H o l l y  M.  B r e u e r

Nathan the Wise was performed in 2012 by Kent State University in an arena space. The production was sponsored by the Roe Green Visiting Director Series and was a piece commissioned to create a new adaptation of Gotthold Lessing’s Nathan der Weise. Israeli director Ami Dayan’s goal was to create a place of story-telling with Middle Eastern roots where a story of three religions could unfold. I created an inclusive tent space by decorating the entire theatre with overhead fabric and lanterns – not just the stage – to resemble the interior of a Bedouin tent. The performance space highlighted recurring three-point imagery and a mosaic which represented the coming together of the characters and their beliefs. This tent approach helped the audience engage in the story by creating an intimate yet versatile playing space that, with the aid of lighting, could grow or shrink to meet the needs of any scene.