Short Stories by Daniil Kharms
Director: Aleksandar Popovski
The concept of stage design for this play by the Russian avantgarde poet and writer Daniil Kharms was based upon the absurdist inversion of the ancient Greek theatre paired up with the motive of the cabaret, known for its blend of artistic decadence with political satire and public criticism targeting the regime.
The audience is placed in the centre surrounded by the circular stage and closed off by the curtain. Following the progression of the play, the curtain opens up on various sides of the ring, forcing the audience to turn around for the each subsequent scene. In the finale, it retracts entirely, leaving the viewers in the centre of the circus, exposed to the 360° horizon.
This set design is a self sufficient, free standing object, apt for use in the same form at any given space, yet always providing impermanence and novelty brought about by the fluctuations of the environment.
Sketch
Reference James Turrell
