Jan Dušek

Prof. Jan Dušek studied scenography with Prof. František Tröster at DAMU (the Theatre department of the Academy of Performing Arts) in Prague. After graduation in 1967, he became a designer for the State Theatre in Ostrava and between 1968 and 1972, designer for the Petr Bezruč Theatre in Ostrava. Since 1983, he served as teacher of scenography at DAMU, held the position of dean at DAMU in 1990 and as of 1992 is head of the Department of Scenography. Prof. Jan Dušek put together over 500 scenografic projects, the most of which also included the design of costumes. He worked with directors Evald Schorm, P. Hradil, F. Čech, A. Hajda, J. Fréhár, Z. Černín, Z. Kaloč, V. Strnisko, J. Korčák, P. Lébl, M. Lang, J. A. Pitínský, O. Ševčík and with choreographers P. Šmok and L. Vaculík. Prof. Dušek also works in cooperation with theatres in Baden-Baden, Münster, Karlsruhe, Los Angeles, and in Poland. He worked at the University of Chattannooga, Tennessee; Trent University, Nottingham; the Central School of Speech and Drama in London; Centro Andaluz de Teatro, Sevilla; the Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design and the Utrecht School of Arts. In 1990, he took part in the Kde domov můj exhibition, which was held at the Palais U Hybernů in Prague. He was awarded first prize at the Trienale Novi Sad awards in 1972 and was presented with the Alfred Radok Award in 1996.

In the Prague State Opera he was the set- and costume designer for the world stage premiere of the opera Death and the Ploughman by Emil Viklický (January 21, 2003) and set designer of the ballet La dame aux camélias (October 23, 2003).