Theatre Design & Technology - Dec 1966 - 35

Report on INTERSCENA '66 in Prague
Joel Rubin, Kliegl Brothers Lighting, and
Ned A. Bowman, University of Pittsburgh

The Scenographic Institute performs a research function both in thea·
tre planning and technical innovation. Actual theatrical production is
not carried out by the Institute per se but rather by the artist staffs
of the state theatres. Similarly an Institute-developed product or mate·
rial is manufactured by one of the state manufacturing plants. We
have the impression that both the motion picture and television fields
have separate developmental groups.

Billed as the "First International Symposium on Scenography," the
Prague Conference Interscena '66 (June 6-12) was memorable on
many additional counts. The United States delegation was to have
included President Donald Swinney along with the authors until his
university's production schedule caused a change in plans.

We were, as might be expected, most impressed by the specific
technical acumen and apparatus represented in the integration of live
and filmed performances; this is a major contribution, nee preoccupation of the Institute. We found the development of substitute materials
in scene building, costumes and properties (wood substitutes, plas·
tics). most interesting. The development of mechanical and electrical
stage apparatus on the other hand seemed to lag and we sensed it
was somewhat derivative of the postwar German development.

About 200 invited Symposium participants came from at least twenty
nations and heard formal papers over four all-day sessions. The largest
groups in attendance, forming in fact the majority of the delegate
body, were from the USSR, the German Democratic Republic and the
host country, Czechoslovakia; smaller eastern European delegations
came from Hungary, Poland, Rumania and Bulgaria. The western
countries were unfortunately represented by only a scattering of delegates from Canada, France, West Germany, Finland, Switzerland,
Austria and the United States.
The conference center, located in one of downtown Prague's historic
city palaces-turned-cultural center, included simultaneous translation
into four additional languages and closed-circuit TV to adjacent rooms.
On off-hours, one faced the delicious decision between a rare opportunity to visit with Jerzy Grotowski, Andre Villiers or Nikolai Akimov
among seemingly endless side rooms of chess players (and other conversationalists), or running two blocks down the street to visit an international camera exposition.
The papers covered the broad range of scenographic problems and interests, both contemporary and historic. (Many have already been reproduced in journals around the world, and the host Scenographic Institute in Prague has promised a monograph of proceedings.) In scope
and profundity, they seemed, given the uncertainties of "simultanous"
English, to be not unlike those of an ANTA Assembly or a USITT
conference: a few genuinely inspired, a few drearily parochial and narrow, and the majority of them at least of some interest to everyone
present. Most papers appeared as Xerox-process translations the following day in four additional languages.
We sensed a general agreement that such a meeting was long overdueuthat no amount of reading and picture book thumbing can replace
personal contact. We went expecting to find that our problems were
common across geographic and pol itical boundaries; but it was reassuring, even so, to appreciate again certain facts of theatre life which
seem to transcend both geography and politics. Thus one noted the
not-infrequent difference between the way a theoretician envisioned his
new design idea or technique, and the rare product photo or production shot be exhibited as evidence.

A "conference presidium" was establ ished with representatives from
most organizations represented. This group has continued a paper
existence and there is interest, particularly within the eastern countries, in its perpetuation. The United States delegate (Rubin) has established himself strongly in favor of international technical Iiason
which could best be accomplished within the framework of the International Theatre Institute rather than through the "temporary" organization set up in Prague.
Rubin spoke on recent innovations in lighting technology. and Bowman
on scenography in American universities. The US was further represented by Prof. Jarka Burian. State Univ. of New York at Albany, who
spoke impressively on arena staging.
The Scenographic Institute under Director Kouril, and the sponsoring
Ministry of Culture are to be heartily congratulated for their initiative
in holding Interscena '66: for the careful planning that went into it,
for the increased international communication it fostered, and for the
obvious major commitment of funds it represented.

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