<p> Adam Rapp's <i>Red Light Winter</i>, produced by the University Players at California State University, Long Beach is a play that explores the difference between memory, nostalgia, and reality. The creation of an effective scenic design involves zeroing in on the central meaning of the piece and formulating through metaphoric and poetic associations a stage design that effectively communicates these associations and meanings to the audience. <i>Red Light Winter</i> is ultimately about how people struggle to reconcile their memories, the reality of the present, and strong feelings of nostalgia and how these three things can become intertwined, sometimes to disastrous effect. This visual and poetic association allows for the creation of a room space on stage that forces the audience to look metaphorically through the walls of the room into a confined and claustrophobic memory space. The creation of this room by definition also creates a space outside this room. Just as the audience is peering through the walls of the room and into the memories of the characters, all three characters at some point must see beyond their own memories and catch a glimpse of the harsh reality - the "outside" - of their lives.</p>