The Haunting of Hill House  resides in the realm of terror, leading the audience further and further down the spiral of dread, building up the anticipation of the ghosts.  This climax itself lends to the mystery of the show, leaving the audience in a constant state of dread instead of resolving anything.

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The design follow the same train of thought. The scenery slowly gets more dreary and haunted; the barren branches grow, the doors start creeping open by themselves, and the set dressing falling apart. The lighting joins the set in the building of anticipation throughout the show. Shadows grow longer as the play goes on, the color leaks out, and the angles get more and more drastic.

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Together, the design elements keep tightening the emotional state in the room, until the audience is at the edge of their seats, only to be left sitting in that state of dreadful anticipation, the epitome of a story of terror.