Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1994 - 21

J A R o s

L A V

M

A L I N A

by Dennis Christilles
n recenr \-ears rhere has been renewed interesr in rhe rhearre of Easrern Europe_ i'vluch has been wrirren and discussed concerning rhe work of rhe present generarion of
Czech and Slo\-ak scenographers_ The rerm Anion
Design has become a parr of rhe \-ocabular:- of rhese discussions and rhe name mosr closely associared \\-irh Acrion
Design is Jarosla\- "lalina_ There is much ro be learned from a
srud\- of Acrion Design merhods and our rhearre is in need of
fresh ideas_ Bur \\-hile man:- applaud rhe interesring and ofren
srarrling images of Acrion Design, irs process can seem an
unreachable ideal.
Close collaborarion is a cornersrone of Acrion Design_ Ir is
rhe kind of collaborarion in which neirher parr\- is rhe sole
guiding force behind rhe producrion_ This r:-pe of collaborari\-e
siruarion is rare in our countr:- and rhe faulr lies on borh sides
of rhe fence as \\-ell as in rhe perperuarion of rhe fence irself_
There is a lor rhar can be said in t<1\-or of a rrueh- collaborari\-e
process_ Bur more imporrant rhan a good working relarionship
and open communicarion lines is a common and fundamental
undersranding of rhe funcrion and merhods of scenograph\".
There are fundamental differences berween our approach and
rhe parh raken b\- Jaroslav Malina and orher Acrion Designers_
In previous discussions cerrain rerms associared wirh
"'lalina's scenographic approach are prevalent_ ~vlal1\- of rhese
rerms involve meraphor and irs sysremaric use in design_ An
examinarion of rhe quesrions surrounding rhese rerms and rheir
applicarion ma\- be one effecrive key in dealing wirh rhe relarionship berween physical srage space and dramaric acrion in

I

Figure I_ "Iillina -s original pen ilnd ink rendering

lor Claw_

ol the

setting

Acrion Design_ These quesrions prove parricularly difficulr
when dealing wirh rhe peculiariries of rhe proscenium arch_

FIlLING THE FRAME
The problem \\-irh ph\-sical srage space, as arriculared in rhe
firsr of Del Unruh's imporrant series of TD.:>T arricles, "Posr
-'.lodem Issues in Acrion Design, "1 is rhar, according ro rhe
principles of Acrion Design, onh- rhose elements which direcrl:sen'e rhe dramaric acrion should be on srage. E\-er:Thing else
(graruirous decorarion, embellishmenr, and "armosphere")
should be eliminared. The quesrion for rhe designer in rhe
proscenium space, rhen, is hO\\- ro deal wirh rhe horizon or
background. Or, perhaps pur more plainl\', "Ho\\- do I fill up
rhe resr of rhe picrure:"
Since irs beginnings in rhe 15rh centun-, rhe proscenium
arch has sen-ed as a de\-ice by which picrures are presented ro
an audience. The picrures rhar were originalh- presented were
rhe flower of rhar newesr and most darling of discO\-eriesrwo-dimensional perspecrive. Ir was a near perfecr illusion of
rhe world in front of which rhe acrors \\-ent abour rheir business. Our scene design rodal', ar irs leasr imaginarive, is srill a
kind of illusion in front of which acrors do rhings and say
rhings relariveh- unrouched by rheir environmenr-rrees blissfulh- unaware of rhe foresr. This is a srrange and awkward
srare, bur for rhe scene designer a "rask" has been compleredrhe filling-in of a ven- large picrure frame wirh somerhing rhar,
for a shorr while, is interesring (ar rimes more interesring rhan
rhe acrors) ro look upon. Howe\-er, rhe characrers and rheir
em-ironment are ar cross purposes and rhe besr rhar one can
\\-ish is rhar rhe\- do nor interfere wirh one anorher ro any disrurbing degree. The [\\-0 are comparrmentalized and incongruir:- is seldom enlighrening and \-ery ofren boring_ On some
le\-el, \\-e all \\Tesrle \\-irh rhis dilemma.
Thi is rhe challenge, rhen, especiall:- in Acrion Design: how
ro fill rhis omnipresent space \\-irh images rhar continue ro communicare, enlighren. and, most imporranth-, funcrion as angles
of dramaric acrion: The Czech and Slo\-ak masters of Acrion
Design ha\-e long grappled wirh and disco\-ered elegant answers
ro rhe quesrion. Bur ir is an ongoing problem. And rhe problem
im-oh-es nor onh- esoreric principles relaring ro scenograpl1\',
bur rhe velT fabric of rhe rhearrical experience. Ir im-olves rhar
which makes rhe li\-e rhearrical experience in our elecrronic
image/informarion-driven age somcrhing more rhan a quaint
arrifacr for an ever-dwindling, elirc audicnce.
nruh's arricle' examincs rhis siruarion. The background, or

TD&T

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1994
