The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
LINGO OF THE STAGE.
Technical Terms Of the Theater Are
Curious to the Tn
initiated.


~aAFhere are two divisions q, tie tiseatsr
the auditorium and the stage They are
so remarkably distinct in all particulars
that they resemble different worlds. One
is finished, luxurious and comfortable, the
other rough, often intentionally cold or
hot. full Of glare and glitter and aHythin.
but what those in front may picture IL
Nothing 80 DEITY aids the fass-sra tioa eff
the Stage as the mystery Of il. and it
seem; To be the principal object of tine
manager tn make this more and more i'm
p"netrabie To- the uninitiated. says the
Philadelphia Times. IL il Il singular fact
in proof Of the ASSERTION that the greatest
AID to- tn. att:artiveness Of the theatrical
stage is the mystery of IL. that the yeeab-
| uiary of th" stage is never heard Oft the
stage and such thing 4 dictionary Of
1t has nrTer been kn0wH. curious IL
are mIilOins of rheater-going people
to learn that among the many mys-
| teries. What in this country IL
is ''the sr+diron.', In this Instance rh-
| name was probably changed To- the more
modern one of''rigging !oft'' b.,rauSe of It's
Appropriateness and the rnE- webby aJ-
pe;Irancr Of the ropes and puliies neer<s:-
fatef III our Br'iern thraterS. AMI It may
he remarked here that our American
stage is far nipre rpmpl.re in it's furnish
lngs than that of the mother country.
| and plays are more eIahorateIy motfntei
| here in our larger cities:
! Of course y"u have hear'l actors spec L
| Of the boards and know they Hlean
the stage. If you ever had any a<s0ria-
| ton with them ynu have Frequently hear'f
| them express Il desire thar '.th.- ghost
| should walk. and are aware. that rhaIr
| "a
oblige by paying salaries. Because Of
| the appr:tDria tnneSS of the term. 10 Sepul<
| to be generally misunderstood THAT Ths.
| pieces Of canvas running arrpSS The top
of the stage. representing sky. epiiiIg
and so on. are 'rEe HES. bur rh@y ars.
! not file. they ara. ''bnF,l"rs. and the
flies ar" th" gal"ries either -isls Of
| til" stage. mad" continuous 10y tn.s
| paint bridge" ~ the back
| There is not Il piece IT Sren"ry or
| other furnishing that has nat Il name
| that is Ill lis own and Sinsulari. ::pTr'p
pirate t" its form and use. The sing
| carpenter. the w!gmakrr. fhe e-sf~f-InIs-r.
! the actor. rhr property man. the scene
| painter and even rhe manager seems -
| have sought out unusual and -pe'-iHl
! words for things used: and FoH viii No.
| tice that even the advertisements III rhe
'bridge" is made ~ raise AMI Inwer ~
! the pleasure of the scene painter and
! others. and Immediately behind 4 -
the paint frame u Is, l.- r:tI<s-.f at,
lowered ~ Ia bring within easy rPH.-h
all parts "f the -'.cE.ry The arTi~r may ~.
| painting.
You will find the STAG. r'...,r- ~ rln1,,<-
all the ti,raters we'll eat 1n. The h,.lrS
on IL" stag" an. s.:IllesI ''rr,i~ and M
dcrn"ath them ar the .r,,p cellars
TIL" star. OF "ynmpirr. rip = h"'l"
in the. tag. rhrnugh whi.-:I .;i~:fuTs.--r -
nr shoots upwards 10y Hlruu- - = s4ar-
form! uniprneath The ~7..-.. v,,ra:-,i ~
springs. some of rh" principals -I"
PantoiIiEse aatI other Spectacular NE -
The entrances are rhe -pa'--~ rr.-
tween each SET # ---rrrve~ ant II =
| through thf>r 'enrraures that he a'-,fr~
enter upon the stage a. if through {" -
The tw" hand~"nt-i -painra'i wing
nearest rhe audience and iT.lT4lesiissFs.Iv -
! hInd the drnI,-e1rratH IrH .-II.d "-.r-
MENTORS The ''t,rmenfnrS' trE- ~ra-1,,r-
| AIRY. one on each 10 - he stag Yuu
will find upon every stage " any pr
tensions narrow grooves town whnh
called sinks. and the b"arsi> WI -
cover them are sides" TIE. T,:..,-.,~ Z
| scenery. such rs flats and nrher snlaIIr-
pieces. ar" held in position by p.,-s,~ i
! w''"i-stlckS. you might call rh-rl--trl,i
they are known in the rlIea -r."ai v,--n;i,--
! uiar rs hrtreS. ii each snr = +.
! brace is Il piece, of iron with t,... n
! it. one end If which is f;I<rt.ue,I =, III.
stage and the other entl ra rIt.. frrms. Il
| the scenery ley ''~crew-ya~ war~h ar=.
large screws worked by ir.'n hIn,:I.> and
all being in one pierre rbp r.-~.suli.i.. .-,rt-
| screws
, The prompt side is nnf always he
same in al thsIrrrS. for sometimes = =
upon the right AMI at ether times on The
! frr. Oh.
| it is always caIle's the 20 P side. mean
ing ''"ppoSits' prompt \ --meon-hax~ -
an apparatus in i h"x. representing the
moon and moves up and Down with i
calcium light The ''thundsr .fr-gn4- =
composed of sheet nf ron which =
shaken by handles and makes the n. -
! of thunder The S.t11n.I IF min : mr.
dured by barrel of peas. =, arran-e-r
! that pulling Il string the patterin- STUNT
is emitted. and This apparatus IS alb
| the rain box
TIL" n"iSa resembling the hrpTkin- II
| timber and falling Of haF!SeS ~ m.,ie y
means Of a gigantic rattle n"vpyF hr
! The handle Against the wall ~ IL. <t1.-l.
| generally at the exit ~ the Srrpn- :
! the ~raH hox.~ upon which. " -a+be-
| within which are pnStefi rhe ",-.III~ -
netfceS of rPhearSafS and nfher Trnr,rr.t-l
| events ~ ocrur. 4 "~sI-cIeth-- - > -,i--.-e
of canvas wheh j. painted tn rarp-.-~.,-7-
! water an.i - >ha ken TO Esrsssiurs IN i-ra7rI-
ton of waves
! It is common thing il, the prof.,~~5,.-r
+" call the ~urtain rIIe rag AMI ~.
handsome me- used hetwern the, as,-- :
called the "a"t ,Irnp- The .n~rr-ts-rs. ~
from the author re tbs, 90 r-.'rrSr s,r,r7.-.--
ing the scenes in th'. play ar, .-aTT..,t -hs.
scene plots The particular par - he.
stage where the stage carpenter ~+,rvv-s
his scenCS is called "ths dnex
There arr many inventive --,-11Fr<..<
concerted with the theatrical <ra-'. md
it is Il taSs-Up between the stag .-sr-...r,f.r
and the propeTty man >,rTne-iFrr<. with
the odds in favor Of IRE latter. T. = thr
property man who i expected ~ fax. ~
everything iii the way of All initlrie.vs
When ui"en is rsTuiresT- be. HTS pr
| iuce that lTITninEry and fn II - Naturally
us art viii permit fiji punishment f..7
failure il the Misrepresentation ~ rifr m
| iery. those "snlS- hnin=. very FbsrsSI N
their 6IeuuHri:t tinH IF what they sIa .I.,-
| approve Til" s;Htiss "f tils pr,F-.r-y Erlar
hav" Il viii. scope :Snsi irsrlTTsF.. rFulaS-
every hing bT; fIts set tITTties sf the, st.r.
carpenter. the cGStumer tho wiz.-ns.s Ss.r
! and tiIe scene painter 80 that ? tI.sfT-,-
! withnTt y property nan - IKE i shin
| without n Safi. y eat wfthaHt y tail s,r /,
/ home without the knieS-knaekS arf5 e,tfI.r-
| embellishments thaf go - FIR - mako +;
attractive From his Fps ven viii hs.s-
more queer NJ sf things pertaining =,
| the stage than from any "sh-r az tn
! various attaches of the. ba;Ir;TS :vb..rprF
| stalk the People of rlI." Ssgek and bzrSSirs.
| hut. like the actor and others N the prg-
| fession. his Iin-n - only for the raft.
| aud / have given you nsure. af IL than 7v:1S
! ever before published ta my knowledge.
y Picture of w-b~scr.