Although Vissi d’Arte could, in theory, be produced with sumptuous extravagance, the play is actually designed for minimalist sets. The scenes are generally short, but span about sixteen years in the characters’ lives; in keeping with the themes of tempus fugit and carpe diem, the play should move along fluidly. Therefore, to accomplish frequent changes in time and place while still maintaining fluidity, the following is offered as a suggestion only as a possible foundation for set design: 

At the back of the stage is a second proscenium arch. From the left and right inner boundaries of the proscenium, a raised stage area extends outward onto the primary stage. What we have, then, is essentially an opera house interior pulled inside out, with a proscenium and curtain at back, then the opera-house stage, then--on the actual stage--the backstage and wings. Curtains inside the back proscenium may open to reveal backdrops and/or projections depicting virtual “sets” for the opera arias.

To one side of the second, background proscenium (or elsewhere if this model is not used), there should be a box seat. This is referred to as the Director’s Box. It should be sufficiently raised to make it’s purpose clear.

Since much of the action occurs in theaters, the presence of opera-house stagehands moving props and set pieces will only add to the sense of theater life. For example, one or more stagehands sweeping the opera-house stage could be used to signal scene transitions. Waiters and servants can fill the same role in other scenes, such as the gathering at the Knickerbocker Hotel in 1912 or the 1920 Christmas Party at the Carusos’ home.