Color Theory and Theatre Design

Something I’ve dedicated a lot of my time to, and am very interested in, is the mix between psychology and theatre. In college, I studied psychology in tandem with theatre, and it led me to research how the two fields can intertwine. I even wrote my thesis on the concept, focusing on color theory and how it relates to theatrical set design and scenic artistry.

If you want to read an adapted version of my academic thesis, check out Psychology and Theatre: The Intersection of Color Theory and Scenic Artistry.

Today, I just want to introduce you to the concept of color theory as it relates to design. Color has been used by humans ever since we could draw on cave walls. It’s always played an important role in human life, mainly helping us to survive.

“No, self. You can’t eat that specific colored berry. Evolution tells us we’d die.”

Color went from being relevant in an evolutionary sense, to being examined in a philosophical context. Great minds from Aristotle to Leonardo da Vinci to Isaac Newton to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe all helped transition what we call color theory from its evolutionary origin, to its philosophical study, and finally to its place in psychology.

Now, here’s the kicker. Color theory, or color psychology, is not an exact science.

People can have their own very subjective views on color. Due to its difficulty to study, a lot of the time color theory is just viewed as hogwash. It’s treated similarly to astrology even. (Which I mean everyone should totally know it’s your entire birth chart — not just your sun sign — that matters…)

However, over the years there have been studies that have provided us with some knowledge on the subject. It might not be an exact science, but if designers (whether they are scenic, lighting, or costume) keep color theory in mind, it could help improve their work.

Psychologists looked into how color made us feel, what we associated with certain colors, how colored is registered in the brain, and even how color affects us physically. A book I spent a lot of time with was Deborah T. Sharpe’s The Psychology of Color and Design (1975). In it, she compiled a lot of the data from various studies. The following is directly from my thesis, which I’m just copying and pasting because I’m lazy.

Warm colors like red, yellow, and orange are associated with excitement, stimulation, and forwardness (55). They also create physiological responses, and have been shown to “increase pulse rate, heartbeat and respiration” (63). Red is also associated with love, passion, anger, and heat. Yellow is associated with the sun, laughter, and energy. Cool colors like blue and green can be associated with calmness, and peace. The cool colors have been show to slow down the pulse rate, heartbeat, and respiration at times (63). Blue is associated with somberness, as well as “dignity, poise, and reserve” (91). Green is linked with nature, and has a combination of the “gaiety of yellow and the dignity of blue” (92). The color purple is linked with royalty, sadness, splendor and reverence. The neutral colors like black, gray, and brown are associated with “melancholy, sadness, and depression” (55). Black reminds people of the night, and is mysterious, somber, dignified, and provides a dramatic contrast color (92). Gray is a conservative color, quiet and neutral. Aside from all the other colors, white is associated with purity, innocence, and cleanliness. All these findings are the general associations of each color Sharpe gleans from multiple studies.

So while some of these might read as your typical Literary Symbolism 101 notes, at least they have a scientific basis behind them. If you’re a theatre designer, I do recommend exploring the sometimes under-researched, sometimes convoluted, sometimes outlandish world of color psychology. I don’t pretend to be an expert on the subject, but I do believe it can help us improve our craft as designers.

If you want to support the writer, consider buying him a “coffee” on Ko-Fi.

Further Reading on Color Theory and the Psychology of Color

Arnheim, Rudolph. New Essays on the Psychology of Art. University of California Press, 1986. Print.

Childress, Denise D.C. The Power of Color: Shades of Meaning. MA Thesis, University of Houston Clear Lake, 2008. Print.

Selden, Samuel & Tom Rezzuto. Essentials of Stage Scenery. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1972. Print.

Sharpe, Deborah T. The Psychology of Color and Design. Littlefield, Adams & Co., 1975. Print.

Solso, Robert L. The Psychology of Art and the Evolution of the Conscious Brain. The MIT Press, 2003. Print.