Since 1975, the visionary sets of designer Erich Wonder have had a perennially unique influence on the European theater scene, from Frankfurt to Zurich, Paris to Milan, Berlin to Salzburg. Wonder was inspired to embark on his revolutionary path by the cinema and by such classic painters as Vermeer van Delft and Mark Rothko. At first he created path breaking designs for theater plays--radically experimenting with stage scenery and stage lighting--but has since moved on to work mainly in opera, playing a decisive role in its current renewal. Erich Wonder: Stage Design is being published on the occasion of the 2000 Bayreuth Festival, whose centerpieces is Ring 2000, with scenery by Wonder. With more than 250 illustrations, the book traces Wonder's artistic development, focusing on his work with several prominent directors. Detailed descriptions of the formation of theatre productions give an insight into his creative work. Colleagues, critics, and the artist himself add their own voices. Wonders' independent works are also presented, such as those exhibited at Documenta X and the Ars Electronica in Linz, as well as Wonders' paintings.