Kulissen

Kulissen (sing. Kulisse) is a term in stagecraft for the scenery and set elements that appear on stage to establish the visual world of a production. The Kulisse includes painted backdrops, movable flats, doors, windows, walls, and other architectural pieces, as well as cycloramas and cloth drops used to create skies, horizons, or mood. They serve to define location and time, frame the action, and hide stage machinery, lighting rigs, and crew from the audience.

Construction and design are typically handled by the scenic design team and carpenters. Kulissen are built from materials such as wood, plywood, canvas, Fabrics, and lightweight metals, and may incorporate machinery or automation to enable changes during a performance. Movable components and wings (Flügel) work in concert with the Kulissen to conceal the backstage area from view.

Historically, Kulissen evolved from painted panels and portable backdrops used in early modern theater, progressing to standardized flats, flying systems, and cycloramas. In contemporary productions, digital projections and modular scenery have expanded the range of Kulissen while preserving their function of creating a believable world with efficient scene changes.

In common usage, Kulisse also refers to the broader backstage area or the setting behind a production, and the term is used metaphorically to denote any backdrop or framing context for a narrative or event. The word is of likely French origin, from culisse, meaning the back of the stage.