"The Stage is a Dangerous Machine" by Arnold Aronson

- George Tsypin is the primary figure of postmodern stage design
- Fascination with steel, "'a material capable of sleek beauty and strength,'"
- Element of danger in stage designs, either implied or actual physical danger
- Not concerned with theatrical conventions or tradition when it comes to designing
- His juxtaposition of new and old themes in his designs defines the movement he is associated with
- uses these modern themes in juxtaposition because he believes artistic interpretation reflects our sensibilities
- Transformable sets are important to his work, influenced by David Mitchell
- Sense of scale enhanced by use of vertical space, often suspending elaborate designs well above the main stage
- Constructs sculptures before designing sets
- Creates these sculptures as a sort of monument to a show, unique in that most designers do not keep records of their work
- Intends to have sets be able to stand on their own as art in addition to functioning architecturally
- Act of mechanical drawing very important to his process, views it as an artistic endeavor and essential in creating a beautiful stage
- In his design of Wagner's opera "the Ring of the Nibelungs" he created a stage design he describes as "antitheatrical", where stage and audience were not separated but interconnected.