The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-01-09

that stage craft is raised almost to the
level of an art.
Spectacle and drama naturally afford
the widest scope for realistic effects.
In T.W Robertson's military comedy
Ours" however, there are certain
effects introduced which for forcibly
conveying the desired impression by
thoroughly legitimate means have never
been surpassed. The artistic way that
the climax is worked up at the end of
the second act-the departure of the
troops for the Crimea--is enough TO
STIR the patriotism of the most phleg-
matte Briton.
we see only a London drawing room,
with Tour or five of the dramatis per-
sonae looking from a balcony window
at the various regiments which are
supposed to be passing in the street be-
low. But we hear the brass and fife
hands playing farewell marches, the
ofncers, the continuous tramp Of the
men as they file steadily past. Little
wonder the scene affected even the in
dolent Hugh Chalcot, and made him
suddenly resolve to join his friends in
seking the fortunes of war Yet that
impressive tramp, tramp, Of marching
soldiery is simply produced by a couple
OF assistants behind the scenes who
mark time on the boards, and an
other couple who do the same in a shall
low box containing cinders.
in the next act are introduced some
telling winter Effects Here we have
the interior of a. rudely constructed
nut, occupied by the English officers
at the seat Of war in the Crimea; this
is a built-in scene with a practicable"
door, the only entrance to the hut, on
the right-hand side of the stage. At the
beginning of the act the wind is heard
shrieking and moaning outside, and
when anyone enters or leaves the hut
he opens the door just sufficient to let
him pass through, then quickly closes
it to prevent it being blown inward
In the nomentary opening of the door
we hear the wind shrek louder, and
catch a glimpse of the white waste out
side, with the snow driving in clouds
against the door,
Rather elaborate preparations are
necessary to faithfully reproduce this
effect. The outside of the hut door is
first profusely covered with pads of
cottonwood Then there is placed OPP
posite to it. in the side-wings, one of
the large riddles used by builders men
to sift sand and lime, and which re-
sembles the frame of an ordinary door
strung with wires. Two men stand be-
hind the riddle with a plentiful supply
of bran and salt mixed, which, every
time the door is opened during the pro-
gress of the storm, they toss rapidly
through the wires, aiming always at
the door. The wires cut through the
bran and salt, and give the compound
the fakey appearance of drifting snow.
the bran being used to soften the heavy
swishing sound of the salt
To further emphasize the severity Of
the Crimean winter, when Hugh Chal-
cot, late the lounger about town, rises
yawning from his couch and prepares
for his morning toilet, he finds that the
water in the bucket has frozen over
night. Now, no stage-manager would
for moment think of putting real ice
in that bucket; he has choice of two
simple and inexpensive expedients by
which he can produce the desired effect
even in the dog days. He may cover
the bottom of the bucket with a layer
of sand, place common dinner-plate
on top of the sand, then fill the bucket
three parts full Of water. Or, instead
of the sand and plate, he can fix two
cross-bars of thin wood between the
sides of the bucket, above the surface
Of the water. "Ice, as usual" remarks
Chalcot as ne taps the plate-or the
laths-with a crowbar, to convey the
idea that the substance is ice. When a
more vigorous blow breaks the obstruc-
ton, and the water splashes over the
sides of the bucket, the Illusion is COM
plete.
Shipwrecks on the stage are invaria-
bly, depicted as occurring at night or
in the obscurity accompanying thun-
der storm; doubtless with the two
fold object ofheightening the impression
and concealing the means by which it
is attained. A thrilling scene in a GER
tain sensational American drama is
the passage through stormy sea of
a small boat containing three of the
characters who are making their way
to the lighthouse. To the spectators in
front the slow and perilous progress of
the tiny craft looks wonderfully real
istic. but when seen from behind it has
rather a funny aspect. The raging bill
stationed at the wings, in the manner
usually employed in shaking carpets.
The property boat is mere profile
the model of one side of boat-which
the actors behind it grasp by the gun
vale. and sway vigorously up and
down, while they walk leisurely across
the stage, their feet hidden by the rag
ing pillows aforesaid.
An instance of the care bestowed by
Sir Henry Irving in perfecting even a
minor illusion is shown in his dressing
of the part of Matthias in 1.-THE Bells"
The first scene represents the interior
of tho l111-srOTnaStar's hoilse. the time is