Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1979 - 15

inner states of mind or feeling and enhanced the dramatic
effectiveness of blocking and movement. A more detailed
description of the work with projections in this production
indicates its difference from Svoboda's work with projections:
While most projections in contemporary productions follow the
analytical tendency of Polyekran ... Vychodil followed another
path. He used a set of two projected colored images [from one
slide photograph of an original rendering] ... the first on the
front scrim and the second on the leaf surface behind it. The
edges of these surlaces are sprayed along their edges, which
heightens the blending of the projections with the set as a whole.
The overlapping and additive effect of the resultant images
creates a sense of spatial projection. Other static moving projections on the cyclorama relate logically to this primary dual projection and its spatial character. In other words, the projections
in this production are not something added to the space of the
stage. They are an organic part of it ... and avoid the geometric
form of usual projection surfaces."

Still other aspects of the lighting included so-called "tunnels" of horizontal light for certain interior scenes, created by
spotlights aimed at each other from stage left and stage right,
and by a spotlight shining diagonally from the depth of the
stage; also, luminescent paint was used on several parts of
the stage structure for certain "faery" sequences.
About one year later, in late 1961 in Bratislava, Vychodil
designed a production of V. Nezval's At/antida (Fig. 11), a
poetic fantasy about a people who possessed the secret of
atomic power but were destroyed by it. It was probably
Vychodil's most acclaimed production to that date, and pictures of it have been widely reproduced. Vychodil's distinctive
artistry in drawing, color, and graceful yet powerful forms
adapted to the three-dimensional space of the stage is clearly
expressed. The production is less "busy" and more lyrically
austere than Balladyna, while losing none of the latter's imaginative force. The basic elements are a flat floor with turntable, a curved cyclorama, and a variety of flown pieces that
are both appropriately decorative and dramatically functional: for example, a series of little crescent "moons" carry
some simple indication of the locale for a number of scenes.
The circles on the floor and cyclorama tended to camouflage
the turntable and gave the impression of something approximating lines of force, whether of a magnet, cyclone, atomic
energy, or, most broadly, the twentieth century itself. The
circular lines on the floor also related to the circular ramp
placed at the edge of the turntable, facilitating its effective
movement to different positions on the stage. The cyclorama
received a constant series of projections, chiefly of clouds but
also of other abstract forms, thus furthering the impression of
a universal space; despite presumed changes of locale, the
environment became the cosmos itself. Equally significant in
this production was an advanced use of colored tonalities,
especially on the cyclorama. The basic color was an orangeyellow shade, but lig hting was able to shift to other neutral
tonalities as well. Vychodil considers the use of colored neutral tonalities (that is, not only shades of gray) one of his chief
contributions to stage production.

most often the cyclorama, and also related elements, often
scrims, suspended in front of it.
Vychodil's emphasis on the effective use of a cyclorama is
related to his inherent attraction to simplicity and economy of
expression. It may also reflect his counter-reaction to the
heavy-handed literalism of the 1950's. In any case, he has
declared that "the fewer the elements to express an idea, the
more impact and economy.... To express oneself most
simply means to express oneself directly with the cyclorama."" He added, "The cyclorama or its eqUivalent is a
necessity, so it ought to be used. It can be functional and
provide the psychological background for a play, and thereby

Figure 10

I mean the extension of neutrality of tonality to colors by means
of lighting on flat surfaces, not simply by the use of pigments. 01
course, we must provide a useful surface to catch the light, which
is another reason for either having the stage designer do the
lighting or having the utmost collaboration of stage designer and
lighting designer.

Vychodil, like most European designers, does his own
lighting. In his case, the surface for the colored tonalities is
USITT Summer, 1979

Figure 11
Theatre Design & Technology

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