kulisse

Kulisse is a term used in German-speaking theatre and related performing arts to denote the scenery or backdrop of a production. It encompasses the painted flats, backdrops, set pieces, and sometimes technological elements that create the visual environment in which a scene takes place. The kulisse provides the spatial frame for action, helps establish time and place, and can influence lighting and audience perception.

The kulisse is part of set design and is often designed to be static or modular, allowing quick changes between scenes. It may include painted surfaces, three-dimensional structures, and, in modern productions, projections or video elements that extend the visible environment beyond traditional painted backdrops.

In German theatre, kulisse can also denote the broader atmosphere or mood of a production or the historical setting of a scene, used metaphorically as "the backdrop" of a story.

In other languages, related terms exist. The French coulisse refers to wings and backstage areas, while the general concept of scenery or set is shared by theatre traditions worldwide.

See also: stage design, theatre scenery, backdrops, wings.