Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-23
IS NO LONGER DARK.
,xrrRIoR OF THE ACADEMY MADE
bright AND PRETTY.
NOW BEGIN TO HAVE PLAYS.
"net.v Janev and "Dixic Land to
lie Presented Here This Week
Some observations on Proper Music
md the Lighting of Theatres.

Tho Academy has undergone
metamorphosls To me It was always
a dank. dark. uncomfortable. and stupid
sort OF place Now 1t Is bright and cheer
mi and not the least cheerful thing about
the establishment is Thomas G.. Beath.
who expects a most successful season.
Competition may be the lie Of trade. but
the history OF theatricals in Richmond
since the erection OF the Academy goes
10 prove that II has a most depressing
effect on the box-ofiice.
am convinced that, as rule. our
best modern theatres are too heavy In
decoration and too dull in appearance.
The effect on the audience is most
marked In the brighter houses. some
how the audience always seems exhila-
rated in the others. too often ii IS in
evitabiv depressed by the modern idea OF
getting brightness on the stage at the
evnense Of putting the audience into al
most total darkness. The atmosphere OF
n theatre should be as bright as possible.
because a vault-lke gloom instinctlyeiy
epervates an audience. Nor are matters
improved by the modern orchestras that
take a positive pleasure in giving be-
tween the acts the most sOmbre music
tbat can be selected from the classical
masters. Let US have good music by all
means. but a dirge-lilIe accompaniment
means dramatic death to the spectator or
auditor.
What kind OF music ought 10 be Ts>yed
during a theatrical performance is a
question that has occupied critics ana
managers ever since theatres were thea
tres. without going so far "a 10 adopt
I,essing's view. that the orchestra In the
theatre represents 10 a certain extent
the chorus Of the ancient dramatists, we
All have A feeling that IT ought 10 have
some relation 10 the piece performed. Tne
same music will not do for tragedy ana
comedy; the same music will not do Tor
every tragedy or every comedy; there
must be some distinction between music
for Othouo and music for Macbeth; be-
tween that for the Tempest and that
for a Midsummer Nights Dream"
As far back as l72s Herr Scheibe wrote
music for Corneille's "Polyeucte,' when
was given at Leipsic and Hamburg. and
Agricola composed an overture ana
entr' acte music for NOltaires "Semira-
mis-" when produced at Hamburg IN 100.
ERnflft so NIUAt az AANAN1 ia A'A'AAN~
his views and practice He laid down
as his first maxim the proposition that
all music written for a play must be IN
close relation 10 tho subject OF the play
for n tragedy Il must be noble and seri-
ous and. OF course, light for comedy
The overture must refer to the whole
Niece. but at the same time, II must pre-
rare for the opening OF the action, and.
therefore. must BE- In full harmony with
the first scene, and may consist OF Two
or three movements.
But 10 revert to the question OF light
Ing our theatres. and with particular
reference 70 the stage. il seems y me
that the modern system IS not only op'
posed 20 the exhibition OF facial expires
sion. but Is paralyzing the art OF the
actor There Is such q flood of light, and
the face IS 30 bathed in effulgence from
above and below, that there is little re-
lief There are no shadows. The eye
- distracted by he general garishness.
AS IL IS said. "You cannot see the WOOD
for trees" 50 here you cannot see tht
face for light. Now. under the Old as
pensatlon there was a better system. Ih'
light was furnished by four chandeliers
which hung over the actors faces the
rest OF the stage was in comparative
shadow mystery. and the figures anl
faces stood out with q sort Of brilllancy
Thus it will be seen how the eye was
concentrated on the central objects be
cause it had nothing else 10 attract Of
distract II.
II IS odd. however, that, instead o.
this facial expression, We should nave .
strange substitute in what Is called tn,
makeup" There IS actually an art OF
makeup. and some actOrs-perforners
shall l say?-have achieved quite repu
tatlon for this spurious device. Thu
seems rather !gnoble work. But there b
a curious Nemesis 20 come; for actors
who lean on these methods viii find theiT
Intellectual powers dwindle. and prove
more and more enfeebled. 1t is Ike swim
ming with bladders.
There IS a passage IN Bishop Butler
famous analogy, which proves this ven
erectiveIy-though ii may seem a little
incongruous introducing the grave and
reverend preate in this connection. lie
is speaking of what he calls passive ana
active emotions and he shows that IN
diligence IN the one exclusively becomes
destructive Of the other. Thus there IS
uitv or compassion felt az the sight OF a
distressful object-that is, the passive
emotion; the relieving OF Il, the active
principle. Now. II person INDUCES IN
the mere sentiment without following
II ND. he will find his active charity
gradually disappear and thus we SEQ
sentimental people, who weep over
novels and are greatly affected by sad
sights. are quite impractical; they 40
not give anything. On the other hand.
persons OF active charity-doctOrs. nurses.
and sisters Of mercy-lose sentiment al
together and appear unfceing. This
may seem rather metaphysical; but II
Will be easy 10 apply 20 this makeup
system. which represents the passive
principle. The performer finds himself
perpetually devising fresh ''makes-up'"
with a recurring difficulty Of contriy!ng
novelty The more II is INDUCED in, the
more II will destroy the Intellectual or
active principle. On the other hand. the
intellectual actor. who dsdains these
arts will find a substitute for them, and
can assume what aspect he wishes. Thus
he will have intellectual makeup. "
coming from within. Ii was often told
OF I,ablache that he could actually repre-
sent a thunderstorm by his face. the
gathering clouds. the storm breaking and
clearing on, and the rest-that Is. he did
not initiate it-but he suggested IL, which
is the true principle.
Two new plays will be seen at the
Academy this week. a farce comedy. en-
titled "Betsey Jane" written and staged
BIZ Mr.. J. G. Stewart, will be the Gttrac-
ton tomorrow. and on Tuesday Dixie
Land" a comedy drama. by James NJ.
Martin. author OF the Harvest Moon"
with Mcintyre and Heath in the cast.
will hold the boards. For the rest OF the
week the house Will be dark.
'Betsey Jane" IS built on very farciai
lines. having for its motive the ups ana
downs. Ills and wills. fads and foibles or
the new woman" who not only dabbles
I'm the various cults. but seeks emoiu-