The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-28
Illusions Of the Stage--I ricks
That Deceive and OeIude
the Public.

liz eStfSs
With the increase of realism on the
stsge there is also an increase of illusions
ubich tax the Ingenuity of clever men
bahind the scenes aud often bewilder
m, most intelligent OF the auditors.
.lne of these effects that occasion an up
roar of applause and necessitate the
raising OF the curtain repeatedly on a
avorite tableau are r~idiculously simple.
For instance, when the young hero of
the modern melOdrama plunges into the
canvas river from the set dock IN the
left fourth entrance, his disappearance Is
marked by a dash Of spray uprising In
foamy drops that glitter in the glarlng
calcium light. The effect OF this from
the front is thrillingly real. lfyou stood
at the side scene. however, and saw the
rough carpenter crouchlng 10 the trap
behind the set waters with a handful Of
rock salt, ready to throw it up after the
hero has landed on the mattress placed to
receive him, you wouldn't feel SO enthu-
~siastic. The inclination would be rather
to laugh than to cheer.
For some time even old stagers were
puzz'ed by an illusion in one of The
French operas as played by Aimee last
season. lu one OF the comic scenes while
the comedlenne, dI guised as a waitress,
was pouring out tea at table on the
scene, she poured it inadvertently down
the neck of the digniied comedy charac-
ter of the play. 1t seemed a boiling
liquid that came from the vessel-even
the steam seemed TO issue from It-and
yet the actor submitted to the scalding
every night aud showed no evil effects
the next day. AT last 1t TRANSFERRED that
the French property man filled the tea
pot with d very fine sawdust, which ran
out smoothly like a liquid, a lust of its
finer particles at the same time rising
from the spout like steam. With the
footlights between the illusion was com
pietc.
Stage lightning. Only three or four
years ago The old method was adhered to,
a torch with a hame surrounded by a
tin box perforated with fine openings,
and the box filled with powdered rosin,
did duty for this effect. The plompter
gave a SHAKE of this torch the powdered
rOsln escaped In small quantity and fllred
up. This was the nearest the stage could
come to counterfeiting the artillery of
Jove. Now a calcium Cor better, al
e~lectric) light is completely mask ed in
the wings. When the cue is given for
the lightning the light is unmasked for a
second and the rays allowed to fash on
to the stage through a lens of greenish
glass The effect of "A binding fl lsh of
lightning is perfect.
A t~avorite scenic effect is an ilIumina-
ted city in the distance by night. The
audience will always 20 wild over this
yet the effect is produced by merely cut
ting holes in a dark drop and keep the
"a, at back of it at full head, while the
burners in front OF the scene are reduced
to a blue glimmer. The illusion was
taken out of this scene for the writer,
who one evening at 6 o'clock called at a
city theatre to nave an interview with a
manager, and finding him on the stage
hacking holes with his penknife in a
black daubed canvas hanging near the
rear wall of the theatre.
I'm making more lights in Liverpool"
said he. This scene is the biggest sue
cess of the whole piece"
A Bowery actor travelled over the
country for several years playing a drama
which had no attraction but the effect of
the hero being hanged by a mob. The
moose was put around hi. peck and he
was actually strung up IN the sight ofthe
audience lie even remained kicking
aud submitted to three encOres In . night.
Every one marvelled. Yet he simply
wore a harness of leather and iron lands
under his clothes there was a hook at
the back OF the neck which was attached
to the rope above the moose, and the
hanged man was simply kicking a.tride of
3 cushioned seat-an iron bar which was
connected with the harness by an iron
band, which followed the spinal column
up to the neck, terminating in the hook,
which brought all the strain In the prop
er place for comfort.
Juliet's balcony looks real, and you
imagine the lovely maid peering indeed
from a rich 5oudoir to moan to the in
constant moon" for her prowling lover.
But viewed from the side scenes, with
Juliet standing on a totterIng ladder and
growing at the grlmy carpenter, who Is
s~teadying it, it is quite another thing.
The railroad train rushing by was for a
long time d thrilling sensation. let 1t Is
simply several sections of painted canvas
on framework, run across the stage IN a
creased groove by carpenters, aud teleS-
coping on itself when it touches the side
wall of the theatre.
Another great stage effect is the engul
hug OF a steamer at sea. Its dlsIolnted
parts roll off at the wings and sink down
traps, and the surging waves, IN the
form of a dusty piece of canvas called a
sea>eloth, flow or are hauled down to the
first entrance and agitated in wild pillows
until the curtain falls to uproarious APP
plause. The lumpy nature of the waves
and their wild rolling ill the audience
with wonder. The explanation, though,
is ridiculous. Each wave is a man,
Under this cloth are from ten to twenty
according to the extent of the oceanl OF
these WI etched aspirants for dramatic
fame, Just humping themselves. Ac-
cording az they hump or lraf the sea Is
wild and tempestnous or smooth and
biliowy. As this scene l. sure to be en-
cored two or three times there is no use
in asking at the prompter's desk. What
are the wild waves saying?' They are
swearing all the time.