SAT Inferences Question

Today's theater stages are frequently filled with props and scenery to immerse the audience in a play's world. Because theatergoers have grown used to carefully designed sets, plays with few visual elements can surprise audiences. But simple, unadorned stages were likely audiences in the very distant past: highly decorated and detailed sets were not common until the 1600s. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and preclse word or phrase?