Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1996 - 22

lighting is to be handled by the scenographer working with the
lighting crew, sometimes with the collaboration of the director.
Although each has done from 150 to 200 professional
design projects, Roszkopfova has worked with a relatively
smaller number of theatres and directors than has Zbofilova.
Beneath this quantitative, slllface difference lies a more personal, temperanlental distinction. By her own account, Marta
Roszkopfova finds scenography a rather intensely subjective,
philosophically provocative activity most satis~'ing when undertaken "ith a few tried and true directorial collaborators,
largely in one theatre center. While Jana Zbofilova does not
represent an opposite extreme, she brings to mind a somewhat cooler, more detached approach, ready and able to deal
with a wide variety of ensembles and individual artists.
To generalize from exanlples of their work itself, it is
clear that both reject realistic, decorative, or traditional painterly scenery, but both also usually steer away from use of al~
chitectonic, technical elements, and neither one cares for
projections. Instead, both seem attracted to relatively open
stage space, and special treatment and distribution of real,
functional objects \\'ithin that space. In tltis sense, they both
fall \\'itllin the "action design" ballpark, although both, especially Marta Roszkopfova, often transcend that category.~
Given these tendencies in common, differences are
equally apparent. \~~llie Roszkopfova is more readily associated \\'ith medium to large proscenium stages, much of
Zbofilovfs work has been marked by her early and occasional
ongoing association with small, non-proscenium studio
stages. Moreover, Roszkopfova's work often conveys a sense of
boldness, power, and sheer material presence compared to
Zbofilovfs relatively more spare, skeletal, open creations. As
one critic noted, Roszkopfova tends to add on, willie Zbofilova
takes away. Another preliminat)', overall observation is that
Roszkopfova's work often tends toward themes of a darker,
hat'sher, more aggressive tonality to wltich she responds subjectively, whereas Zbofilova seems more at home with lighter,
FIGURE

more ironic and witty material that she treats \\lith relative objectivity.
Finally, for the moment, each has a distinct "signature"
element in her choice of scenic materials: Roszkopfova adntits
to finding the varied use of vel)' tangible, hat'd edged panels or
boards a significantly expressive scenographic component,
willie Zbofilova seems drawn toward varied, expressive use of
suspended or draped cloths and fabrics.
The specific training and eat'ly professional experiences
of each undoubtedly affected their stylistic evolution, especially Roszkopfovli's. Her pre-professional schooling concentrated on tex1iles, and before going on to theatre design
training she worked for a year in the workshops of the Slovak
National Theatre in Bratislava. From 1968 to 1973 at the academy of arts in Bratislava (VSM ) she studied scenography under no less thatl Ladislav Vychodil and costume design under
the leading Slovak designer Ludmila PurkyllOVa. Especially interesting is that Roszkopfova then spent an additional yeat' in
Warsaw at the academy of fine arts stud}'ing scenography in
the studio of Jozef Szajna, the major Polish designel~director
who at one time had collaborated closely \vitll Jerzy Grotowski
(;tkl'opolis, 1962) before going on to stage ltis own memorable productions wltich stressed baroquely expressive, nightmat'ish visions rooted in ltis own concentration Catnp
experiences (Replika 19 2, Dante 19 4).; In many respects,
Szajna's work prefigures the later efforts of Czech action design. Much of Roszkopfovfs dynanlics and imagel)' seem indebted to her exposure to Szajna, who, as she noted,
"tormented us towat'd independent directorial tllinking... and
strong metaphoric expressiveness." 6
In contrast to Roszkopfova's vat'ied training, Jana
Zbofilovfs ntight seem almost routine. She spent what would
be our high school years at the central school of design in
Prague before progressing in 19 2 to the five-year Prague theatre academy of arts (DAM ). There she had traditional training in stage and costume design from designers who had
themselves been students under FrantiSek Traster, the leading
_

Roszkopfov;:l"s Hamlet. Note the val'iety of positions and angles of the
panels. Shades of Gordon C,'aig's tlloscow Art Theatre Hamlet with it
elegant screens!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ FIGURE

Roszkopfova's 7)'ojalJ WomelJ.
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TD&T

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1996