ABSTRACT
Intense experimentation in early twentieth-century Russian stage design was inspired by the modernist vision of a unified and expressive theatrical space that would integrate design elements with the actor’s performance. As Russian theatre experienced a period of incredible innovation and extraordinary artistic growth between the two Russian revolutions of 1905 and 1917 and during the early years of the Soviet regime, the concept of theatre design evolved from a purely decorative function. The theatre designer was no longer a stage decorator but an artist, working closely with a visionary director to create a unified scenic composition that would poetically express the playwright’s intentions or reimagine the play’s themes.
