New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-23
WHERE OPERAS ARE BUILT.
THE WONDERS OF A SECTIONAL STAGE.

MODERN IMPROVEMENTS AT THE METROPOLITAN
THE WORKINGS OF TRAPS. COUNTER
WEIGHTS. BUTTONS AND LIGHTS.
caiumny was published on the morning aftsf
the end of the opera season few weeks ago. one
Of the daily papers said that the waits between tns
acts had been tiresomey long. on account OF ths
bad and inconvenient arrangements OF the stage o.
the Metropolitan Opera House, and the consequent.
delays in setting scenes. This grieved the soul Oh
Neil McGieghan the head carpenter OF the Metro
politan When the opera house was rebuilt. aftef
the fire. the new sectional stage was constructed
under his personal direction. He has cared for IT,
tended IT, brought II up In some spots and brough-
4, down in Others clothed It, and cherished II eve-
since and TO be told, right out In plain PRINT tha-
It was inconvenient and unmanageable was sore
sorrow to Mr.. McGieghan
He asked a Tribune reporter to come in and LOOK
al the stage. and to see whether 1t did not appear
capable of smooth end easy working. TIE reporter
came and saw Mr.. McGieghan is a gentleman ana
speaks Ill of other gentleman to say noun
Ing Of a lady, but when the reporter had come anu
seen, he was able 20 make up his nina Tor nimsel
that any delays between the acts were prooaoiy
due to the singers not being ready to begin OF NOT
choosing to begin. rather than to any misuncer
standing between Mr.. McGieZhan and his stage.
Persons who are In the habit OF reading about the
construction of modern theatres are famhar Win
the term sectional stage" II conveys as RUS
probably only a dim idea that, a sectional stage
being the proper thing to have plays VIII DC oons
a. the theatre in question in good style as any
hodv has a right to expect for 81 20. sectional
stage is thing with more modern improvements
than a model apartment house MOREOVER inc "".
ern improvements TO be In order, so as 70 WORK
when they are wanted I, Is not enough Tor the
i,ntor 10 promise 10 that they are ATTENDED 70
the next day.
They talk a good deal about the stage OF the
auditoriun in Chicago" said Mr.. McGiegnan'
They call that a sectional stage put 'hey ca"
do with II what we can with this. Why II they
want to ~, up any part OF the stage they nave got
TO lift up a whole section. clear across i"ey ca.
raise II up on a level. or they can tilt up one emu
or the other TO make incline. but they can
M less than a whole section. Now II we want "
r.present broken ground or rocks, or anything VI
,ba, sort here we can break up the whole back part
OF the stage In any way we Ike. We GO IL. for IN
stance in the second act OF Die Waikure
The reporter being a good New-Yorker. was du'y
,,rsssed nv the fact that the stage OF the Metro
nolt,an could be made look Ike anything, from
a no,a,o patch 10 the Hill OF Venus. and was du'y
shocked by the insoence OF Cncagoans III pre'e"u-
Ing that there was such thing as sectiohai s'ase
west OF the Alleghanies. And then they thous"s
they were doing great thing" Mr.. McGieghan
,ra,, on and they spent a lot Of money TO make It
work by hydraulic power and 1t doesn't work az
vel az ours does by counterweights IL Is c'ear
that Chicago has only TO be let alone 70 insure ''s
running itself by its prodsal expenditures for water
and such frivoites
I'm, these sections and sections OF sections are
really useful things for building mountains. pat
,orus bridges stairs terraces, galleries and, IN
general whatever is needed 10 diversity the scene
or 70 give standing for picturesque groupings
OF the chorus The stage Is Ike chesspoara' every
square OF which can be moved Independently OF the
otners And IT is easy to move them that they
I erS
rome with we'll bucket each end. Up comes 'ns
stage and down goes the counterwesht' Iheh pess
are stuck into the supporting frame 70 hoid II !"
place and there Is a bank OF river or deck OF .
ship a tableland as firm as any part o. .ne Sass
The sectional stage does not exclude the traps
tha, make the old fairy plays such delights There
they are on the Metropolitan stage. just IN the o'o
places the big double trap in the midoie' "ners
Ophelia Is usually buried the star on the Hen~
hand side and the vampire on the left the
star is where the demon comes up ana the vampire
IS where he goes down 1t shows the pers'steney
of stage tradition that when a new stage Is ouhs
the traps can be fitted TO II with positive ASSURANCE
that whenever a fairy play comes along the demon
will want to bob up In just that one spot ana ODD
down in just that other spot
The star IL round cover Of thin board. ntteo
over a SQUARE trap. and cut into eight points, ex-
actly as pie Is These points or flaps are
hinged at their outer edges the rim OF the PIE. 20
that when the head OF the rising demon strikes
them on the under side they open and let MIN pass
and then snap back into their places ana make the
surface OF the stage look smooth and whole but
why don't the mans feet get tangled up In these
points when they snap back?' the reporter asked
why because" said Mr.. McGieghan, he 70
sho. up through them ana they a esek the
trap is pulled up by rubber straps. and wen the
actor drops be ns OF the star and the stage Is rm
and solid. / remember once man WOO was playing
M high enough, so. without saying anything TO
him. | put some extra heavy iupoer sstdpS, ~
took four men to hold that trap down they LEI 80
Of II az the proper moment. and 1t shot him UP so
high that when he came down ne was hunting Tor
the stage with his hands and feet both"
The Vampire being intended for the disappearance
Of the demon down instead q up ana 1t Is
is in lust the form OF folding door. having TWO
flaps hinged the outer edges and opening IN tne
actor steps on them Then he drops through and
the springs close them again. II VIII De noucea
in form Of the things for which they are named;
TIE points OF the star point in instead OF out anu
vampire bat has its wings hinged at the outer edse
and free IN the middle nstsS sss OF joined IN the
Now our new arrangemsnt , for securing Gnmg
and gently pulls at somethng and up comes post
a bout four inches square. Having counterwesht.
i"r Is wanted. and is strong and hrm without being
heavy l, has hook at the top OF IT, to go over r
the pS OF anS work mGa and me 10
hold than the old fashioned props that were praeeS
behind tne sTeme ss n on pas Of the stage that
are not lifted with the movable posts You cannot
have everything everywhere
The rigging loft of a theatre has often Deen com.
pared with the rigging Of ship II Is not GOOD
comparison In the OF the metropolitan: Tor II
is TO compare great things with small no snip
would have any for the amount OF tackle ana
cordage that is required 10 run operas me whole
tangle did not show other day. because the stage
hands had been at work for some time dropping the
scenery through the stage and slowing IL down De-
low for the summer But there enough left to
start an American merchant marine. II II could
NIL he Oh IN ma III
tell an Intelligent reader who has heard Of sucn
things before that the raising and lowering OF scene
drops and curtains done by men stationed In the
fly galleries. which from front TO back OF the
stage on both sides. There are three sets or ny
galleries at the Metropolitan and the working space
above the stage is remarkably high. That II IS 70
will be recognized by any one VINO remembers now
high the visible proscenium opening Is. and rejects
that the curtain which covers IL is taken completely
up OF sight without folding or rolling This IS
a fine light place for working. said Mr.. McG.eghant
he stage o. the Auditorium IS ali shut In ana COW
cred by the hotel. and they have 10 do every