This is a design project for the play ‘La Ronde’ by Arthur Schnitzler and a conceptual transformation of the book into the current era. The play is set in the 1890s in Vienna and consists of ten interlocking scenes between pairs of lovers.

It is a controversial play that scrutinizes the sexual morality and class ideology of its day through pairs of characters, across all levels of society. Through all the analysis I realized that the place of each scene is a very significant element of Arthur Schnitzler’s work. The places of the city are connected through the plot.

The concept is based on the idea that every society has its secrets and the power of this play is confronting today’s society with its uncomfortable truths. For this purpose, I used a city I know and tried to highlight some hidden secrets and uncomfortable relationships between places and people.

All ten scenes will take place within a walkable distance of the city center of Athens, as it appears on the map, and will last for 8 hours. Every story is connected to the spot where is taking place. Parts of the city, that a guided tour would never choose to include.

Zooming into the first scene as an example, we are watching the first two characters, the male prostitute and the policeman under a bridge around 4 am, in a scene that looks like a film backstage without actually recording anything. The scene is very simple, trying not to disturb the cityscape. The audience will receive a short introduction of the scene like the one you are having right now, and also a piece of garment similar to the one that the actors are using and with the possibility of being attachable to their clothes. In every scene, the piece of the garment should be given away to a different person each time. This is our connection with each other and with the play. The sexual encounter of every scene will be represented as a wrapping/ unwrapping process of the actors with black organza. This garment will travel from one scene to the other, from one place in the city to the end. One of the two characters, in this case, the policeman will leave the scene and move to the next one, with the audience following him.

The costumes will fade out from their first realistic form to their shadows, their dark personalities with erotic semi-transparent elements and exaggerated characteristics, like hands, arms, and breasts, emphasizing who is seducing whom as well as the power and status of every couple.