r/lightingdesign • u/JanettheTrigger • 16h ago
Actor with LED sensitivity
Looking for some advice.
Found space theater with low ceilings, usually the design accounts for this as I do moody and open concept designs.
Yesterday I turned on lights during rehearsal and found out afterward that all the lights were giving an actor headaches and trouble seeing. The lights are from the front at about 10' off the ground, side lights at head/chest height from SR, and floor movers from SL.
Today during tech we tried giving them sunglasses and our PM went out to get glasses that are specifically for LED sensitivities. Sunglasses didn't really help but the glare-specific glasses made it better. I am still wanting to do everything I can to make this actor more comfortable as the glasses the PM found today are not appropriate for the show. Other actors were encouraged to wear sunglasses if they wanted, but no one else seemed as bothered.
Anyone have any further advice beyond doing a redesign of the show? One plan is to get the SR heads up to high sides but I can only get up to about 13' and I fear it will be exactly the same problem if their sensitivity is to LEDs in general. They said they'd never had to act with a fully LED design, so this is new for them too.
Costume designer ordered amber and rose-tinted glasses (a very specific tint that the PM found was recommended for migraine sufferers), is this maybe going to solve it? I'm just worried about making this actor so miserable during the run of the show.