The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-04
ROOM FOR AN ARMY.
London Has the Largest Theater In the
ID. World. With Capacious Stage.
From London Tid-Rits

From London Tid-Bits.
London now possesses not only the
largest wheel, but the biggest theater
in the world. Until recently Chicago,
with its tremendous Auditorium thea
ter. may be said TO have had the larg-
est building erected for theatrical dis
plays. but now Earls court, with the
Empress theater. goes one better than
the American city. The only building
in London in which theatrical displays
have been given to be compared with
tie Empress theater is Olympia. AS
this huge structure was not built ex-
pressly for theatrical purposes, the
claims of the Empress theater still
hold good.
Imagine an iron and brick building
towering above everything else at
Earls court, except the great wheel,
almost as long as Trafalgar square and
nearly as widel The span of the roof
is only beaten by one erection of the
kingdom that. we believe. being the
span of st. Pancras station. This roof
span of the Empress theater is 200
feet, while the height from ground to
lantern is no less than III feet, or more
than half the length of the monument,
and only seven feet shorter than the
duke of Yorks column in Carlton
House terrace.
As the auditorium is one Of the larg-
est in this country, so, too, is the i'm
mense stage. In designing this latter
work, Imre Kiralfy has adopted some
remarka BILE and curious devices. The
entire stage can be moved about here
and there, and put up in section in
such a mechanical way that 1T can be
made to assume any form called for
by the exigencies of the scene. On this
great stage of the Empress theater
there is room for at least 5000 people
without undue crushing and at least
1000 performers. in addition to 500
workmen-carpenter shutters, proper
ty men. etc.-are on 1t in one scene in
stage is added another 20 feet in depth,
which can be made to appear and dis
appear at will. some idea may be OBJ
tanned as to the hugeness of the place.
To provide for this immense number
of performers there are scores of dress
ing rooms at the rear of the stage.
To light this great stage and the audi
torium over 80 arc lamps are used,
while 20 Hmelights help ito produce the
cry thea trical display. In addition to
these greater lights over 5000 incan-
descent burners are in use all over the
building.
Certainly in the way of a curtain the
Empress theater has the biggest in the
world. 1T Is a rich and elaborate piece
of artistic work. So feet high and 200
feet long. A curtain of this kind would
hide more than half the frontage of
the National gallery and much of the
roof of that large building. Over H.
600 dresses are worn during the pro-
duction of India" many of the per-
formers wearing three. four and five
in the piece The number of spangles
used runs into millions. and the Sc
uuins on the Indian dresses are almost
without number. Nearly as many wigs
as dresses are used. OF the number OF
dancers shoes which are worn out
during "a months performances 1t
would be hard to give an accurate re-
port, but 1000 would be near the mark.
All the scenery. the curtain and the
stage are moved by steam power, for
no human effort alone could build up
some of the stage pictures produced.
From every point of view this theater
probably holds the palm for hugeness
and ease in managing it,