What is Scenography?

Scenography is the art of creating performance environments; it can be composed of sound, light, clothing, performance, structure and space.

In Continental Europe where the term is widely used, the last thirty years have seen scenography move out of academic papers and find a home in the studios of theatre designers and the greenrooms of many theatres. Increasing numbers of theatre designers in the UK are also describing themselves as “Scenographers”.

In the USA however, the term has not been adopted with the same passion, perhaps due to fundamental differences in the way theatre in the USA is produced. On her website www.stephstuff.com, Stephanie A. Schoelzel (Scenographer and Costume Designer) describes heated debates over the use of the term and the unique differences between USA and European theatre.