Scenographer Antonín Heythum and his work in the US : the case of King Lear

The article focuses on the stage designs of Antonín Heythum. Heythum's work during the interwar period is relatively well known and has been (somewhat incorrectly) aligned with Constructivist scenography. There are a number of materials for his designs for the Liberated Theatre (Osvobozené divadlo) (e.g. Circus Dandin, Když ženy něco slaví [When Women Celebrate]) and other Czech theatres (Olomouc, Ostrava, and others). We, however, have only scarce information about his work in the US, where he lived after 1939. The article discusses Heythum's war and post-war life and work paying special attention to the production of King Lear, an extraordinary stage experiment directed by Erwin Piscator in New York. The article also examines Heythum's pedagogical activities in the United States.