Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-02-13
stage Mechanism.

Areporter who was behind the scene:
at the play of ''In the Ranks" says.
After travelling along a passage the
stage was reached just as the curtain
fell on the first act. The moment the
huge cloth was fairly down, the stage
was overrun with busy mechanics and
assistants removing the kitchen scene,
with its rural bric-a-brac and arranging
the wood scene with its wonderfully
natural cascade that follows.
Colored lights are grouped about the
stage to bring out the beauties of the
artists work, the water is turned on,
ascendS through an extremely matter
of-fact hose, ripples and babbles over
the oxumbled tin that forms its bed, falls
musically into trough that is lined
with heavy cloths to prevent undue
splashing and is Garfield off again by
means OF another unromantic piece Of
hose. The stage is entirely cleared of
the ordinary scenery and the grooves in
which the Old-fashioned, scenes are run
we e hoisted out of the way, the stage
scenery of modern days being held in
place by braces that are clamped to the
floor. After the fall of the curtain at
the close of the second act, confusion
again reigned supreme. Ropes were
lowered from the ''flies" and the solid
hillside, trees, brook, logs, etc., were
weisked into the upper regions like
magic. The scene was torn to pieces
with the most apparent recklessness,
and the diderent portion heaped to-
gether in seeming inextricahle confu-
sion.
The church scene is now set the best
OF it being let down from above, dur
ing which time it behooyes the stranger
on the stage to keep an eye overhead.
Jets of gas are arranged in different
parts of the stage, behind trees and
tombstone whose presence is entirely
unsuspected by the audience; the Curl
GUS projecting window Of the tavern
is h0sted in place; the stage is sprink-
led with paSteboard autumn leaves and
all is ready for the curtain TO rise on
probably the most artlsctic scene ever
presented in Washington theatre.
There are thirty-six drops that are low
eEed dhripg the progress of the play
from the ''flies.' The other scenes
those mounted on frames-are placed
on rollers, and it is curious sight to
see man handle one of these tremen-
dous frames of canvas as easily as ali
expert walteer does his partner.
The stage manager is an interesting
and important figure. He is a small.
quiet man, giving directions in a. cool,
authoritative manner, and displays no
special energy, except when he is reused
to unhOly wrath by the appearance of a
much-be-roughed young lady, whose
costume is trifle odd. ''Do you go on
in the next. scene?n he asks, in tones
laden with horror. Eyes, sir.n "Wh-
a-atl In that costumel" "Yes, sir. ;"
") oung woman are you are aware that
the next scene IS an exterior, In the
snow, and that a crimson dress, cut low,
with lace collar, is not exactly an APP
pirate costume? Go, Immediately, and
put on hat and shawl!' and' then the
stage manager turns around with sigh
of relief and asks a couple of supernu-
meraries attired as soldiers,if they don't
think that they could remember to 90
the formality .of closing the
cell door after they hurl the prisoners
in, SO that he may languish with some
degree of propriety. The engagement
is drawing to close, and he would like !
to have that prison door closed once,
just for luck.
Then he walks up to Miss Forsythe,
who Is standing IN the wing" and
with her as she complains |
OF a severe headache. A moment later
She makes her entrance, smiles the
smile.of devoted love on her sorely per-
secuted husband, and enchants the
audience by the tender pathos of her
acting.