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STAGE LIGHTING BY ZONES
By F. B. R AE
A N E W system of stage lighting
has been perfected, known as
the "zone system", which promk
ises to revolutionize the art
of theatrical illumination. It
has been designed by Glenn Marston, of
New York, after several years of study
of the shortcomings of present-day
methods.
Numerous trials have been made of
the zone system of lighting by Mr.
Marston, and a full equipment was recently
used in an elaborate production
of the "Merry Whirl of 1916", an amateur
performance given by society people
in Southampton, Long Island. Some of
the leading spirits in the "Merry Whirl"
had seen the extraordinary effects which
Mr. Marston had been able to secure at
other pharity entertainments, and gave
him instructions to provide the best possible
lighting, regardless of the cost incident
to doing it to the last degree of
perfection.
However, one of the important
features of the "zone system" is that its
cost is verv low. Aside from two spot­
lights, the entire stage of the "Merry
Whirl", larger than the stages of most
theaters, was adequately lighted with
only eight lamps! With these eight
lamps most wonderful effects were produced,
there being a constant melting of
one color into another, making of the
stage a veritable fairyland.
The principle on which the "zone system"
is designed is the absolute prevention
of waste light. No light goes up
into the air nor does any escape in any
other direction. Every single light wave
is captured and made to contribute its
share to the general result.
In the "zone system" of stage lighting,
each lamp lights a certain area of the
stage, and no more. Special mirror reflectors,
scientifically designed to utilize
every ray of light, turn the rays all upon
this limited area. Thus a lamp whose
rays usually are cast in every direction,
technically called "spherical illumination",
have all those rays turned back
from their natural direction and pointed
at one particular place.
Mr. Marston states that in ordinary
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