Artificial Regeneration: A Metaphysical and Psychological Examination of the Forest as Theatrical Scenery, by way of Shakespeare's As You Like It
Cory Aoki Trachsel
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CORY AOKI TRACHSEL (they/them or any) is a stage designer, theater technician, visual artist, and Master of Arts student at San Francisco State University’s School of Theatre and Dance (expected spring 2026). Their work focuses on investigating and grounding core principles of theatrical design through philosophical and metaphysical concepts of abstraction and phenomenology and psychological concepts of visual perception, with an emphasis on the relationship between a stage picture and the emotional impact it has on its audience. As a production team member, they actively advocate for a theatrical process that prioritizes empathy, transparency, accessibility, and sustainability.
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Abstract
Stage scenery, in collaboration with performing bodies and other design elements, has communicative qualities that far exceed that of standard, everyday objects. When a theatrical object enters the stage for presentation, under the gaze of the audience, it undergoes a transformation—changing from a concrete, realistic item to the abstract, representational version of that item. In this abstract state, within the larger context of the performance, pieces of scenery may take on new identities, compelling audience members to modify their own perceptions of how these objects are meant to behave in the real world. By examining three distinct examples of forest scenery from productions of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, this paper investigates the transformative properties of scenic design by applying principles of perceptual psychology (Gestaltism), cognitive science (inductive inference, ecological cognition, and affordances), and Marvin Carlson’s theories of haunting--in service of guiding theater practitioners and attentive audience members alike towards a deeper and more complete understanding of stage pictures, characterized by heightened engagement and empathy.
Stage scenery, in collaboration with performing bodies and other design elements, has communicative qualities that far exceed that of standard, everyday objects. When a theatrical object enters the stage for presentation, under the gaze of the audience, it undergoes a transformation—changing from a concrete, realistic item to the abstract, representational version of that item. In this abstract state, within the larger context of the performance, pieces of scenery may take on new identities, compelling audience members to modify their own perceptions of how these objects are meant to behave in the real world. By examining three distinct examples of forest scenery from productions of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, this paper investigates the transformative properties of scenic design by applying principles of perceptual psychology (Gestaltism), cognitive science (inductive inference, ecological cognition, and affordances), and Marvin Carlson’s theories of haunting--in service of guiding theater practitioners and attentive audience members alike towards a deeper and more complete understanding of stage pictures, characterized by heightened engagement and empathy.
| etudesdec2025trachsel.pdf |
