, 1874-09-13

and ease over the apartments he represents, Jus
as the actor must be 3 man Of sincerity ant
spontaneous goodness to enact faithfully ane
powerfully tho part OF hero. One can ten the
drift Of maoager's reading By the cut OF his ia.
ble-cloth, or gauge the depth Of his sentiment
By the position OF . wi1at-not, the number Of his
chafrs, or the color and material of his uphot-
story. AS in everyday life, really good artistic
taste goes far beyond dollars in beantifyins an
apartment 80. on the etage, elegance is not opu-
lence. nor does gofd-leaf cover multitude Of
defor1nities from the refined eye-
There have been such monstrous parlprs upon
our stage that audiences ulnHt haTe felt uneasy
in being entrapped into them There hsya been
ng from poverty would enter without question:
ing the 1andlady sharply on the subject OF in
trudin8 insects; and as for the gardens and
grounds, we have had very deserts and chicken
there plaster statue, always the same, and IN
inevitable clump Of highly impossible trees inter-
laclng their artificial boughs, aud supporting
each other iutrepidly in the fraud they wcra
Eractlcing upon the imagination OF the audience
These we have had, and are tired Of them. OF
late
AonH ATTENTION las BEEN rAm 70 STAGE SET
Thore have been some excellent sets ut Nc
Elckers last seauon, and there has also been too
much samendss. At Hooley's the sotting has
been somcWhat variable Sometimes it has been
very neat and effective; At others sloyenly, and
even gaudy. At the Academy strong and costly
effects to aid tho eye hare been very successfully
introduced, but elegance has been sacrificed to
vulgar osteutation no" and thou.
An Intruder would be a,tonished to see the
FCss AND SQUIRTING ROUND
which occurs when tue curtain is down. A dozen
mon arc at work covering chairs with dircrsnt
material, hanging curtains, laying down carpets,
and putting up pictures, with here = mirror,
there a pzintlng, arranging the in
genious gas fireplace. aud suspending tho
chandelier, NTH al tho upholasoring aud other
details. The stage e-mauager gives his directions
rapidly, and arranges the score Of minor matters.
which in themselves are trifes, but Which some
times add tAousaud-fuld to the strength OF
situation. An open book is left lying IN = par
ticutaz spot two chairs are suggestive1y close
together, whore the young lovers may haro left
them the piano is open, and from the disorder
ed condition at tho music somebody has beon
practiciug. There arc \ Thousand little details
Of this kind which an ingenious manager will
foresce. Then, again, thore are some necessary
points directed Ly the author, aud these must be
attended to. Aud tho whole outfit must be
made before the curtain goes up, for ono cannot
stnugglo in u Writing-desk Khie tho
play is going on. or pick up the Deces.ary
clgar-case from tue mantel, wnen that ralu-
the stage-mauager's btcast-puckot Tie actors
are not tho only people who need to rehearso
before tue opeusug night, nor il it their fault
that piece iuus half an hour late on that irving
occasion. It is the fault OF tho idiot rho has
put yellow satin covers on chairs to match blue
rep lounges, aud tuluod the piano round so that
the instrument will be between the player and
tue audience, or has done something equally
provoking and dilatory. First nights arc irving
affairs to everybody; but. if there il difficulty
1nole tirosome than another, it u setting tho
stage.