scénique

Scénique is a French adjective meaning related to the stage or to scenery. It is primarily used in theatre, opera, and other performing arts to describe the visual and spatial aspects of a production—the décor, lighting, props, costumes, and overall staging. The term emphasizes what is seen on stage and in the performance’s physical environment, rather than its narrative or auditory elements alone.

Etymology and usage notes: Scénique derives from scène (stage) with the adjectival suffix -ique. It is commonly found in phrases such as effets scéniques (stage effects), décor scénique (scenic set), and lumière scénique (stage lighting). In many contexts, scénique serves to distinguish the tangible, visual components of a performance from textual or directing aspects.

Relation to scenography: Scénique is closely linked to the field of scenography (la scénographie), which designs the stage environment. While scénographie refers to the planning and design process of the overall visual presentation, scénique describes the resulting elements and their appearance in the actual production—notions of concept alone, but the executed, visible result.

Other contexts: In film and other media, the term is used less frequently than in live theatre, and when it appears it typically denotes visual or stage-like qualities of settings, lighting, and mise en scène. The emphasis remains on what is perceived on screen as part of the production’s visual design rather than on narrative content.

See also: Scénographie, mise en scène.