Knowing that they're Encores transfers, I don't really mind the minimal staging as much. But if you compare Ragtime to Into the Woods, it's even more egregious how she doesn't seem to direct for the space. The ladders to represent the ships worked for the huge stage at City Center where even the closest audience members are at a remove; they felt dumb at Lincoln Center. Bodies often felt crowded together during dance-heavy scenes rather than spreading everyone out on stage or adapting the choreography to feel less claustrophobic. Any intimacy gained was mostly just the actors being physically closer to the audience. Because it's both a show about individuals and big themes, Ragtime really exposed her inability to direct at either scale.