The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-01-15
AMATEUR THEATRICALs.
How They Can BE Conducted without
Furnishing an Audience.

How They Can Be Conducted Wienout
Furnishing an Audience.
Next to an afternoon tea there is no
more fashionable or interesting enter
iainment than an amateur theatrical
party. The first requisite is suitable
1all. As the main object is to make
| money, the luxury of public hall can
scarcely be induiged in unless it is Sc
| cured in the way of donation. 1nthc
allure to secure small hall, church
basement, lecture-room. or chapel, the
next best thing will be billiard or
lancing hall. If possible secure the
auditorium of the greatest length. as
| The stage will be better for being deep
rather Than wide. This is to keep the
actors in the background: otherwise
.very woman on the stage will get the
idlea that she is the fayorite. and the
oot-lights will be surrounded all the
/ ime
In whatever room the affair is con-
! iuc,ed remove all furniture and arrange
| ,amp-chairS or benches in tiers. 10
! avoid confusion see that these seats are
secured in some way. Look well ia
the ventilation Of the room. The Stage
built, not forgetting that most neces-
| sary adjunct. rrompters crown,
the next ihi},g to do is Ia erect frame
extending tram the ceiling to the foot
lights on whirh ia hang the drnp-cur-
tain The part OF The frame visible TO
the audience can be painted or covered
with paper or cheap print. Place a
row of pulleys on the under side of the
crossbeam and on the outer edge tack
the drop-curtain, for which almost any
thing will do, as cretonne, canvas. ter
rs. canton flannel. or plaid wooden
! cloth. A dado may be made of some
contrasting color, and as a finish trim
the bottom with u thick fringe. This
can be prepared at small cost by cro-
cheting it of worsteds. twisting yarn,
or knotting bits of colored cloth that
have been cut in narrow strips ten
inches long. Now buy couple OF
dozen of brass rings some inch and a
quarter in diameter and sew them on
the curtain fourteen inches apart. Put
3 double row down the edges of the
| curtain and one row down each seam
and down the centre of each breadth.
making sure when they are attached
that they 3, are in rows parallel 10 the
pulleys on tIe cross-pieces. Run strong
cord over the pulleys and thread it
through all the rings but the row on
the edge of the curtain. This outer
row Is intanded to keep the curtain
from running away from this rings and
should have short cord passed
through them and fastened at the top
and bottom of the curtain.
Ordinarily a background of some
neutral color will be required with such
furniture as an interior would need.
This will suffice for charades, panto-
mime, and literary and musical pro-
grams, but play or opsrstta will need
mounting, and that cannot be done
without scenery. Occasionally it is
possible to buy or rent scenes, but with
The aid of an artist or house decorator
and pot of paint scenes can be turn
ed out bv the dozen. At the costum.
er's may bs purchased colored models
for the work at from IS to SO .;iutS
each. which will give the artist ideas
sufficient for the work.
And now for the play, the success oi
which will depend on the length and
number of characters represented. The
great trouble with women is their un'
impeachable honor. 1hey 3ant IL Is
lust. and in the endeavor to give the
| DCODie tlS worth tHts
select a long comedy which is put in
the hands OF score Gf murderers; who
exhaust the patience and interest OF tbs
lookers-on long before it is half through
with. The most successful plays are
brief and contain not more than three
acts and ten characters. AT any OF the
stationery stores little comedies anC
parlGr dramas are sold. ShakspearcaI
| PLAYS in abb eEiated fGrn.s are Offered
and, although largely in demand, it il
not certain that amateurs do not mak'
great mistake in such selections.
There are plenty of fairy plays whicl
if well prepared will be favorably re
cerved, and the number especial,
siar ell for the use OF academies anl
boarding-schooi girls is unlimited In
deed. il is in this class that tbs mas
successful parlor comedies have beer
selected. The parts being learned
numerous rehearSals should be had
and during this preparatory work il
would be advisable to take few les
sons in stage etiquet. If an instructor
sanpGt ,ia got. take the time to 90 to til,
theatre ami see how publis aolar2 snC
actresses walk across the stage, I'll
down, take attitudes, manage draper
les, and, above ali. note what DISPOSE
ton they make of their hands. Sue
department may seem very simple ana
easily done, bit it j. q colossal miscon.
eeption. for to do these simple easy
things in a simple easy manner is thi
very acme OF dramatic art. If any
thing like reasonable degree of sue
cess is expected it will be imperative
that the affair be put under the man
agement of some one familiar with The
profession.
Stage dressing should be done for eff
feet, and no color should bs msiie ~
until it has been well tested with artiii
eial lights. Behind the footlights 80
cent sateen will make better looking
court dress than 81 satin; gorgeous
cretonne is~as effective as brocade; S5
worth of Rhine stones will make a bet.
ter showing than $500 worth of soil,
taires, nor can any one discriminate BE-.
tseea . l5-eent Honiton lace tiouncs
and Portuguese point worth a d6lla.
Il square inch. Special study should be
given to drapery. In the manner ot
making up as much good sense as art
will be necessary. The main thing tc
have in mind is the effect of distance
and gaslight. The face will need al.
most eNtravagant treatment in order to
give prominence to the features. Care
should be taken In this ehoieR Gf cos.
metics, as there is quite enough that is
perniciops on the green-room dressing,
case to ruin the complexion if not seri.
ously injure the health. The simplest
and least hurtful cosmetics, and at the
same time most effective, are pure
glycerine, rouge and powder made OF
rice flour or cone chalk. 1t will be
necessary to sacrifice personal attrac.
| tiYeness To correctness very often and