The morning times., 1896-11-06
STAGE LIGHT OR SHADOW
Uses of E ectricity in Pr0duc-
ing Scenic Effects.
SKILL OF MANIPULATORS
They Must Know Just When
to Turn the Switches.
Devices Resorted To.

Very few, IL any, of the people who
attend the theatcrs are aware Of the vast
amount of labor and skill required TO
manipulate the hundreds Of lights which
are turned on and off OF dimmed during
performance.
The man who attends to this work Is
known as the electrical engineer, but in
some cases the stage manager has this
to attend to beside his many other duties.
Mr. Walter Burke, who has been engaged
in this business for the past ten years,
OF more, entertained a Times reporter
one night last Week by showing him how
the different light effects are produced.
The electrician stands in front of a large
slab Of hard wood about five feet square
| ON which are screwed about fifteen or
| twenty small switches with wooden han
dies. The switchboard has un'ier 1t, what
| is called Il lock DINNER, which is nothing
| more nor less than five large switches
which are worked by lever
| BY turning these the lights can be made
| so dim that they will appear phos-
| phoresceut blue. Then they can also be
made To show what is commonly known rs
the medium or half-tone light. The
! smaller switches connect with different
| PARTS of the house So that the stage can
| be lighted while the remainder Of the
theater viii be in total darkness.
When il light is wanted i'll any particular
| place the switch connected with that part
of the theatcr is thrown; then the DINNER
is used. should any other than White
| light be needed
| different st eles," Mr.. Burke said, very
| often require change of light III all parts
of the house which necessitatcS throwing
| the switches very quickly.
LIGHT PLOTS.
"Then one 4must know something about
| the play So as to produce proper light ef-
fects Many Of the companies carry what
is called a light plot" which is in the
shape OF q prus,din. With these the chang
ing of the lights is comparatively easy. as
| YOU know Just the time and what kind of
| "A light is wanted The companies which
| do not carry the light plots generally leave
| it to our Judgment rs to what Kind of
! lights are needed as you know when any
| thing tragic is taking place dim light
| is wanted, and again when the villain gets
his coup de grace the lights are thrown full
| on The stage and diinmei i'll the house
/ The lights which are used ON the stage
| in this thcater are different from many Of
| the other theaters, for we have rari-colored
lights. as You will notice. OF C, srsc there
Is no difference IN tie rays OIL ngnt, but
the globes can be colored so as to make all
the colors OF the rainbow. While the play
is proceeding very few changes are made,
as the lights are generally turned On be
| fore the curtain rises.
How do get my cues? Everything Con-
| tv,th a l-nI apI Al al
out with military precision. For instance.
| have light plot; when turn the switch
here, which controls the lights in the or
chestra passage. this is a signal fur tue
musicians To take their places: then when
! turn on the lights at the music stands that
Is u signal for them to play an interlude.
AFTER these signals have been given the
lights which are to be used in the act are
turned ON. So you see, almost everything
that goes on in the show is signaled by the
i lights.
"Once during the performance OF the
| show had to work n utter darkness which
| makes it imperative that know just which
| switch tu turn whether the stage be
lighted OF not. of course, the lights are
much more easily worked than when gas
| was used, as sometimes the lights would
| go completely out on US, and then We were
obliged to go around lighting up with
a torch If the friction arrangement, which
is used, Was out of order, and this is by
NO means a common occurrence.
''Wheneyer the play would have an ex.
plosion in one of the acts, we were always
ready with the torches should The gas
be put out by the conclusion.
JOB FULL OF HARD WORK
"Although the electric light is far su
perior, it does not make the position any
the easier, as l have to see every day
before the show goes on the stage il al
thelights are perfect. This is by no means