruction allowing moments of tenderness to exist within the wreckage of war. This document reflects on research, collaboration, conceptual development, drafting, cueing, and rehearsal-to-performance evolution. It evaluates the emotional and visual effectiveness of color, angle, texture, and rhythm in shaping audience experience. Production photographs, the light plot, and cue paperwork are included to support the analysis. Ultimately, this thesis examines how lighting can embody the emotional remains of a world that has already fallen apart, and how design choices can give a voice to the women who continue to live within that aftermath.
Citation
Mack, O. (2026). Burning in the Aftermath: Lightning the Trojan Women. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/6278
