As expressionism emerges, the form of theatre underwent some changes. Theatrical design was no longer limited to depict the reality, but gradually turned into a method for conveying ideas or emotions within the play.

This thesis uses the case study of the spring performance “Le Misanthrope” by Taipei National University of the Arts School of Theatre Arts in 2023. It summarizes how lighting design works with expressionism in a theatrical space, interpreting realistic scenes through non-realistic poetic lightings, which then conveys the feelings and thoughts of characters at the same time.

This process started by analyzing the context, building a realistic time and space for the show to take place, followed by modifications towards the real world to achieve expressionist visual presentation. To balance realism and expressionism, lighting design considers about the proportion carefully.