Comparing two fictional adaptations

A class compares two invented adaptations of the same short dramatic episode. In Version A, the characters speak in a detailed period room and maintain an apparent fourth wall. In Version B, the same central disagreement is performed in an otherwise empty space, with one performer occasionally addressing spectators. Both versions retain the decision that changes the relationship, but one removes a long account of an offstage event and replaces it with a brief sound cue and a response. Students have the scripts and rehearsal notes, not a recording or an audience survey. One commentary claims that the sparse version is automatically more faithful because it changes fewer physical objects. Another judges the period version only by costume accuracy. The task is to build a comparison using consistent criteria and the evidence actually available.