Theatre Design & Technology - Dec 1969 - 17

these hands it becomes a highly expressive,
mobile, luminescent element within the total
design concept. This is in sharp contrast
to the all-too-common American tendency
to tack on proj ection as an added attraction-whether it is artistically needed or
not. Much of the current "mixed media"
effort of today is the result of mixing ingredients-one of which is nearly always
projection-whether these ingredients are
needed or not. The top level of German
and Czechoslovakian theatre artists, in particular, seem to have passed this stage several years ago. For example, there is in the
repertory of the Wiesbaden Stadtsoper a production of Tales of Hoffman which was designed several years ago by Joseph Svoboda. Herr Svoboda based his design on an
earlier production of the same opera which
he designed in Prague. In that earlier production he used mixed media techniques
to the extent of eliminating all but one
actor, replacing the others with filmed material. He modified this technique considerably in the Wi esbaden production to create
what would be accepted in the USA today
as an up-to-the-minute mixed media production. Nevertheless, this production is
considered "old hat" by both Svoboda and
the Wi esbaden opera and it appears likely
that it will soon be replaced in the repertoire to the great satisfaction of both parties. Its problem is that it is a conscious,
even self-conscious, blending of film, still
projection, live action and music. It is
simply inferior art.

Post-Brechtian Didacticism. One is tempted
to say that this style is the obverse of the
Appiar mode. At a superficial level this is
quite true, but deeper analysis shows this
to be a surface difference only. In its way,
the Brechtian style also achieves a unity
and impact which is often equally as powerful as the Appian mode. Moreover, this
unity is particularly suited to the needs of
its artists. These needs are the essential
element of the style. Its purpose is didactic,
its motives political and moral as much as
they are artistic. However, dismissing these
plays as "mere propaganda" misses the
essential point. Propaganda they may well
be, but their effectiveness is a result of
their artistry-not their rhetoric or their
logic, both of which often leave much to
be desired. Moreover, there are within this
category a number of productions whose
political motivation is nil but which use
the style as a means of dealing artistically
with human actions of a more general nature. Good examples of these are Frische's
Biografie and Dallapiccola's Night Flight.
In both of these the style of the classroom
is in vogue as it is in the propaganda productions such as Brecht's Mahagonney or in
Vietnam Discourse. This "classroom style"
consists of multiple lines of communication
functioning more or less simultaneously.
Action is paralleled by illustrative material
on the "blackboard" (projected images) and
further developed by audible illustrations of
still other types (P .A. "broadcasts" of words
from the past, perhaps) and even at times
by countering action somewhere else on
stage. This is, of course, in theory what our
"multi-media" techniques seek to do.

~ THEATER DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

The results of this multiple technique are
often much more unified and more effective
than this description would seem to imply.
For example, in Night Flight a large horizontal panel of projection surface hu ng at
an angle over the acting area. This served
to illustrate the progress of the aviator who
is the central but never-seen figure in this
ope.a. Relatively straightforward projection
techniques showed maps, a flight plan and
associated material as the action below depicted the reaction to these elements as
they were revealed to the characters. The
"screen" was divided abstractly in patterns
free of any fixed aspect ratio or picture
shape. This technique effectively avoided
the "audio-visuals added" feel ing. The projections, incidentally, were all black-andwhite in keeping with the limited color
scheme. In Biografie the blending of projections was more complete. No projection
surface was to be seen. Instead the entire
setting was white and when projections
were needed, they were simply thrown on
portions of the walls. These projections
served to establ ish in the audience's mind
the world events contemporary with the
flashback being portrayed in the mind of
the leading character. To do this, both still
and motion picture segments were projected, again in black and white. There were
simply film slips and photos copied from
historical sources. No effort was made to
maintain a constant aspect ratio or even to
present all of the images in the same portion of the setting. Lighting was adjusted
only sl ightly to accommodate the projections
which were powered by xenon lamps able
to cut through the other lighting clearly.
In Vietnam Discourse, this didactic use of
projection reached its logical extreme. Actions on the stage were counterpointed by
cl ips from filmed speeches by world figures
e.g. (J. F. Dulles and Franklin D. Roosevelt) which expressed ideas ironically in
contrast with the events portrayed on stage.
Sometimes the accompanying sound track
was the original speech, sometimes a sotto
voice commentary on it. The effect was
political irony raised to the level of dramatic
irony.
Post-Brechtian didacticism seems to be
generally characterized by rapidly progressing multiple scenes often placing several
dramatic stimuli in apposition. Projection
plays a vital part in this effect by providing
instant change, overlap, strobe-like multiple
images and constantly changing format. All
of these devices offer the director a vast
range of dramatic interrelationship between
live action and ironic commentary on it.
In his blending of these apparently disparate
elements he seeks to achieve the unity
of his production, i.e. ironic or satiric comment.

Gesamptkunstwerken: As I have already indicated above, unity at the highest level
of artistic endeavor is the characterizing ingredient of the (literally translated) "unified work of art". This is clearly and often
consciously in the tradition of Adolphe
Appia, who is widely known, if not always
widely read, throughout the North European
Theatre. Because, by its physical nature,
it is a blend of the el ements of scene

DECEMBER,1969

painting and stage lighting, scenic projection becomes a strong element in the creation of designs for these productions. The
effectiveness of projection is further enhanced by the European lighting practices
of low level lighting and frequent use of
follow-spotting techniques. Incidentally, the
reader not familiar with this European practice should not confuse it with the "light
cannon" techniques of the American musical comedy and variety stage. While it is
unfortunately true that one is almost always
aware of the movement of the light beam,
there is none of powerful blast of light and
overwhelming focus of attention associated
with huge arc instruments. The lamps used
are ordinary incandescent spotlights, the
color of the light blends with the remainder
of the lighting and the edge of the beam
is often purposely softened. The best of
European designers and technicians deplore
this follow technique with fervor but find
themselves forced into it by directors who
insist on it.
Scenic projection fits into this situation,
ideally offering the designer the possibility
of changeable, easily blended images whose
luminescence can far exceed that of the
best paint or which can be reduced to the
point where the audience cannot tell whether what it sees is painted or projected.
It can set up floor patterns on the oftenraken stage to blend with painted patterns
and further conceal the effects of the follow spotlight, it can blend from image to
image with the musical change of scene in
a Wagnerian opera, it can blend with painted
or dyed images in textured set pieces or
cut through translucencies multiplying itself
as it passes from layer to layer. All of
these techniques have been refined until
only the alert eye of the expert can tell
which is projected, which is painted, which
is shadow pattern from scenic elements
and which is simply stage lighting.

Probably one of the most successful blenders
of projected and painted images in Northern
Europe is Andrej Majewski, chief designer
of the Warsaw Opera and frequently a guest
designer in Germany. Herr Majewski uses
what he terms a "layer technique" in which
he builds layer upon layer of images to
create the setting. He produces these layers
by the use of semi-transparent fabrics such
as tulle (we call it sharks-tooth scrim),
gauze, and various semi-rigid scenic materials. One in particular, known as "ContraH" is a non-woven fabric that can be impregnated with adhesives to make a relatively rigid translucent set covering. Onto
and through these layers of translucent and
nearly transparent material (already painted
with dyes and thin pigments) Majewski
throws projected images. He arranges his
projectors with great skill to exploit the
multiple-image-plus-shadows produced as
the projected images strike and pass through
the fabric layers. The effect of this technique is to produce stage pictures of huge
and varying depth into which actors can
gradually appear almost in the manner of a
film dissolve. Of course, solid pieces can
be added to provide conventional entrances

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Dec 1969