The Red Cloud chief., 1881-02-03
J ILLUSIONS OF THE STAGE.

How Nature L. ImitItcd-Th MnchInrs for
Producing tao souad. of Thunder, Tad
AND Rain Moonlight on the Waterfall
Of "a BurnItg Hou-c.
MANY of the peculiar effects pro.
duced upon the stage. initiating moon
kIght, sunlight, thunder, wind. rain and
other natural phenomena. are a puzzle
to those outside of the business. How
such realistic representations of these
things as are often witnessed upon the
stage can be made is n question that
often enters the mind of the spectator.
and Is seldom answered ia a satisfactory
IL is ALWAYS the ambition of
Rcene painters and stage carpenters to
cerise improved methods of initiating
these things. and hence the stage NAV
be said 10 try - hold the mirror up 10
nature N a material. as We'll Is a moral
sense. Years of experience have tended
10 bring these limitations to a hirh state
of excellence; but the limits do not vet
seem 10 be reached. and new contriv-
Apces are continually appearing. The
electric light Is not vet used. but a its
pale blush tint would be serviceable in
particular effects. stage machiniSts are
now celebrating how II can best be en-
ploved. All of the operations men
toned, together with some which viii
be described. are clasSed under the
.generalterm, stage effects" Authors.
in writing plays, are always on the look
GU for an opportunity to produce a
telling effect. The amount of work be-
slowed upon their production in a thea
Ter is simply astonishing TO those unac-
1uainted with that mysterious realm
Ils-l al, 800
Thunder is a common stage effect.
, and is used with great advantage in
many PLAYS. In former DAYS il was
produced by shaking a large piece of
Sheet iron hung Immediately above the
prompter's desk. This continuance
produced a good imitation OF sharp.
rafting thunder. but failed to give the
dull roar which is always heard in
Ntorms. 4 continuance for this pur-
bose was soon invented. \ heavy box
frame IS made, and over it Is tightly
drawn a calf skin. Upon this the
promu:er operates with n stick. one end
of which is padded and covered with
chamois skin. A fash of lightning.
Sroduoed with magnesium, and a sharp
crack OF the sheet iron. followed by n
LONG decreasing roll upon the ''thun-
der drum produces an effect which is
sfartIingly realistic. Travelling compa-
MES are compelled TO be satisfied with
the sheet iron alone: and the tragedian
who enters a theater provided with 4
scmplefe thunder apparatus always is
HANDY TO think that his battle with the
elements in King Lear viii he worth
fighting
The rain machine in large theaters
is a fixture placed high up in the
..fies." A cylinder is made of ''half
inch wood. 1t is usually five feet in
circumference, and four feet in length.
Upon the inside are placed rows of
small wooden teeth. A lot of dried
meas Is placed in the cylinder, a rope
Bet is run around one end of ii and
down to the prompter's desk, and it is
ready for a drenching shower. By
turning the cylinder. the peas roll down
between the teeth, and tie noise pro-
duced bv them makes a good imitation
Of rain falling upon a roof A sudden
puu of the rope. accompanied by a
gust on the wind machine" gives the
sound of the sweep of a blast of wind
during a storm. Travelling companies
often meet with theaters where there
is no wind machine. A sufficiently
good one. however. is easily produced.
Acommon child's hoop is obtained, and
sheet Of heavy brown paper is pasted
upon it after the manner of a circus
riders balloon. 4 handful of bird
shot is placed upon the paper. The
..machine' is canted from one side 20
the other. and the shot rolls around the
paper, producing a fairly good rain
effect.
eVind is an item that is very useful in
beipbtening the effect of stage storms
II IS often dispensed with in theaters
where strict attention is no paid TO de-
tails. but not without a loss of "rea[-
ism" 1t has, moreover, a great infiu-
ence over the feelings of spectators.
The blind Louise in the ''TwoSrphans'
!. knuch more pitied When TIE audience
can hear the p~itiless hat makes
~ sb;xer. Hence in eery large
neI .be wind machine avs an I'M
portapt part 1t Is no' stationary