Theatre, a place of creation, has always inspired architects as an archetypal place of public involvement and emblematic revelation. Arby Ovanessian (1942– ), one of the most prominent and inspiring Iranian artists of the modern era who played a momentous role in the transformation of the Iranian cultural landscape, has offered a theatre that possesses profound architectural qualities and suggests a remarkable ground for architectural exploration. Ovanessian’s attempt to envision, perceive and extricate various characteristics and potentials embedded in the places, his quest and his ability in establishing a relationship between the qualities of the place and the features of the play performed in that place is thought-provoking. This paper focuses on his production of 'Vis and Ramin' at the 4th Shiraz Arts Festival (1970) (written by Mahin Tajaddod), one of his most influential creative work which initiated a new direction that opened a path to original research. Being performed largely without sets and props, 'Vis and Ramin', was staged at the ruins of Persepolis where the columns and statues of Persepolis formed a unique backdrop to the simple robe-clad actors. In the backdrop of ancient Persepolis, the perpetual lovers Vis and Ramin came to life and discovered each other once again. In return, one may say, 'Vis and Ramin' gave a new meaning to the stone engravings. Ovanessian made an impressive use of Persepolis as a stage: the appearance, moving and disappearance of the actors among the ruins, stairs and columns of Persepolis throughout the performance in connection with the changing daylight followed by the setting of the sun and motion of the stars in relation with the story and plot of the play presented an inseparable relationship between the theatre and architectural surroundings. The presence of fire in ‘mise en scène’, employed in the creation of artwork became intimately related to the place of performance: finding a close link with the presence of fire in Avestian concepts and Zoroastrianism. Through investigating 'Vis and Ramin', my approach in this paper is to propose a deeper understanding of the notion that in Ovanessian’s ‘world of theatre’, the spatial qualities of the place interweave profoundly with the plot, moods, stories and play itself and this relationship is crucial in transmitting the meaning and concepts. Architecture becomes an expressive element of ‘mise en scène’ and part of a ‘wholeness’ of the theatre creation.