The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-09-16
hcaIrfcaI.
TIKI GHOSTS.

Theatrical.
TIKI GHOSTS.
The ghost withdraws from waiack theatre aftor thls
evening II will appear tonight for the last timo and
beneat Of Mrs Watkins. The theatre viii be closed Tor
TOW days. and Mr.. wallack will begin his regular
season with drama full Of striking effects, but
OF the "sonsstion' order. Mr. waack has numerous
novelties IN preparation and will conduct his campaign
WIN unusual yigor and, we hope, success.
bu though the ghost has completed It's engagement At
Waacks, it may sti be seen al tho Winter Garden tho
rev Bowery. tho Old Bowery, the American theatre,
barnums Museum and Woods Ministries, all Of which
PAGES oil amusement are crowded nightly. There
Indications however that this ghost been
run mo tho ground whence ghosts were supposed to
come IN ancient timess Ia first place the ghost
failed most disma,iy IN all the provincial cities,
much TO the disappointment OF many ghost
faisors. VINO expected to make fortunes out q
Tue credulity OF our country cousins In che So
coma place. the people are thoroughly Disguised with tho
plays IN which tho ghosts exhibited Look AZ that
play which has been running long at Walacks for m
stance. Seldom before have poor drama and such
miserable acting az thar OF Mr. Watkins the most OF
his company been permitted 10 any Broadway estabsh
men Or look at tho other Theatres where the ghosts
are crowded anyhow and eyeyhow defiance OF all
the proprictics.
la tho third and last place, the ghosts dsappoint the
audience They do and perform what Is Justly
expected OF them. They walk about tho stage
they DO not look like ghosts ghosts popularity sup
posed TO appear. Tho talk about revoutionzing the
stage with them all buncombe claptrap They arc
no more wonderful than the magic lantern. The store
optcons, or the dlssolvng views beat the ghosts upon
their own ground. The excitement them sense
iess as was the excitement about the Feeee mermaid
the Wooiy Horse and 1t is just barren OF any
tic
Its day but after that day is these ghosts which
have created such uror will never be heard OF again
They are the development Of no principles and
promise nothing satisfactory for the future. Any at
tempt to introduce them into Shaksperes "Hamlet"
"hacbeth" as N. Fechter proposes in London, viii
be failure in an artistic point OF view.
though II may possibly draw unthnking crowds.
New Bowery on large scale, and 1t was not
successful Possibly Shakespeare may be illustrated
plan from that Professor Pepper we are speaking OF
the ghosts as they are; and they are undoubtedly hum
bugs This fact will be clear when we explain the modus
orerdndi OF the ghost business.
Upon the stage of the theatre placed large plate Of
glass The audience does not always perceive this be
cause the stage darkened and because objects behind
the glass may be seen through It. In front OF this glass
large trap opening beneath the stage Under the stage
is square place lined with black. The person whose
ghost Is to be represented stands sopng position
against the back Of and strong light
light reflects the figure up through tho trap opening 70
the glass upon the stage. That the whole operation
and lamp plate Of glass lot OF black cloth com
PRISE all the necessary apparatus. In magic lantern
the object placed before the light and the shadow
thrown upon the wall opposite In the ghost business
the object ID placed before the light and the shadow
thrown upward upon the glass. This shadow cannot
move about the stage, because leave the glass
II cannot even move backward and forward easily and
gracefully because a. have already said the person
whose shadow Is represented Is placed very uncon-
fortable UNNATURAL slauting position movements
therefore constrained and awkward These defects
DO remeded but W order to remedy the ghost
will have 70 DO produced In entirely different
by q new invention.
If we turn from the apparatus to the effects we find
lfcsize photograph OF person under the stage. The
Illusion or delusioO 10 all the paybills, which
much more ghosy than the ghost tho thcasrcs
Better effects be produced by other means Charles
Kean made moro natural ghosts, long while ago, by
turning bright concentrated light upon the face
actor BY the same means and the addition OF Ia.
clined Dlane the familiar ghost in "The Angel OF Mid.
night" was represented years ago. James W. Wallack
Jr. the ghost OF Hameps father looks more ghosy
he is gauze veil the old ghost 10 tho "Corscas
Brothers. made by having two actors dressed precisely
alike, was hundredold effective than the IN
word, Professor Peppers invention will superseds
the regular devices in the ghost business Of legitimate
plays His ghosts moro NATURAL much costly
and not useful the ancient and must 60 the
board For few weeks they have turned the most Of
theatres into shows where optical tricks and
bad actors have been exhibited Now the regular
bogus spectres start like guilty thing upon fearful
summons" and "shrnk in haste away )" leaving few
rich managers and plenty Of broken glass TO attest ner
former presence.