Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-23
ILLUSIONS OF THE STAGE,
Tlimsy tricks by Which the Public are
btckled and Deluded.

ltlom the N Y. Star
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 bewilder the
most intelligent of the auditors. Some OF
these effects that occasion an nproar of
applause and necessitatc the raising of the
curtain repeatedly on IA favorite tubleau,
are ridiculously simple. For Instance,
when the young hero of the modern MILO
drama plunges into the canvas river from
the set dock III the left fourth entrance,
his disappearance is marked by a dash Of
spray uprising IN foamy drops that glitter
Ill the garlnG calcium light The effect
of this from the front is thrilingly real. If
you stood at the side scene, however and
saw the rough carpenter cronchiug in the
trap behind the set waters with a hand
ful Of rock salt ready to throw it I'D after
the hero has landed en- the mattress placed
to receive him, you wouldn't feel So enthu-
slastc. The inclination would be rather
to laugh than to cheef.
FOR some time even old stagers were
puzzeled by an illusion in one of the
frehch operas "a played by Aimee last
season. In Ole of the comic scenes while
the comedl.nne, disguised as waitress,
WAS pour ,ng out tea at a table on the
scene, she poured it inadvertently down
the 'Ieck of the dignifed comedy charac-
ter. of the play. 1t seemed boiling liquid
ohat came from the vessel-even the steam
that seemed-o rise from it-and yet the
actor submitted to the scaldlng every
night and showed no evil effects the next
day, At last it transpired that tue French
property man filled the teapot with Il very
fine sawdnst which ran out smoothly like
1i,,,, ,l,,rt .,F, Il. g..
he same time rising from the spout like
steam, With the footigLts between
the illusion was complete.
In nothing has the property man i'm
proved 40 much of late years as in the
quality and effectiveness Of stage lightning
Ouly three or four years ago the old
method was adhered to. A torch with Il
flame surrounded by tin box perforat.
ed with fine openings, and the box filled
with powdered rosin, did duty for this ef
feet. The prompter gave shake of thit
torch the powdered rosin escaped il
small quantity and hared up. This wal
the nearest the stage could come to count
erfeiting the artillery of Jove. Now
calcium (or better, and electric) light i
completely masked in the wings Whel
the cue Is given for the lightning til
light is unmasKed for second and tn
rays allowed to flash On to the stag
through ems of greeuish gla,a Ia
effect af binding flash OF lisht4luS
perfect Aud yet 50 simple? Yes an
it is the simplest things on the stage thu
gain the greastest success.
A favorite secenic effect is an illuminat
ed city in the distance by night. Tn
audience will always go wild over this
yet the effect is produced by merely Gu
ting holes i'll dark drop aud keep til
gas at back OF it at full head, while I'll
burners III front Of the scene are reduce
to a blue glimmer. The illusion was Il
ken out Of this scene for the writer, win
one evening at o'clock, called Mt a eli
theatre to have All interview with man
ger, and finding him on the stage hackil
holes with his penknife in a black daubt
canvas hanging near the rear wall of Il
theatre.
I'm making more lights in Liverpool
said he" "Ihis scene is the biggest su
cess of the whole piece"
Tho lovely Galatea might powder al
plaster her face with bismuth in vain
she would not look like statue if she d
not wear wig of lamp wick Yes, lam
wick And isn't it close stimulation
the sculptOr's idea Of head of hair
marble?
handsome man, cast for the hidio
Uriah Heep, transforms himself WI
ease by wearing distending pad in cit
er chez k (painting, lining aud powder
the face to exaggerate the distortion) a
covering his perfect set of teeth alt.
nately with pieces of black wax. T
disguise Is perfect, artistically in chara
sr and wills the artist more fancy tn
would he awarded for his best points
acting alone.
The moon was long time q puzzle
the stage folk. The Lest they could
wust to slice piece out If drop diagonal