As designers we often find ourselves inspired by different artistic mediums.  Recently we had the opportunity to attend ‘The Play That Went Wrong’ and witness the operative set design by John C. Dinning.  The stage initially presents a facade of quaintness, crafted to resemble a rustic country manor. Yet, beneath this surface lies a meticulously engineered structure of chaos, designed to slowly deteriorate, inciting audience reactions through spatial manipulation and mechanical mishaps.

The doors emerge as central players in this spatial narrative, functioning as both connectors and disruptors of space. Their unpredictable behavior, whether sticking, swinging open at inappropriate times, or detaching from hinges, injects a dynamic interplay of entrances and exits. Structural collapse further heightens the comedic tension, blurring the boundaries between onstage and offstage realms. Sections of the wall crumble unexpectedly and staircases dissolve mid-scene. The chandelier serves as the ‘pièce de résistance’ — a symbol of elegance teetering on the brink of calamity. Suspended above the actors, its erratic movements punctuate the story unveiling onstage, infusing the room with suspense.

As technical artists ourselves, we were inspired by the detailing required to execute the spatial choreography unfolding on stage. Through meticulous design and engineering, the set transcends its role as mere backdrop, becoming an active participant in the narrative. From the strategic manipulation of space to the orchestrated chaos of mechanical failures, the set captivates audiences, inviting them into a world where comedy thrives amidst spatial disorder.

The impermanence of a scene allows for experimentation in considerations of scale, proportion, and composition, and in this case decomposition. Scenographers have a unique opportunity to explore the temporal dimension of space, an aspect often suppressed in the rigorous constraints of a more static structure designed in an architecture practice. Yet experiencing the engaging nature of these sets first hand reminds us that manipulating form and materiality can transport an audience to an alternative reality, something the level team believes is worth striving toward.