Adolphe Appia had been an iconoclast. With his many reforms he pushed down the classical stage from the dais. His aim was to develop a holistic theater in which actor, space and auditorium become a unified and collaborative artistic entity. According to his ideas, the Festspielhaus Hellerau was built, which is now part of Dresden. There a century ago the first theater opened to the public without having a stage, backdrops or curtains. Lighting created mood and atmosphere and replaced scenery.
During a few summers in between 1912 and 1914 artists from all over Europe and the United States visited the Hellerau festivals and saw a show, that they remembered for their lifetime: Paul Claudel, George Bernard Shaw, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Oskar Kokoschka, Franz Kafka, Rainer Maria Rilke and Walter Gropius. The empty hall in Hellerau was revolutionary! The confluence of new ideas about lighting and new technological opportunities in combination with progressive event concepts can today be used to design a truly memorable experience.