The Stage is a Dangerous Machine Summary

George Tsypin is considered the principal designer in postmodernist stage design. His range of work, from The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez to Henry IV, to Don Giovanni, all support this claim. His favorite material to work with is steel: “I’m obsessed with metal….is very hard and dangerous, but at the same time it’s flexible, and you know, it rusts (George Tsypin).”His use of metal creates a danger, both artistically and physically. The actors themselves must deal with his intricate sets, while the audience must deal with his sometimes harsh landscapes.



Tsypin’s inspiration comes surprisingly from the past. He is inspired by the medieval, ranging from architecture to statues. He uses these historical inspirations in conjunction with the play’s content to create his inspirational sets. He likes to use vertical space to create a large sense of scale. Additionally, these vertical spaces suggest a spiritual connection to the audience as Tsypin tries to transcend the physical limitations of the theater space. Such uses of this vertical space include a highway to nowhere and a giant net. Tsypin also uses light effectively in his designs. His designs must reflect light in a way to reflect his scale. Additionally, he uses projections to add to his lighting scheme.

A unique challenge for Tsypin was working on a film instead of a traditional stage. His odd perspectives were in contrast to the realistic sets required for a film. Additionally, film proved to be less dimensional than traditional theater space.

Around the 1990s, Tsypin career took off, designing more than thirty productions. His materials have grown to include a lot of glass, stone, and wood. His designs have become more symbolic and grand, settling his place as the ideal modernist.

-Vincent