How did Leopold Jessner use steps and levels in Expressionist stage design?

Leopold Jessner revolutionized Expressionist stage design by utilizing graduated levels and flights of steps, a technique so central to his work that his stage became known as the Treppenbühne ("stepped stage") or Jessnertreppen.12

Rather than relying on traditional scene changes, Jessner used these platforms to create a plastic concept of stage setting that allowed action to flow freely with minimal hindrance. By reclaiming the full space of the stage, he employed these levels to serve various spatial and symbolic functions.1

His use of levels was often highly subjective and dramatic:
* Symbolic Power: In his 1920 production of Richard III, he placed Richard at the top of a flight of steps to signify the height of his power. When soldiers in red cloaks knelt below him, the visual effect transformed the steps into a mound of skulls with a river of blood.1
* Spatial Utility: In his 1921 Othello, a central rostrum functioned as a versatile tool, allowing characters to appear to rise from a sea of people or supporting Desdemona’s bed surrounded by empty space.1