Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-26
NEW STAGE FOR THEATERs.

aiOAS thO uAC al 70 LohO hoo HeooSt
through more important changes within
the past few years than stage art. ORA.
matte representation now concerns itself
with every phase OF life, and aims to pro-
duce on the stage pictures as true to ma.
ture as possible. Instead of painted cur
tains, called " fats" and side-scenes or
wings" we now have deliberately built-up
scenes representing both interior and ex-
terror views of every shape and proportion.
This has compelled the use of 'set-scenes,
built-up scenery supported by ropes and
braces in place of grooves, as in the older
theaters. This implies great deal of
labor in changing the scenes between
acts, and this in turn implies loss OF time,
keeping the audience waiting and suspend
ing the interest of the story. To obviate
ali this and allow of ample time for setting
the scenes, new stage, now erecting IN
one of the theaters of this city, en-
ploys large elevator having three floors,
two of which are stages, each with
entirely separate sets of scenery. In
erecting the double stage, space about s. 81
meters Us feet by r. Is meters 40 feet
and 1882 meters (65 fest high was III
closed and rooted over. In the wall, next
the audience room or hall, is cut the pros
cenium arch, $50 meters 20 feet) high,
and 7.32 meters ga feet) wide, the bottom
of the opening being 7.63 meters Us feet)
above TIE floor of the cellar, or bottom Of
the stage space, and the top about as far
below the roof of the stage. In the stage
space are placed four floors, the lowest
resting on the bottom of the cellar, the
second at the level of the proscenium,
opening and forming part of the stage
extending out into the hall, and making
the front of the stage proper. The third
floor is Just above the proscenium arch,
while the fourth floor is higher still, next
the roof In each of the three upper
floors is an opening, Gil meters by 9.l6
meters % by 81 feetl, extending from the
cellar to the roof, and forming the wall of
the elevator. The elevator itself is hung
on steel ropes, passing over sheaves sup
ported near the roof on massive timber
work, aud carries three floors, two of
these being stages placed one over the
other, and the third taking the place of the
rigging loft or "gridiron /" in ordinary
theaters. In operation it is designed to use
the elevator in this manner. Suppose the
first act of the play requires set scene.
The elevator is lowered till the first floor
rests at the bottom of the cellar, the sec
ond floor making the actual stage seen by
the audience. On this stage the play pro-
ceeds, while below, in the cellar, the car
penters are preparing the scenery for the
next act AT the end of the first act the
curtain is lowered, and the elevator is
raised carrying the stage j list used, with
all its set scenery, furniture and properties,
l. \ bao or
below, with all its scenes and properties in
place, up to the second floor, or level with
the prose anium. This movement is esti-
mated to require not more than ninety
seconds, and the curtain will be at
once raised and the play will proceed
without detention. During the second
act the carpenters on the third floor
remove the scenery and furniture,
and set the scenes for the third act. At
the end of the second act the curtain comes
down and the elevator is lowered, the stage
Just used going into the cellar, and the
stage above coming down into place all
ready for use, the operation not requiring
more than a minute or a minute and half.
In some instances, when the action of the
story proceeds from the top of a bridge or
building to the stream or road below, or
vice versa, the bridge or interior together
with all the scenes, properties, and actors,
is bodily raised or lowered in full sight OF
the audience-one act being joined to the
next without gap, very much as scenes
are changed in the older theaters, except
that in this case the furniture, actors, and
the stage itself, are changed at the same
time. Entire scenes are often raised from
the cellar or lowered from the lofts in
many theaters, but this is the first attempt
to make movable stage, and the practical
working of the apparatus will be watched
with the greatest interest. The apparatus
is patented. --