Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-09-19
TLLUSIONs or THE STAGE
SOME OF THE FLlMsY TRICKS BY WHICH THE
rrmIo ARE rlcEiED AND uEMuEp.


rrmlC ARE rIoRLED AND uELuuEp.
With the increase Of realism ON the Stage,
there is also an increase of illusions which tax
the ingenuity of clever men behind the
scenes, and often bcwldcr the most inicli-
gent of the auditors. Some of these effects
that occasion an uproar Of applause, and
ncccssitatc the raising of the curtain repeat
cdy on % fayoritc tabcau, are ridiculously
simple
For instance, when the young hero of the
modern mclodmma plungcs into the canvas
river from the set dock i'm the left fourth en-
trance, his disappearance is marked by a
dash of spray uprising in folmy drops that
glitter in the garing calcium light. The eff
feet of this from the front is thrilliugly real
II you stood at the side scene, however, and
saw the rough carpenter CrouChng in the
trap behind the set wntcrs, with handful of
rock salt ready to throw mp after the hero
has landed ON the mattress placed to receive
him, you wouldn't feel quite so enthusiastic
The inclination would be- rather to laugh than
to cheer.
For some time even old stagcr5 were puz-
lied by an optical illusion i'm one Of the
French operas, as played by Aimee last sca-
son. In one of the comic scenes, while the
coincidence, disguised as 70 waitress, was
pouring out tea at table ON the scene, she
poured it inadvertently down the neck Of the
digniticd comedy character of the play. 1t
seemed boiling liquid that c..lc from the
vcsscl-eycn the steam that seemed to rise
from it-and yet the actor submitted TO the
scalding every night, and showed mo- evil cf-
iccts the next day.
crty man filled fine t,,nn, ,yith q yrr, fine
snW,lust. which ,rr nrf snnnthlv Ii.r , lin
uid II dus or its ip.r r,rticl,. ,t th, s,u,,
time risiuraroun fin, .,,,li III, st,,,r Win
the rooili%bts brtyc.n n,, illusi,r ,,,s r,,d,
complctc
I'm nothing has fine proncrtv man imnr,vc1
So much of late yrors os i'm fine nuoIity and
effectiveness of stooc irbtnin, 0nlv thrar
or four wears a,rn tbc old method WINS adhered
TO- torch Win 81, 1,mc s.,rr,u,Jrd h,. 3,
tin box perrnrifcl with fine oncniur.. uud ibr
box filled with po,ydcrcI rn.in. did dutv for
this effect. The promricr r,you shake of
this torch: tbc n1vdrrcd r,sip oso,nrd i'm
small unntitv and 1nrcl nm. This was fine
nearest tbr ,i1oe could come fl, c,upf,rr,itip,
the artillery Of love, Now a colrium. (or
hcttcr. an electric, li.,bt is ,,mnl,t,l, masked
il, ,r, uir,,, va, ,l...,.,,,. ,.i.,. a..
lightning. tbc lirbt is uumo4l,cJ for a second
nnJ tLn r,ry ,ii,,r.I w. =, M s,',,,.
through lens of .rrnui-h ,la.4 The effect
of , Lii"d,,., dash az ii.,,,,in,, n,r,,',,
And i i-,,t u.. ii,,,,i,, ,' =,
III. I
cess cess ' Wv ''''-' '''''' -''' '''
r,,.,r;,,. so,,.i, .,r..,i..,, iu,,..;,..,..l
CITY, I'm ,l,o J;s,..,c,, ,i.,., ,r, ..,,i:.,,,.
viii nearly a., Will Gy,rtii. 49,, ,I.a. .n,r.,,
is nrnJnrrJ II, merely cn,,in, L,,r... ,i,,l
,lrl,, a,,I r.....,.., ~ -. ''', '.,I
head, while the burners i'm front of the scene
are reduced IN "a h,ua glinipcr Tin, i,p.i,p.
WINS taken ont Of mi. .crrr r,r tbr v.rit,-
who. one evening ot siN o'rl,,, called ,t n
CITY theatre tn have am iuf,ryir,v will tI,c
manager. and C,ppj him am t,. .,,g. l,,l.
ing holes with hi. nrub ,if, in ~ bl,rll DAMNED
canvas banripo near tbc rem. wall If tbc
theatre
"Im mnkiny morn Iirlts II, Iivor,,ool '.,,
said. ..Tbis Seem. is t,n lia,,.st lur,r.s nf
the whole piccr
The lovely Gnlotia ri.,Lt n,,ydor and rlus.
ter her facc with bisnutb in y,,ir-s She yonlJ
not look like "A ytatu, if She did p, ,yror 81
wiz of l,mp-yyi,t Voc l,,,,-,,i,r.i InJ
isn't il "A close Summation If tb. srulrtor's
idea of a head in morhlcl
A handsome man cast f,r ,hn lidaops
Uriah IIcr, transforms himsolr with ems. Ia.
wearing 81 dstapdir., roa +, ,i,l,.r rb,cl