“Shawn Lewis’s simple set design (with the audience lining either wall and large ornate rugs acting as the stage, creating an ‘in the round’ effect) and Ethan Steimel’s lighting created a close, intimate environment. That only became a problem during swordplay, when large broadswords swished only a few feet from those seated along the walls. But fight director Aaron McDaniel did an exemplary job of ensuring no one felt vulnerable.”
