Abstract
The communication in a play has a dual structure, which is composed of the communications within a play and in a theatre space. This research focuses on the scene design that creates the background or the theme of a play and communicates theme of a play to the audience. A scene design of a theatre has meta-linguistic aspects, which is the image or mood as the theme of a play. The scene design is composed of various design elements of space and objects as the properties of a play. Design elements and the objects are the design languages in various form; plane, three-dimensional, multi-dimensional form. These design languages have the significant meanings as signs like human language. The play works chooses the rhetorical expression to arouse the audience's sympathy. The scene design is completed with rhetorical expression for communication in theatre too. This research defines the category of meanings that design elements of scene design can create and the rhetorical expression of the scene design language. King Lear directed by Robert G. Anderson was analyzed with the category of design elements as a sign and the pattern of the rhetorical expression. The scene design for a play is completed effectively by the rhetorical expression of design elements as the design language for the communication with the audience in theatre.