Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-29
0Dly Skilled Artists Are Able to
Produce What Modern Audiences
Will Tolerate.
REALISM IN EVERY DETAIL.
How the Master of Scenic Mysteries Goes
About It to REPRODUCE the the Deck
Of an Old 6unboat.
BEAUTIFUL MODELS IN MINIATURE.
'h' Kings Palace in Wang Was Reproduced From
Photograph Taken in siam
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH,

New YORK, Nov 2S.-A neat little
studio, far up above the scenery in q corner
at the fly floor" Broad and deep shelves
with scenic models, like so many chicken
ooups or dog kennels, one row above the
other to the ceiling. Stacks of portfolios
filed with prints of ancient architecture
from our own colonial period back to the
celuge. Bronze and marble and plaster
hgares-bits of armor, artistically arranged
grasses, cars and other bric-a-brac Lovely
landscape studies in water colors on the
walls.
This is the home of the scenic artist at
she Broadway Theater. To reach it you en-
Ter by the stage entrance, on Seventh av-
suue, climb two long. steep flights of mar
row, slippery :ron sters that seem to reach
~ like Jacobs ladder, through belt of
darkness into the sky. Once upon the fly
floor you pass along the ledge and peer over
between the cordsge on the broad stage,
some 80 feet below, whence arises the music
sld the chatter of an afternoon rehearsal
aad out into the empty gloom of tbs vast
auditorium. The scenic artist himself, Mr..
John Il. Young, in full working costume
freets you from the paint-bridge that
stretches across that awful chasm along the
rear wall, and conducts you to his artistic
cen
Formerly Only Required Strength.
There was time not so far back but what
every adult theater-goer of to-day can read
tiy remember, when theatrical scene paint
t7g was mainly the work of lot of stage
aands-anybody from callboy to manager,
40 could handle brush. The then ex-
pert, who superintended and directed the
work, could cover three 40-foot square can
vases IN a single day. When the old
Black Crook" with its gorgeous caverns
sud fairy grottos, was first put on at Niblo's,
u was only question of slapping on paint,
vesting up tin foil rocks and putting in
I-o5en mirror waterfalls, and everybody
took hand in it. When the calcium lights
we're turned on this remarkable work from
e7erT entrance, the effect was simply
szz-lnC, though in detail it resembled moth
'lc on the earth or under the earth.
Inc scenic artist then operated with afree
rand, and was crude impressionist, who
splashed on colors for the day and the hour.
me scenic artist of to-day is as widely
cltterent in his methods and in the quality
~ ms work from his predecessor as is the
tHodern stage production, in its entirety;
ron the productions of long ago. In fact.
,oeaic effects have been pushed along far in
i1yance of any other theatrical feature.
Public Taste for the Realistic
his is largely due to the public taste for |
he realistic and to the combination system |
tIat requires sets for the run of season or /
ETo instead of for 8 week or two. The /
7uera glass demands rocks that look like
socks, grasi that cannot be mistaken and all |
ne details of scene and properties in har-
-ony with Nature and practical every day /
l-e. The artist who threw off three forty !
taet canvasses day now often spends three |
reeks upon a single piece. There must be |
10 solecisms in the set. Every detail must |
1s worked out in harmony with the realistic |
zsage properties and fit the action of the |
rama |
That means that he must be both land |
cape and figure painter and possess in |
Ugh degree that rare artistic sense of bring |
ag out the salient features and grouping |
he whole to secure the most striking effects. |
ow, as TO his mode of procedure 1t can |
1cJ be better illustrated than by taking |
inject now being treated by Mr.. Young. |
is al the more striking because it is q |
ew play and the scenes and properties |
aust be originated. On the scenic artists |
.-awing table is a model of a single scene.
is TIE gun deck of an American man-o'- |
ar. The play is called The Ensign" and |
E----~- Nse-- sGGAAGS alS ldlU OU euipUOdIu-
Scenes Taken From Life.
The first thing was to get correct view
e the Gan-o'-war's deck Not deck, but |
ls Identical deck on which the action of |
re play rests. So the artist takes his cam
70 and goes out into the harbor and takes |
1aut 40 nictures Of that single deck, the |
-lrrent views being for the purpose of
el-ing The most effective presentation. The
Genie artist goes himself for personal
1ew is as valuable TO him as sitting is to
portrait painter. There are finer ships
Ta- around him than the old Kearsarge,
e. the play is laid '61 and the deck of the
nlcago would be rank selection.
Having studied the ship and secured his
5g5CTes the artis. next constructs a COM
se.e model Of his scene about two feet ,
rusre 20 a certain scale. This model is a
7uiature stage with the scene in detail, Just
Il is finally 10 appear to an audience.
.Tery gun, every rope, every bit of brass
bunting is reproduced. Here the artistic
Kill OF the scene painter is brought out The
sene must be presented fat to the audience,
e big guns foreshortened and 100 feet con-
1sed into "A on the stage While the
botogrephs give the correct details they
not afford much assistance in this.
The Mechanical Requirements.
Another important consideration must
7Ter1. The scene must be so constructed
10 be rapidly handled. This often de-
les the question as between methods of
-eseEtaJiOn. There must be no perspec-
~e pieces where the actors in the play are
aoie 70 stand in dangerous contact An
-ror in naval uniform by the side of two
NJ cannon would provoke the average
.nse Of the ridiculous. The photographs
clUde uniformed officers, petty officers and
amen and their relative size in perspec-
re
In short, realism Of the modern stage is
.rried into all Of the derails of the scenic
lists art The actors must be kept away
ON the painted pieces in the rear OF the
age, OF This part Of the work becomes ridic-
ous. The comedian who ezcites the mirth
the audience, BY putting his hat over the
sing sdu in the background, excites the
rath Of the scene painter So big gun
feet high can be painted three feet and
Ok sl right as long as the players keep
az from Il.
Importance of the Color Effects.
Everything in the immediate foreground
Hss brought out strong, both in size and
.Or, ard c0tcr gives an impression of size
The background is shaded down in misty
avs II Is these colors that the artist gets
personal color sketches on board ship.
bri4c out brass work and bunting and
shadows requires an artistic brush. This
:paTently triEing matter of shadows is by
means overlooked. They are marked
re Ia this model and when the scene is
acel on the ttage the lights must be SO