The Role of Scenography in the Reconstruction of Late Eighteenth- and Early Nineteenth-Century Performance

The Role of Scenography in the Reconstruction of Late Eighteenth- and Early Nineteenth-Century Performance The author uses the extensive archival material of the Danish Royal Theatre to explore the way that scenography can be used as a tool in understanding and subsequently reconstructing historic performance. Using the different sources available in Copenhagen, such as artist renderings, bills, inventory lists and the Machine Master protocols, all of which document certain aspects of the Royal Theatre's performances from 1792-1839, she constructs a three dimensional understanding of how the use of the stage space changed over the period. In this period, scenography went from being a backdrop in front of which the actors performed to being dynamic and vibrant stage spaces where the actors and the space were integrated. The scenography developed from being just a background to being a scenic environment that the performers inhabited.