Between director and designer: Analysing design elements in the play “God of Carnage”

Staging a play requires a director to employ a wide range of theatrical practices such as directing, acting, set design, and costume, and to make decisions regarding their use. Besides serving the narrative, these elements must match the nature of the play and blend in harmony with one another. Using a qualitative and practice-based methodology, this research explores how design decisions emerge through collaborations, rehearsals, and iterative negotiation between the director, designers, and performers. This research follows the a/r/tography method, presenting insights about the artistic vision of the director which is then displayed through the designer’s stage décor and character sketching. This study emphasizes the dynamic role of design tools within the dramaturgical and performative structure of a play rather than treating design as a purely technical aspect. The study addresses the process by which a director makes use of these theatrical elements and the outcomes that emerge through collaboration with designers. This study considers the play God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza as an example to elaborate on the various design elements, detailed design, and production process which was staged at Anadolu University State Conservatory in 2015. Through an analysis of rehearsal practices and design decisions, this study demonstrates how the director’s interpretive vision influences the transformation of textual elements into visual and spatial expressions. This research also highlights the role of collaboration, showing how shared aesthetic choices and negotiations between the director and designers shape the final stage composition. Examining design as a lived and relational process, the study contributes to discussions on contemporary theatre practice, particularly in relation to directing, scenography, and interdisciplinary collaboration. By focusing on a single production, the study does not aim to establish a universal model, but rather to offer an example of how design thinking functions within theatrical creation.