The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-14

into the ball. Then n tiny bit Of composition
Which expiodss IN water 10 placed 10 the goblet,
which 10 hiled with fire paper. When tho time
comes. MeDhttopheies presses the rubber ball;
that sends the water up into tho cup. ignit-s the
paper. The keg which shoots out Are is operated
by means OF n Fourth of July 'squib" put into
One OF the most inSenious arronaemrnts ia
that Tor the aid of Wtniam Teu's Workmanship.
ing careful aim at tho apple, he isn't half so
worried about It as Is q certain stage hand who
!: stationed Just behind the scenes. 1,us son
exact height OF the person taking tho part. To
the end Of this trough 10 fastened q kind OF
TO this, and to the end OF It is fastened the arrow.
The rod. which is really a spring. is pulled back
a hook. Al the proper Instant the man behind
the scenes releases tho spring, which flies
in IN ,he ap SSEt'' 8 t eo.s s.sq ~: w who'll. In ,Ri Ssai IL, it;slf
De calculated to a nicely. 1t would probably be
quite quite as dissEresnble to be struck by an arrow
Probably most people have q vague idea of
the way IN which stage lightning Is produced,
mp with the times In this matter. The favorite
device In use At the Metropolitan is what might
plated Instrument looking very much Ike a
revolver. The barrel Is quite long and is oiled
are a number Of Sits where the fiame COMES
SaI; bS ws,c Of =, t aiisS slI,s /: another shorter
curved handle y ike nits the S' but, sA oi = p,,t ahe asd a.
trigger on top; BY pulling this trigger quantity
ofthe powder Is shot out over the flame gnitesin
Three of these are In use At tho opera house.
Another method in use ther. 1. tho rubbing to-
ground glass globe containing several incandes-
cent lights In yellow glass. This globe 10 fast
painted. by means OF a ramoworK. When Inc
moon rises the whole drop 10 raised.
me trees which grow IN tho property rooms
year. They can be taken apart. branch from
branch; Each branch at, into a socket in tbs
hTanrhAa n r NhA nuN eTtNnk 40 sk.V . al
Tree can be made to grow with the rapidity of
Oddly enough. 4, is not the operas in which
these complicated mechanical contrivances arc
Ssed that requ,re the greatest number OF stage
are required to manipulate the stage sfects.
whiis IN some other operas as many as fifteen
work is almost purely Losrty,ne o one
chairs n ana 6enche. ana clearing tho stage.
othe, day men were painting banners, gid.
STATS themselves, getting tho nnal details in
readiness, for the production of lie Cid" on
each Allied with a jumhlo Of things. an
apparently hopeless. chaO, Of every imasi-
a fsIf BIZ skulls Sa ' to Il. i tSrn si ,Ss ., From r. e
lead . peculiarly disjointsd ,Iis.enee. For IL:
pees oiths camel from tho sans opera s~' The
~ -" WI III u Otu0ND- |
lent way from a shelf at the other end OF the
room. The legs Of the camel dropped from
another corner. As for the bodies OF the two
beasts. only themselves and the property master
knew where they were.
Some people have a very poor opinion of tho |
way 10 which things theatrical arc managed;
that Is. of the details which enter into a per.
dormanee: Well. one has to admit that oc-
cas,onally . scene would DO more enjoyable il
at through the other end Of ones opera
glasses. And 1t isn't right to listen too hard on
~ occasions; az, for instance when Mephis-
topheles appears In the pillar at church. Of
course. the window shade does 20 MP 40 sudibly
that there's no doubt about the roller, but that's
only 4 detail; one detail out of a thousand OF
which the audience never dreams. Once. when
was singing L0hen0rtn In Lon.
uon. tho swan boat got away from tho
men who were managing 1t ana crashed
into a side scene. Campan mi dropped his shield.
turned around to the audience and shouted out:
Iheres stage management for you!" After
one has been behind tho scenes at the Metro
and. bewildered by the mass of detail,
ne chaos OF heteroseneou, objects, the com.
plexity or tho mechanical engagements. has
gone out In front again and seen the simple.
'mooth movement OF the opera. he Is tempted TO
say with CainpanlnI. but not with his meaning:
There's stage management for youn"