In the dissertation work, for the first time in domestic humanities, the design of the stage space of productions of 2010-2020s in the modern Ukrainian theater was investigated, taking into account the species specificity. The compositional principles and structure of the stage space of the Ukrainian theater are analyzed on the example of performances of dramatic, musical, dance and small-form theaters.
The use of the term "design of stage space" (the general visual-spatial organization of the entire theatrical event, which potentially includes all sensations, as well as the temporal aspect of the theater) is based on a conceptual level as an approach to solving the artistic design of performances of modern Ukrainian theater, the process of creating a unique visual image with the use of symbolic means to reveal the author's concept and the meaningful content of the play.
The design of the stage space of the modern Ukrainian theater is considered in the context of its procedurality, which is expressed in the creation of a plastic image in the space-time of the performance with the help of various forms, materials, light and color accents, as well as coordination with the development of the mise-en-scène design of the production.
The classical toolkit of art history, focused on stylistic and formal-compositional analysis, a holistic vision of the subject-spatial environment of the performance, is applied. The art analysis contributed to the research of the work of the leading artists of the modern Ukrainian theater, to the discovery of the artistic solution of the theatrical performance from the point of view of stylistics, genre originality, the use of compositional means, the specifics of the plastic image, etc.
It was established that the design of the stage space is an independent type of project activity, included in the process of creating a theatrical performance as a product of collective creativity, which involves the development and creation of objects of the subject environment, as well as the use of combined methods of organizing the play space of the performance; as a type of project-artistic activity includes designing, constructing and organizing the space of the stage with the help of other types of design; works with a person's living environment in a conditional game space.
Designing the environment of theatrical action involves a harmonious combination of all its parameters: material-physical, functional-pragmatic, social and emotional-artistic. A characteristic trend in the design of the stage space is the desire to design integrally shaped complexes that change and harmonize the object-spatial environment of theatrical action.
It was revealed that the modern concept of stage design is largely based on the New Stagecraft movement and promotes its aesthetic values: simplicity, unification, cooperation. The New Stagecraft revolution in the Western world was not only an aesthetic shift, but also the beginning of theater design. The function of scenery and the figurative expression of feelings is a philosophical position based on the philosophy of New Stagecraft: the set designer, who is responsible for creating meaningful interpretive art on stage, must balance functional purpose with artistic expression. The theory of New Stagecraft is based in part on the discovery by theater designers of new ways to make the stage environment useful.
It was established that according to the modern concept, the design of the stage space can be considered as an event site (integrity), which is not limited to a live theater, but covers the design of space in any environment, including a virtual one. The reception of a visual event takes place in the time and space of the viewer.
The main directions of the development of the stage design of the Ukrainian musical theater have been identified.
It was found out that the features of the plastic design solution of the stage space of the dance theater are: maximum release of the stage tablet; placement on vertical planes of decor of a plot-narrative or ornamental-decorative nature (in modern productions, there is a tendency to replace pictorial decorations with multimedia ones – usually projection onto a backdrop); development of a dynamic light and color-plastic equivalent of a musical score that complements the meaningfulness of the dance vocabulary; creating costumes that summarize the character's essence, enhance the informativeness of the visual series and plastic expressiveness.
It was established that the visual and figurative language of the stage artist in the dance theater and the theater of small forms (the theater of one actor) at the modern stage is characterized by: the creation of an empty, philosophical space; paying the main attention to lighting, shadow effects.
