Proving Up follows the Zegner family in their quest to move out West and “prove up” (the act of gaining the deed to a plot of land during the Homestead Act of 1862). Unbeknownst to the family, the act of moving West is a death sentence, a classic example of the disillusionment of the American Dream. Each character also faces isolation – as wits unravel and fate becomes clear, each family member comes to their own conclusions about the world they live in.  The goal of my lighting design was to deliver a sense of realism that emphasizes the grim reality of the situation. I worked to reinforce what I felt were “tombs” each character had created for themselves. I did that by physically isolating them in separate pools of light and using subtle color shifts between characters.  To portray realism, I used large, bright fixtures from stage right to reinforce sunlight beating down and most of my lighting cues were composed of desaturated earth tones. I used color to distinguish between sets of characters, using a hint of warmth for the living while the ghosts received subtle cool hues. I saved the use of saturated blue light for one specific symbolic object – the window. The window was required by law to be installed in the family’s house before they could “prove up” and gain the official deed to their land.