Yet what we consider theatrical minimalism today used to be standard: Greek tragedies barely had sets; the major visual element in Elizabethan theater was the performance space itself. This changed in the latter half of the 17th century as indoor staging became the norm. As lighting technology improved over the next 200 years, among other aspects, productions grew increasingly ornate and complex. Throughout the 20th century, many attempted to bring minimalism back: Orson Welles and John Houseman thrilled audiences with a scenery-free “Dr. “There’s no visual noise to take your eye off what you’re meant to be focusing on,” Gilmour says of her recent production.

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Persons: Orson Welles, John Houseman, Faustus ”, “ Julius Caesar, ”, Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Peter Brook, “, ” Gilmour, Mike Bosner Organizations: Broadway Locations: Russia