The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-11-17
Stga Worls--Thair Mal1inrs

own. said stage carpenter to Il re-
porter who stood upon the boards oi
one of the principal metropolitan thea
tiers. Words have tlnr meanings with
US that are unknown To any other art or
trade. | couldn't begin to give You q
complete list, but | will mention II few
in my department. In addition to these
the property man has his words. and
SC have the actors, the coStumers, the
wig-makcrs, the gasmcn and the dra-
matsts.
each OF the various pieces OF scenery
has 4 distinct name. The back scene,
when made in two pieces, rolled Oh
from either side, is called the Hats;
when it is in one, and raised or lowered
from above. it is called drop. The
narrow side scenes are wings. ln-
clined platforms are called runs these
are used in mountain scenes and for the
horse in 'Mazeppa. and similar pur-
poses. Small painted frames to hide
the runs are known rs masking pieces.
When a room is set with solid walls ill.,
stead OF wing, it is Il box scene. Those
arched pieces of canvas over your head
are SKY borders The space over the
stage is known As the rigging loft,
though in England it is more generally
termed 4 'gridiron.' The gallery run,
ming round the stage, whence all the
ropes are worked, is named the flies.
That continuation of it there where the
artist is at work is called the paint
bridge 1t is made to raise and lower.
and so is his immense easel, known rs y
paint frame These holes in the stage
are traps, and the space underneath
is the trap cellar. Some of the traps
are made with springs to shoot a person
up quickly in pan,omimc OF spectacular
pieces. They are then called star or
vampire traps. Those strips of wood
below the flies into which the scenes slide
are called grooves, and each division
of n groove is q cut The space be-
tween each set OF grooves Is an EN-
trance. These two handsomely painted
wings near the proscenium arch, and
which usually remain on the stage no
matter what the scene. are called tor
mentors;' why, don't know except it
may be that the audience gets wearicd
of always seeing them.
observe those narrow grooves in the
stage, down which scenes may be made
to disappear. They are sinks, ana the
boards that cover them are 'Sliders. To
hold up pieces of scenery we use these
poles with angle irons, called braces.
To fasten them to the stage are those
cork screw-lke things termed screw
eyes This is the 'prompt-side, or side
where the prOmptcr stands, and the
other side is the %. p. or opposite
prompt Here is Il moon box, which
moves up and down with the calcium
light, representing that lumnary. This
sheet of iron is termed the thunder
drum Pull that string and You shake
up Il barrel of peas, which makes the
sound of rain, and which is called the
gigantic rattle makes n noise like break
ing wood. 1t IS Il crash, and is used
to make the sound of bursting doors or
falling buildings. Against the wall is
Il call box. where the calls or notices
of rehearsals are posted. That piece of
canvas painted like water, and which
while lying on the stage is shaken from
the entrances, is a 'Sea-cloth. Those
pointed strips of muslin are 'gauze wa
lcrS. They were used in the cave scene
OF the Colleen Bawn.'
10 put - play on is 10 mount 1t.
TO mount it cheaply is to fake it. \
full set is II scene occupying all the
stage A'carpenter' scene is set in the
first grooves to fill time while other
scenes are being set. To strike is to
move n scene from the stage. \ stage
hand is grip. This wheel covered
with fol working behind Stats in the
scene is u ripple barrel 1t gives the
effect of moonlight on the water These
wings cut in fancy shapes on the edge
are 'prOtlcd. This mass Of burners IS
4 bunch light it can be moved to any
part of the stage. The curtain is called
the 'ra@, and the handsome one used
between the acts is the act drop. Ny
instructions from TIA, au .rr are called
Il scene plot, and whore store my
scenes is Il dock.
Il suppose | can call to mind now
half the things that even we carpenters
nave special names for Ii YOU were to
90 through Ill the different branches OF
the profession, you'd get words enough
10 start Il new language.