Czech Experimental Stage Laterna Magica during the Time of Normalisation: The Case of Clutural Dislocation and Defense
Abstract
The theoretical discussion of strange places will use as specific examples performances for the official, state-subsidized Laterna Magika Theater, presented for the first time at EXPO 1958. In addition to being an acclaimed multimedia performance, a unique synthesis of stage acting, ballet, mime and cinema, a space for various artistic, technical and technological experiments, it was a site for a particular cultural exile within socialist Czechoslovakia.
From the 1970s on, the theater hired a number of progressive artists who were not allowed to pursue their craft or who were blacklisted altogether (directors Alfréd Radok and Evald Schorm, cinematographer Jaroslav Kučera, musician Michael Kocáb, artists Eva and Jan Švankmajer). While these artists were not allowed to focus on their own art, they were allowed to work within Laterna Magika to create performances that represented socialist Czechoslovakia with tourists or abroad, and showcased the country's progressive leanings and high-quality art.