The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-01-01
MT. lserhe,nari nn scenic Art.

MT. HerlIomel N. ~. read paper last night at the Architectural Associa- ton, Conduit street., on the subject of "scenic Art,' Mi. Caroe, the presi- dent, occupied ths chair MT. Herko- mer said that, tho3ugh no did not set himself up as an alrchitect, there were many reforms that could be suggested in the matter ofF the theater; and though he gave thosae presents the ben eft of his thoughts and reflections, and might suggest manly changes, he was but worker, and snot.a .a ieformer, in this field of art Trssating the subject of scientific art frons the point of view first, of the auditotiunss, sscond, realism on the stage;- and third. lighting the stage-he pointed out tAat the semicir- cular shape of the auIatorsnm of the present theater had It's prototype in pre-Christian struetureA where the auditorium was sccopect out of the rock.
 Then there was 2 change n the we'll like shape of the thsase- isN she Middle Ages owing to the tenpor,ary accom-
 mediation needed bv the sttlolling play e.,s. The deep, well-shapsd @heater had
 thus been bred into our natures for
 many hundreds of years, assd it would necessarily take some time Ro breed it
 out; and in looking at its eniaveniences
 and inconveniences he largusSd that the principle attending fis eQsnstruction should be to provide seats from which
 the full intention botn Of the factor and the scenic artist could be perfectly Seen by the audience. How was 5t possible
 to make the movemtnts Of ehe actor convey the right leaning tes persons
 who sat above him and at tfe same
 time to persons who sat iowea than his
 feet? He showed that the araists at
 the Royal Academy, In criticSislng the
 drawing and painting Of q picture. had
 the picture placed in front 0f them, and
 according to their position ir tho ssani. circle the views of the ofiioofSers with regard to the drawing of the1 subjec. varied. The reasonable placinlg of the spectator at the theater was of equal
 importance In judging, not only of the movements of the actor, but of the ef- fonts of the scenic artist
 Positive realism on the stage was an
 irnposshoility The foundation of seen ic art was artificially, and opesn-alr plays could never be satisfactory. The actuality of nature and the artificitality of the actors situation could n5ver
 blend The real secret of perfect s&en- ic art lay in illusion, in deception, fin not allowing the eye of the spectatortto see the means by which the ae1nb blan'ee of reality was obtained Thus the makeup of the background should be held to be of equal importance with the actors personal makeup; if they dis pensed with the one, they might as well dispense with the other. He looked upon the stage SIS q medium through which the greatest truths in nature could be brought most direct to { the minds and hearts of the people, anH all the arts in their fullest capacity could be united in this form of expres5ion
 He bore testimony to the valuable wlork of Sir Henry Irving in the directioM of scenic improvement on the stage, and remarked that the scenic work, eyenl as they saw it at it's best, was still on tyhe old lines, and hence the greatest capa-
  The scenic artist must be born e3- permentor, with the faculty of seizing artistic accident; the inventor Of ways and means; he must be of an imagina- tive as we'll as of q practical turn or
 mind, strong i'll body and interchangeable, in his energy, and withal a first-rate
 artist. It was to the scenic artist that the actor should look for the compe- tion of his dramatic situation; thei scenic mood should be consistent with the play and it should reflect that the
 the actor, or strengthen it by force of contrast The lighting of the stage
 was a momentous question, but here again traditions stuck to the stage more than to any form of art. In this department he did not undervalue the enormous difficulties which beset the | tIeater authorities in pleasing q mys- teriously constituted public.
 Yet some radical changes could be made in the lighting of the stage. The footlights were simply the survival of a period in which the lights had to be
 given with but poor material. Foot lights were convenient, but they were chiefly to blame for the false and un- natural aspect of the stage. In dis cussing where to place the lights. he mentioned his own experiments at his theater at Bushey when engaged in the production of his pictorial music play. He found that the shadows on the faces of the actors could be softened by
 group of lights placed a short distance at the side and level with the actors faces. He admitted that in adopting this plan more generally the prejudices of the actors themselves would have to
 be got over while the amount of illumi- hating power and the height of the lights from the ground would have to be adjusted by careful experiment to each stage. Again. the proscenium should be to the stage picture what the frame was to the easel picture; it should separate the picture from thei surroundings on the stage picture just. as a painted picture should reach the frame. In most cases the proscenitSm was built so high that there was a con- siderable space which had to be cov- cred with curtains.
 Indeed, year after year, theaters were built without the designers apparently inquiring what might be the real fulnc- | ton of the proscenium. The result was practically the same as if artists were to send their pictures to the Royal !