The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-18
SETTING THE SCENES.
Great Preparations for Fanny
Dayenport's Cleopatra
oloRIEs OF ANCIENT EGYPT.
Adhey VIII Re WILDLY Portrayed In the
Piay-The WORK Of Arrangement
-An Army the stage.

rived in the city 90 Saturday night and
will open the production of the great
drama s-Cseopatra" thIs evening ~ she Sc
attic theater. The company consists Of
$50 persons and carries tso car loads OF
splendid scenery and frrnitnre. made es-
pecially for the play 81 cost Of SO. 90
Asst takes t~enty-foar TO thirty hours 20
arrange the scenery the company had %
csnae thus far In advance 90 allow Of these
preparations being made The entire me
cfanical force Of the thsater and the com
pany was employed ali II yesterday and
last night in this work.
The unloading Of the scenery snc stage
settings attracted a. much attention yes
terday 80 would the advent Of ciseas
with its elephants. camels. horses. glrsfi1s
and vild men OF Bogreo. crowd OF
curious people stood about the the theaser
ell day CARING upon the men WHO ran
about with great columns, sphsnx-siEs
heads. obeissks, pyramids and Gofoes.
Standing about we're sections OF palm
trees. while the gaping crowd could catch
occasional gliFnpses Of the placid Nile
flowing tow ard the Mediterranean in the
distance.
Inside The theater vas still buster
scene, and for time the uninisiassd vas
lost to his surroundings. a force of thirty
or more men vas 81 work and she shout
ing OF orders and the grinding of wings
and sets Of scenery as the settings we're
showed about, made NOISE that vas al
most desfenimg. The men began 20 carry
in the scenery and stage furniture 81 an
early hour yesterday morning and work
wss not ceased for momen; until :
manager. put IN nj. appearances and an
nonnced that he was ready to superiatend
the rehearsal of the sapernumerarie-.
Early in the day /; Was announced that
amateurs would be needed to assist In the
play. and when Mr.. Willard arrived he
was met by about 10 men and twenty-five
or thirty women. all Of whom wanted TO
try their hand At acting From among
the applicants NJ. Willard chose thirty
two men, all of them tail. weli-built young
fellows. any one Of whom would make
good-iookiug Roman. From the women
present eight were selected. and then the
stage was cleared of all outsiders. the
workmen taking advantage of the drill 20
get an hours rest and something 20 eat
The stage manager explained 20 the
supers retained thai they would be sand
wiched In among the regular members of
the company. seventy Of whom would be
on the stage. and they were 10 act iust as
the res, would. but to make the scenes
20 OF more smoothly Mr.. Willard ex-
planned to the class in detail what
would be expected OF them. The men
we're arranged in different bodies some to
serve as Roman soldiers. armed with
spears. helmets and breastpiates, and 9th
ers to act as peasants. The women, four
of them. with silver-tipped oars. were 10
form part OF the royal crew that should
propel Cleopatra down the Cydnus. in the
bark of Venus, on her way 20 meet Marc
Antony. Several eolored boys were de-
tailed 10 be Abyssinian servants and sew
erai coiored women we're also selected 10
act in similar capacities. While TO
nine-tenths of the forty sup
ers the duties required of them
were entirely unknown. after two hours
drill by Mr.. Willard they had fair idea
OF what they would be expected TO do.
During the production of the play 40
people will be on the stage, thirty eight Of
whom, though not seen by the audience.
are very essential 10 a successful perform
snce serving as scene shutters. thunder
aud lightning makers and general utility
men. This morning the whole company.
intending the forty new supernumeraries,
wili meet nj the theater and rehearsc
At o'clock fast evening the work of
placing in position the scenery was re-
commenced. and at II the men went home.
all Of them completely tired out IL
usually takes from tsenty-four TO thirty
hoars 10 place the scenery in shape for
the play. The arranging Of this mass of
scenery and stage furniture. with its
thousand little trying though absolutely
important details. is carried on with mill
tary precision. under the direction OF
Claude iiagan. master machinist. asst sted
b. George Williams, stage carpenter. and
Jack Clunie. who has charge OF the rig.
ginx." or over head scenery
When the curtain rises thlS evening the
audience will view nothing that VAS not
imported by Miss Davenport for the pro-
duction OF Cleopatra" fbe first scene
will be at Tatsns. showing the river Cyd.
nus. the architecture Of the city being al
Syrian and Egyptian design ON the ief,
Of the stage. IN the foreground. is the mag.
nifesni temple which Is used as a provjs-
ional tribunal by the Romans. In the back
ground Is the river Cydugs, while. perched
of Tarsus. la this act the dancing girls
and musicians appear and Cleopatra comes
down the river IN her bark Venus H. meet
Antony. In the second act the EGYPTIAN
palace of Rameses Is shown with its rows
Of columns. covered with Egyptian hero
glyphic-. hloh prompts Mare Antony &
remark ia vonderment. ''Ths very pillar.
tell the story The third act
Memphis Here, from the house,op-. can
be seen the city 81 Alexandria. with ths
starry SKY above H. The cyelorama. ii /,
said. has never been used in any stag,
production before The fourth, Hnh ana
sixth acts should be seen To he appFeci
a;ed. IL - in the fi0h act THAI the
audience Is treated 20 an Oriental simeon
The stage is left IN otter darkness and ols
ieets are only seen daring the aashini
Of lightning. while the thunder peal.
are deaiening. Tie lightning is pro
daoed by connecting 81 Intervals twl
tiles through which Is Eua So~yo,t azc
light electric current The wlaa ls PRO
dueed by patent machine invented BY
Mr. Willard. which sways the canva
palm trees and drives the canvas cloud
across the canvas sky. The thunder 4
made by rolling eAnnon halls aovn q,
iaelsae OF steel pilates. While 80 even 81
tho noise COW hides. stretched over b,
hollow frames. Nse pounded n The ssn
manner a. hASs drum.
kyea when employed In the prosa.c ans
wholly commonplace occupation q every
dsy liie Fanny Davenport apYeAys "a
auesnly woman THAI she IA, Her reSery
ioees and graceful gracious dignity DIS
tluSuish hes quite as mGcA in ths pgisze,