It appears to be further established that when civilized man chooses color for color’s sake alone he not only prefers the pure colors but among these he prefers those near the ends of the spectrum, such as red and blue.  Red is favored by women, with blue a close second, but the reverse is true for men.  It is also thoroughly established that red, orange, and yellow exert an exciting influence; yellow-green, green, and blue-green, a tranquilizing influence, and blue and violet a subduing influence upon mankind.  All these results were obtained with colors divorced from surroundings and actual usage.  In the use of light and color the laws of harmony and esthetics must be obeyed, but the sensibility of the lighting artist is a satisfactory guide.  Harmonies are of many varieties, but they may be generally grouped into two classes, those of analogy and those of contrast.  The former includes colors closely associated in hue and the latter includes complementary colors.  No rules in simplified form can be presented for the production of harmonies in light and color.  These simplifications are made only by those who have not looked deeply enough into the subject through observation and experiment to see its complexity.

The expressiveness of light finds applications throughout the vast field of lighting, but the stage offers great opportunities which have been barely drawn upon.  When one has awakened to the vast possibilities of light, shade, and color as a means of expression it is difficult to suppress a critical attitude toward the crudity of lighting effects on the present stage, the lack of knowledge pertaining to the latent possibilities of light, and the superficial use of this potential medium.  The crude realism and the almost total absence of deep insight into the attributes of light and color are the chief defects of stage-lighting to-day.  One turns hopefully toward the gallant though small band of stage artists who are striving to realize a harmony of lighting, setting, and drama in the so-called modern theater.  Unappreciated by a public which flocks to the melodramatic movie, whose scenarios produced upon the legitimate stage would be jeered by the same public, the modern stage artist is striving to utilize the potentiality of light.  But even among these there are impostors who have never achieved anything worth while and have not the perseverance to learn to extract some of the power of light and to apply it effectively.  Lighting suffers in the hands of the artist owing to the absence of scientific knowledge and it is misused by the engineer who does not possess an esthetic sensibility.  Science and art must be linked in lighting.

The worthy efforts of stage artists in some of the modern theaters lack the support of the producers, who cater to the taste of the public which pays the admission fees.  Apparently the modern theater must first pass through a period in which financial support must be obtained from those who are able to give it, just as the symphony orchestra has been supported for the sake of art.  Certainly the time is at hand for philanthropy to come to the aid of worthy and capable stage artists who hope to rescue theatrical production from the mire of commercialism.