Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-24
ELECTRICITY ON THE STAGE
Effects Produced Never Possible Before in
the Setting Of Plays.
THE STAGE CARPENTERS GREAT ALLY
Marvellous Atmospheric Effects Pro-
duccd by yMnchincry-Novci De-
vices TO lie Used I'm Grand
opera This Year. g.,

N this be not :he golden IL is certainly
the mechanical age OF the drama. Never
before In all the history OF the thespian's
art was so much attention paid as at pres
ent to the purely scenic qualities OF the
plays produced. Realism" seems to be the
watchword OF the end-of-the-century stage,
and the stage carpenter has become per-
sonage.
Whether the tremendous demand for me
chanica effects" among managers is or Is
not a favorable sign the critics must de-
eide or at least discuss. The scope OF this
article merely embraces description OF
some recent developments in this direction.
To begin with, there is electricity. Nearly
so per cent OF recent effects" are In some
manner connected with matters electrical.
AS an Illuminating medium electricity can
be handled with far greater ease and SAFETY
than gas and more varied and dazzling re-
suits can be obtained from It's use. When
Robert HllliaId, who is now playing the part
OF a mummy brought to life, wishes to eX-
plain his reviviication to an intelligent
audience he calls in the aid of the stage
electrician. Several young women apply
real current to the ancient corpse ana
awaken the eormant life in his veins. In
"Niobe"-a comedy OF decade since
wherein a somewhat similar revival was
buppOStu 10 ldhe pldtt, lut tiuINiiN"i
was left to the imagination. Today Mr..
Hillard believes that to convince his audi
ence he must make his battery wires sizze
and let the current be seen playing about
the cerements OF the mummy
ELECTRIFIED MUMMY.
When he asked the theatrical electricians
TO product this effect for him. however,
nearly every one OF the craft in New York
declared II was impossible One only would
attempt the dangerous idea and he labored
for months before he accomplished his plans
To show glints OF lightning playing around
wrapped up human body Is no easy task
when the safety of the enclosed is to be
considered. The final production of Mr.. Hill
lard's project was distinctly ingenious.
The mummy's coffin is double-being OF
iron on the inside, but presenting wooden
surface to the audience. Both encasings
stand on end; the iron one resting on pivots
above and below and being allowed a lit
tie playing room on each side so that II can
be moved hther and thither for half an inch
or thereabouts. The use OF this device is to
alternately make and break the current
producing flashes Of light between the outer
and Inner cases.
The iron case is connected TO one side
OF current circuit; strip OF Iron in the
inner rim of the wooden case is connected
to the other side OF the circuit. Little strips
OF metal are also connected to the long iron
strip and are vibrated against the iron inner
case A stage hand stationed at a crank be-
hind the mummy case Is enabled to shake"
Il backward and forward, producing makes
and breaks OF the current between the two
cases. resulting in arcs or flashes OF cleo
trio flame all around the boxes. The effect
is vivid and to the audience is sufficient
cause for the mummy coming to lie.
A WONDERFUL TIN SAIL BOAT
The invention of the stage mechanic
however Is not limited to electrical effects
by any means. In one OF the scenes OF The
CaI Ii,nh tua- tod arhO q
sented coming into harbor. II Is In min
iature as though 1t were in the distance.
IL tacks from side to side across the stage,
apparently turning endwise to the audience.
AS matter OF fact, 1t is made OF several
fiat pieces OF tin which slide one past the
other, giving the effect OF its having turned
completely around. As intimated, the boat
is arranged In sections. The bow comprises
one section; the masts and stern comprise
the others. There are four runways. one for
each OF these sections. They are situated
back OF one another, but to the audience
the various parts OF the boat appear TO
stand in the same plane. AS the hull is
painted black II thus helps along the illu-
sion. The bow has hinged piece to which
the bowsprit is attached. This is the only
piece that really turns around AS the boat
sails across the stage the sections, being at
tached to one another by pieces OF cord,
follow in regular order. AS the boat nears
the end OF the stage and is apparently about
to tack, a stage hand who operates the
contrlvance slowly pulls n cord which causes
the various sections OF the boat to gradually
pass behind one another. This. of course
shortens the boat, and to the audience II
appears to be gradually turning around.
When all the sections occupy a position d.
rectly back of one another the boat appears
20 stand bow-on to the audience, the bow
piece having the shape of a boat In that
position and effectively covering up all the
other sections. The bowsprit gradually
points In the opposite direction to that
hloh Grgf int md thn thnr
sections. opening out again into their orig
inal positions, complete the Illusion of the
boat having turned around Both ends OF
each section are shaped alike, therefore the
stern looks natural In either position. The
sails being attached to their sections OF
course follow around in natural order. The
schooner finally comes to anchor, apparently
In the distance This Illusion has been
tried before with miniature row boats. but
never with vessels to which sails are at
tached
FATA MoRGANA ILLUSIONS.
In 'Under the Polar STAR Ia purely scenic
play the action OF which takes place in
Arctic reglons) the most noteworthy inno-
walton Is the spectacle of the Aurora
Borealis. This effect belongs to what is
called in stage parlance 1.-THE Fata Morgana
series" OF illusions, 1. e., illusions produced
with the aid of magic lantern. On the
stage the magic lantern itself Is described as
"Fata Morgana," and most atmospheric
pictures are produced through its agency.
In the Aurora scene the rays OF light are
projected against a back drop scene. The
breaking Of the Ice in this play Is an excel
lent piece OF work. from the view points of
seeing and hearing alike Cobblestones
ratified about in casks containing broken
crockery and shot shaken in tin boxes con-
tribute the noise OF the rending OF Ice foes
which are of harmless wood and canvas
The burning OF a ship by fire In this ultra
meodrama was actually condemned by the
New York fire department, until It was ex-
planned that the supposed dangerous sparks
which filled the stage were merely pieces OF
gilt foil blown about by bellows and re-
fecting the lycopodium flames below.
MARVELLOUS ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS
great many OF the effects In grand opera
this year will be produced by means Of the
lantern process. The instrument used looks
like a Photographic camera. An intense
light is received from bunch OF incandes-