Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1975 - 33

in the darkness, to the lighting of selected details: an
actor's face or hands, depending on the balance of
intensities of the different area and spot lights. Space and
visual composition were flexible, modulated, dynamic.

any stock material; particularly striking effects were based
on the projection of magnified details in disproportionate
relation to the live actors; rear projection was never used.
Eugen Onegin in 1937 used only a single, frontal scrim
for projections, but the projections were distributed over
three parts of the scrim. The largest section, in the center,
had both film and slide projections that served a dramatic
function, while the two side sections had only slides,
essentially for purposes of illustration.
Goethe's The Sufferings of Young Werther (Figures
52a, 52b; & 52c) in 1938, introduced a few variations.
The sole projection surface was a frontal scrim that
consisted of two parts that overlapped in the center and
allowed an open passage for actors, who could perform in
front of the scrim as well as behind it. The stage itself was
broken up into acting areas at various heights, much more
so than in the previous two productions of Theatergraph.

Figs. 51 a, 51 b, 51 c. M. Kouril, The Awakening of Spring
(Wedekind). 3 Mar. 1936, 036 Theatre, Prague, dir: E. F. Burian.

Projections enriched this already imaginative scenography. Central to th is system were projections that were
only incidentally used to illustrate locale or provide
information (i.e., Piscator's method). Much more important in Burian's theatre was their metaphoric, dramatic
use to convey the emotional atmosphere of a scene in a
number of ways: recalling a previous event, revealing the
state of mind of a character, substituting for live actors,
providing perspectives and suggesting relationships not
spelled out in the text. The legacy of expressionism was
still alive in this technique.
At its most essential the production was based on the
precise rhythmical integration of actors and projected
images. Maximum spatial and aesthetic effect no doubt
occurred when live actors and multiple projected images
were simultaneously visible. The synthetic nature of the
technique is most apparent in the scenarios that have
survived, which clearly indicate in separate columns the
text, the live action, the projected image, and the live or
recorded sound. Several other specific characteristics
should be noted: projections were not inconstant use, but
only at peak moments; the live action and dialogue on
stage was intelligible and coherent without the projections, wh ich were dramatic supplements; on the other
hand, the filmed images made no sense without the stage
action, although they may have possessed a certain
aesthetic interest on their own; the films and projections
were specially made for each production, not taken from

USITT

THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

FALL,1975

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Figs. 52a, 52b, 52c. M. Kouril, The SUffering of Young Werther
(Goethe). 12 Apr. 1938, 038 Theatre, Prague, dir: E. F. Burian.

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