The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-05-21
ELECTRICITY ON THE STAGE.
I L re to prolae. S.orins VIII Light
Mn AMI Thunder.

ELECTRICITY ON THE STAGE.
IsE;e to prolac. S.orins WIZ Light
Mn: AMI Thunder.
Theetr.eI performances are TO day
dependent 10 Il greater degree than
ever before on spectacular effects. and
the strides which have bccn taken in
this direction have been SO great that
it requires something Of quite super
lative merit in stage setting to elicit
more than passing mention. This dis
sinction is certainly attained in Il rep
resentation of ..nlins Cesar" lately
played in New York.
Special reference is made to the
thundcrst 1rm in the third scene of
the first act which is the finest
achievement o. the kind ever seen in
this city. says Electricity. The con-
ditions under which the cOnspirators
q scuss the proposed murder of CT sar
could hardly be more fitting even in
nature. SO far rs ocular and aural
demonstration GO The ccescendo from
the low moan Of the rising wind and
the rumble rapidly dying away of the
distant thunder the Kissing of the
raging gale ard the crash of the deaf
eain- peal overhead -everything is
perfectly carried out. The main de-
pendeHce, however of this wonder
fully powerful scene IS upon the light
ming effects which are except :onally
lurid and realistic. These are pro
duced electrically. Sheet lightning of
any dc ,ree of brilliance Is secured by
rubbing together a piece Of carbon
and 4 Ele connected to an electric
light circuit. For forkcd lightning a
specially constructed apparatus is used
The camera lucida is made on the
principle of Il ma sic lantern. 1t con-
tains al arc light aud has in front a
revolving disk OF DARK plates Of glass.
On these plates are drawn the outlines
Of the particular kinds of flash de-
s.red for pro ectiol on the scene ana
at the required moment the disk is
rapidly turned by hand and the light
is flashed through the instaataneously
exposed pattern on the plate. The
eject is heightened b. having various
portions OF the scenery painted on
some transparent substance and fash
Ing light behind tn IN SO that as the
foried lightning plays over the seem
cry these PORTIONS seem lUridly il UNI
mated by it.
Cloud effects are produced in the
same manner the image being usually
thrown on gaaze drops The marvel
ou5ly faithful production OF mimic
thunder IS alta mel in various ways.
In former days the great resource Of
the stage manager for the imitation of
the artillery CT the storm was a sheet
OF tn, which was shaken with more
or less violence us tie storm iiuc,u-
atcd.
Nov a more elaborate device is
adopted. and the making OF thun der
is reduced to 4 science. For low.
distant rumbllngs n thick sheet of
vcilum is used. This sheet is
stretched over a large wooden box,
ana tightly and securely fastened
down. This resonant and sensitive
drum is operated on with thickly
padded drum5tick5. When larger
volume Of sound is required wooden
balls OF GlFercnt sizes are rolled
around the parchment ard the rise
and fall of the sound can be regu-
lated by the man ralation OF the balls.
For louder peas Of thunder wooden
trou-h5 about foot square VIII ch
run the entire len eth of the wall at
the back OF the stage from the roof
to the cellar are used In the upper
part of these troughs or boxes num-
Der Of cannon balls are kept in ready
ness. At a signal from the stage
manager these balls are disengaged.
and IS the, roll down the noise COM
mcnces.
At first. owing to the distance from
the stage. it sounds far away to the
audience, but it gathers in volume as
ii near5 the lo~el of the stage and dies
away rs it passes downward TO the
cellar. The electrical attachment
which governs the operation OF this
device IS SO arranged that the attend
ant can control the number of balls to
be let loose 50 that the amount of
noise e,.u.red can always accurately
be given.
For the crashing thunderciap which
follows the lightning instantaneously
a huge rattle is used. On top Of a
box about ter fec long and four feet
uare are fastened Il series OF Stats.
The ends OF these Stats are rapidly
caught by pins On rapidly revolving
cylinder at the end OF the box. AS
the pins pass upward the Stats drop
and ii loud, continuous rattle is the
re ,ult