The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-08-31
COMES UP TO ALI BABA
In Spectacular Effects Does
Miss Browns Presentation
Of "The Tempest - at the
Grand This Week.
Two of Prof Lucien Blake's Assistants
Arrive to Produce the Bewilder-
ing Electrical Display.

The initial production of the Tempest"
at the Grand Opera House in this city
tomorrow night will be the first occasion
on which the red, white and yellow colors
of the festival will be displayed in any
profusion.
From the two tiers of boxes on either
side of the house will futter the red,
white and yellow lattice-work draperies
of the floral committee, and red, white
and yellow bunting will drape the rail-
ings of the boxes in front and at the
sides Mrs. Sutton will herself attend to
the decoration of the opera house. and
this insures a splendid effect.
This morning two of Prof. Lucien
Blake's assistants from Lawrence arrived
and the work of wiring and arranging the
electric and calcium light effects was COM
menced. The work will be finished by
this evening and tonight a full dress re-
hearsal, exactly as the production will be
put the three following nights, will be
held.
The spectacular part of the Tempest
commences with the ascent of the curtain
on the first act. The tempest is then sup
posed to be subsiding, but the of
the waves and the roll of the thunder
yet to be heard, accompanied at in
tervals by flashes of lightning. The light
from the ordinary stage lightning, and will
be produced after the original idea of
Prof. Blake. Ordinarily stage lightning
consists of momentary sheets of fame
produced at the sides and rear of the
scenery, but the lightning of the ITEM
pest will be near the real article
can possibly be produced. BY a system
of wiring Prof. Blake was able to get
zig-zag flashes of electric light exactly
similar to flashes of lightning in the pro-
duction of the Tempest in Lawrence, and
the same effect will be carried out here.
In this way a remarkably realistic storm
effect is produced.
Those who witnessed the Midsummer
Nights Dream as put on by Miss Geor-
gia Brown in this city several years ago
remember the pretty effect produced by
the presence of $50 children in fairy cos
tune on the stage under calcium lights,
and have an idea of what this portion
of the, Tempest will be like. One hun
dred and fifty little children have been
duction makes him proficient in his part.
month and the result of the months
work is perfectly trained fairy chorus.
Melville Wood of Lawrence, the Ariel
of the Tempest" is the fairy leader,
and his experience in the Lawrence pro-
duction make SHIN proficient in his part.
Each time that he makes his entry
the stage he descends through space,
wearing a crown in which tiny electric
lights sparkle like diamonds. Figura-
lively speaking, he flies the stage,
to the audience there is no apparent
means of descent but the fairy wings
his shoulders.
In the last act two little girls dance
electric Dance" which is another idea
original with Prof. Blake. On belts about
their bodies are fastened miniature in
candescen electric lights of different COL
ors, and the wires from the lights con-
meet with a copper plate in the sole of
each slipper. A copper plate several feet
long and two or three feet wide is also
placed on the stage, and attached by
wires underneath to an electric battery.
In the step of the dance they are at in
tervals on the copper plate, and the mo-
ment their copper soled slippers strike the
plate the incandescents about their bodies
become luminous.
Besides the dances of the entire fairy
chorus, several special dance features are
introduced in each act. All are danced
under full calcium lights.
Miss Georgia Brown says that she ex-
poets the Topeka production OF the ''Tem-
pest to be the star achievement of her
career amateur theatrical director.
a splendid cast has been secured for the
production, and the full play of Shake-
speare's great comedy is brought out, ac-
companied by splendid spectacular eff