The Studio Marta Theatre

The Marta Studio is intent on filling study programmes of the Theatre Faculty of Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts. It provides to students and teachers of JAMU a perfect chance to concentrated and creative work. Students of Scenography, Theatre Management, Theatre Directing, Theatre Dramaturgy, Drama for the Deaf, Drama Education, Theatre Acting and Musical Acting work here. The Marta Studio produces about 10 first night plays and 160 performances a year. It is one of the most visited theatres in Czech Republic. Videorecords of every project and play as well as of chosen rehearsals are made. Every year the international festival of theatre schools "Encounter" and the festival of graduates take place in the Marta Studio.

Many significant persons of theatre, radio, television and film were studying and working in the Marta Studio, e.g. Alois Hajda, Bořivoj Srba, Vladimír Menšík, Josef Somr, Květa Fialová, Věra Galatíková, Blanka Bohdanová, Dagmar Havlová, Eva Tálská, Zdena Herfortová, Gabriela Vránová, Eliška Balzerová, Hana Zagorová, Ladislav Frej, Karel Heřmánek, Svatopluk Skopal, Boleslav Polívka, Jiří Bartoška, Miroslav Donutil, Peter Scherhaufer, Stanislav Moša, Ivo Krobot, Pavel Zedníček, Pavel Trávníček, Jiří Tomek, Jiří Pecha, Arnošt Goldflam, Jaroslav Dufek, Ladislav Lakomý, etc. The Marta Studio is directed by Doc. Jan Kolegar, leading person of Studio of Theatre Management.

The Marta Studio is situated in cellar space of a dwelling house from the beginning of 30´s. The theatre studio of JAMU started working here in 1952. Its basic form of proscenium theatre was made up by teachers and students of the school. In years 1990 and 1991 the studio went through a fundamental reconstruction. Thanks to rebuilding suggested by architect Ing. Jan Konečný the Marta Studio became a modern theatre with variable acting space. The acting space is equiped with a grid where lighting, sound and shooting equipment as well as scene elements, e.g. walls, yards, ropes and ladders, can be hung up. In the acting space there are work gallery and travelling catwalk bridge as well. They make a surprising entrance of actors to the stage and removing actors over heads of theatergoers during a performance possible. They also help to take over set pieces and props in some cases. To a quick rebuilding of auditorium there is a mobile metal elevation. The elevation can be easily hidden in the area under a control room. In the front part of the stage among 4 portals there are 2 platforms. They facilitate extending of the stage, building the theatregoers elevation on the stage faced the auditorium, forming a trap opening or an orchestra pit. In the area of the stage there are 14 fly lines, draw curtain and space for asiding set pieces. The acting space can be lengthened to a yard by opening a back door of the stage. There are supporting acustic elements as well. They help young actors and actresses to develop their voices and to manage their dramatic impositions anywhere on the stage or in the auditorium. In the back of the acting space there is a control room.