Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-07-04


their discipline and went down with the
vessel. The scene disclosed vessel as she
appeared sailing, with the blue waves
about her, man ut the wheel, While
marine walked up and down on guard. As
the whole vessel was shown, and the stage
was small one, it might be calculated
that this transport, with its seven or eight
hundred men below, was some fifteen leet
long. about the size of fishing boat. How
ever. as the vessel struck tho rock-a
sound produced by springing rattle ana
the styokeOf the big drum-at least haii-a-
dozen soldiers stood to arms in their ranks
on the contracted deck, and at the signal
were Let down through the open trap 10
their watery grave!
This loading of the stage with heavy,
built-up structures really affects the action,
f0r-rhe scene can only be changed once IN
the act. Very different from the old days
when there were often four or five scenes
in an act. The author has lately touhd
himself cramped and tettered, and the au-
dience cries out against the monotony. VI
course there is the old resource OF the
carpenter's scene Within the last lew
wears some genius has discovered a remedy
worse than she disease. We see the stage
set ont wish huge erections-Say, apracuc-
able house at one side, with the interior oil
a room in which the respectable city man
has lust been writing his will before beng
murdured by his wicked nephew; garden
wall in front: trees and gate at tho other
side Suddenly we hear the scene shitter's
whistle: a sound OF rumbing and wheeling
of clstOrs begins; the house begins 10 move,
and, wonderful TO relate, turns r0nnd on
its axis; the wall opens and wheels away
RIGHT and left, the trees revOlve bodily; the
whole scene, rs it were turns inside out,
and now reveals u drawing-rOOm in u
palatial mansion in London; all OF which
is attained by screenings, rumblngs and
rroanin0S. This was carried To ITS cN-
IRENE i'm Miss AndersOu's revival OF Romeo
and Juliet" Sometimes with grOteSque
effect as in q fine Italian chamber where
there was q beautiful Venetian iour-post
bed. Juliet had said in witching tones,
1T is the lark, " and Romeo had just lei
himself down from the window. All the
romance and exquisite poetry OF ShlE-
speare were in the air at that moment,
when, lo! the walls began to shake, por-
tons of the room to reyolve, and, wonder
rul to relate, the fOur-poster itself swung
slowly round, its feet lifted in the mir.
This wonderful tOur-poster became toun-
tain on the spot in the next scene.
These sudden pantomimic changes des-
troy all illusion. At the Lyceum, how
ever, tho lights are invariably lowered, ana
the change takes place III II mystery. At
another theatre there was scene OF an
outc;.st mother, on a snowy night, seated
OH doorstep, with her child, OF course.
II WAS the snowc0yered doorstep OF one
who ought to have shielded and given her
shelter. Her piteOus case moved the house,
when she rose from the doorstep
Ia seek the fatal river outside. When the
scene was about to change, what would be-
come of the doorstep? 1t could not be left
behind. or be carried away by men, or rise
in the air. With loud and sudden flap,
the doorstep ingeniOuSly shut up like u
Venetian blind, and then the door moved
of to the side! 1t need not be said there
WAS much merriment ut this feat, and the
gymnaStic doorstep put the sutlerlngS OF
the lady out of all heads.
One of the most ambitious and striking
scenic effects ever displayed was in Tcnny-
sons romantic play ofthe Cup In the
second act was shown the interior OF a
temple formed with rows Of large pillars
its pcdimcnts all real and practicable.
The actual building up OF this structure
between the acts at the Lyccum was a
most wonderful display OF ingenuity,
energy and o gniZatiOn. The instant the
drOp-sccuc fell, crowd OF men-"ome
thirty or f0rly-rushed on the stage, each
carrying Il pillar, an altar, step, when from
the roof came, defending by ropes, all the
upper portions Of the temple, which hung
there till their supports were ready. In
ten miutes, under the intelligent command
of their stage manager, Mr.. LOycday,
everything was in order The pillars were
made OF paper or plpcrnmche--a common
material now on account Oi it, lighineSS-
and i'm this fashion: the pillar was modelled
in the cay, with raised figures and other
designs; on this We're raised sheets OF brown
paper. which follows the relief exactly I'M
til the proper thickness is reached. Huge
trunks of trees, full of knots and branches,
can all be represented in this convenient
way. The modelling of the figures of the
classical gods and gOddeSses, all in admir-
able relief was all done by tho common
property man of the theatre. MIR. Knowles,
the editor Oftho Nineteenth Century, who is
also an architect, designed this temple and
all its details. When Mr.. Wilson Barrett
revived Hamlet Mr.. Goodwin, an expert
enced and accomplished architect, was
called in TO direct the erection Otthe build
mos that filled the stage. Thus, If We
have buildings on the stage, it is us well to
have a regular architect to see that all is
Gone correctly.
Let us next turn to the various mechan-
zeal phenomena of social life that are cYhi-
bited on the stage. The French have a
proverb that ''nOthngi sacred to a Sappcr, y
but there is nothing that your stage carprn-
ters cannot grapple with and mimic
Earthquakes, storms, thuudcrboltS, fires
waterfalls, animals, steam engines, SHIPS,
etc, he is ready for them all, and Oh the
whole. succeeds wonderfully. How is the
roll OF thunder contriyed? Formerly u
large sheet OF iron hung up ut the wing
was ratified nOiSily; ii sounds exactly as one
would expect it would, that is, Us unlike
thunder rs possible and very like striking
a tca-tray. But there is another way"
rs Mrs. GlasSc would bIve it, more terrible
and effective. In the larger theatres the
property room is placed over the audience.
Here is wheeled along truck loaded with
round shot, which Tits over on II hinge
and sends the balls tumbling over each
other, to he followed ly hollow sound Us
they roll over the floor.
For lightning long tin tube with u
spirit lamp is used. A powder is then
blown through, which takes fire rs it passes
by the spirit and gives out vivid flash.
The most effective, though most trouble
some mode is to cut out of the siene zigzlg
serips in imitation of forked lightning;
these are covered with vanished calico and
painted.
Rain is initiated by the rolling OF peas
in long tube; wind, by revolving roller
against rough cloth. These are not quite
as impressive as they might be. The most
absurd attempt ut illusion, and which is
still retained at first-rate theatres, is the
attempt to represent any crash, such rs the
breaking open of door, or falling down
stairs. Tradition requires that this should
be done by springing rattle accompanied
by the loud stroke of drum, with, per-