Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-05-25

AHnALO, 81 MIA = n
exit are Of the most approved deserip-
tion. consisting Of forty.two feet Of door,
ways, which will give ample means for the
almost instantaneous egress of the largest
audience. In addition, there are twenty.
i've windows, one tier On the ground
floor and one on the balcony floor, that,
in case of urgency, could be availed of
for emptying the house. Taken in every
detail the provisions for the safety of an
audience suddenly called upon to vacate
the auditorium are about as perfect as
could be desired. Hydrants and hose
ara SO disposed about the building as to
be Immediately available in case of FIRE.
We omitted in the proper place to
mention that the ticket office and man
ayers room are located on the left of the
corridor, about thirty feet from the main
doorway, aud as they are placed in one
of the adjoining storerooms, do not
encroach upon nor curtail the mag
niiicent dimensions of the grand en-
trance.
THE AUDITORIUM.
The auditorium of the building Is one
Of the most perfect that has ever been
made. 1t has no great pillars and pilast-
ers aud right angles to deaden the
sound, no nbortions In plaster of Paris
of impossible aud preposterous carya.
tides, and useless fretted arches, to arrest
and demoralize the fine tones Of music
or Of the human voice. The whole vast
room has been planned with due regard
to the principles of acoustic science, SO
that the finest and most delicate tone that
trembles along the air will reach the ear
of the most remote auditor in the family
circle. Colonel Gray has in this respect
done a work that other builders will do
well to initiate.
While he has omitted the heavy orna-
mentation that used to be considered
essential in former theatres. he has sup.
piled this absence OF that class Of or
naments by rare ornamentation of the
walls. ceiling and frontage Of the family
circle SO there is q full and satisfactory
vision Of beauty to all beholders.
The auditorium is 64x72 feet. and As
feet high from floor to ceiling with
gallery or family circle that will seat 700
persons. The dress circle will accom-
mo 'ate about 700. and the orchestra
seats about 100 spectators. making
seating capacity Of 1900 without put
ting in area seats or counting the capa-
city for standees which would add sew.
eral hundred more to the number that
might find room in the building. The
seats ara all opera chairs of the latest
design, with hat racks beneath them.
The noise from ushers and auditors is
deadened by india rubber mating that
gives no response to footballs of the
people. The seats are SO separated that
persons can sit at ease without being
crowded by their neighbors. while the
tiers are SO far apart that one can
pass between the seats even when an
audience is seated therein.
There are four proscsnium boxes. two
on each side Of the room, that are
models Of comfort and elegance. They
have entrances from the outside, are
finely upholstered, while the front is
ornamented with scarlet lambrequins of
silk, bordered with plush, with gold
thread ornamentation. and draped with
crimson satin curtains. This ornamenta-
tion and drapery is rich, rare and beauti.
full, and shows Colonel Gray to be an
artist in all such matters. No hand
somer or more comfortable proscenium
rooms, real boudoirs, can bo seen in the
country than those in this edifice.
The gallery is supported by neat iron
columns. colored in gold and ebony.
These columns are so small that they
obstruct no vision, and are NO him
drance to sound. Tho wainscotting on
the front Of tho gallery is brilliantly
colored in maroon and gold with ebosy
shades.
The walls are delicately frescoed in
panels in truly artistic manner. The
oolors are gold, purple, blue, pink and
opaline lustre, that give constant
change Of hue as the line Of vision
changes. The effect is most agreeable
and charming from every point Of view.
The colors, which are Of brilliant char
acter. are SO blended and proporticned
as to produce no dazzling glare, the tints
Of brightness being subdued by broader
fields Of lesser brilliancy and spaces Of
neutral colors.
The ceiling is q gem In its way. In
the center is a sweet summer sky, with
fisecy clouds lowering softly along the
horizon, while from out them comes
gala throng Of cupids surrounded with
brilliant flowers. The sky scene is en-
braced in transepted ellipse, which in
the farther curve from the stage contains
% large and ornamental ventilator. Sur.
rounding the central sky are foar red
spandrels in the center Of which are
medallion heads of prominent men Of
song and story. The spandrels in froLt
contain the likenesses Of Schiller aud
Goethe, while As crown Of the proscen.
ium . fine likeness Of the great Shake
speare surmounts the arch, while the
Muses. are making music in his alert aud
tireless ears. The likenesses are we'll
delineated, and, like the beautiful cell
ing. ..with its wondrous hues and tints
and flashes Of coloring. are the hand.
work Of the accomplished artist. Wm.
voegtlin. who has been the artist in
charge Of all the painting and frescoing.
The drapery of the proscenium is .
model Of richness and artistic taste. The
coloring is dark aud impressive. crimson,
gold and ebony, and hung in rich and
opslent folds.
The drop curtain Is thirty feet wide
and tfirty-one feet high and is. without
exception, the finest on the Pacific
Coast. 1t isa most remarkable produc.
ton. The upper side is bordered with
white a. baud Of ermine. The center
is medallion ornamentsd with scene
from Midsummer Nights Dream" In
which Oberon, the King of the Fairies.
finds his Queen Titania asleep upon the
earth, who when she awaksns, exclainls;
Come NY lord; and in our flight.
Tell me how II came this night,
L That nleauing hara Yaa found