New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-07
WHERE REALISM FAILS.
ru1Ncs THAT AUDIENCES ARE ASKED
TO IMAGINE.
. FEW COMMEMORATIVE OF THE STAGE INA
,-,,, p,vr1r REALISTIC INGENUITY

oo,,,-,->,r,oNArJTiE OF THE STAGE THAT
CITY, p,rr1r REALISTIC INGENUITY
r,orr,odv who has read about the history Oh we
Ever 49, .. n,rrea into him that In the daN .
=. r,,z,ho,b the stage was quite bare OF scehei! a
s,ens were hung up TO tell what inc paN' ,,orca
nosed 10 be- To paint sign ana ~ am 49, .oo large
20 Imagine all the rest Is now thoush' - ,,ovo
a roouest and scene painters anu o .ho au
hoors, ond Garth almost literally 10 man tho t.
heaven an" 49,. instead of having to imagine H.
tn, .o,,,, ,,d,Igence on the part OF 'he "
- os,,o, with relation to costumes "V' IL
,ro dresses of their period TOT d" p' Crr,ol,
slirb,,v modified. II at all. kV'" - -, tho
r,aved Macbeth In the dress OF se" o.
pr,.,.,, Amy To-day libraries and museums ~
roneackcd 70 find out proper N's''''"'
ME Of remote periods and countries o,,,r
W, ,yi,b ou that has been Gone ana app"''" ~
,., N ,ho, ever can be done. the audience l. sun
asked TO imagine n good deal fhu "'c,. .,,,o
can,ed conventions on the stage when WIN '' -,
% no conventions. and viii have TO continue 10 '
ACTING AGAINST THE WALL
,... 80, ordinary room in an ordinary
house has four sides. ON the stage q" Jim 3
-, ros only. ,b~oo sides The fourth Is removed
ca .hqt tho audience can see in. anu 50 CIV
The custom nobody misses il. MoreoNe''
good rlav everybody IS glad that 1t IS nov ''''''
= ,,,,n;, cor,norativolv few years most rooms on
f,o stage rad only side two OF the o''etN "e''-
ronreeontcd hv wings These wings me- 'h'H inc "'r
Iact wall and stood one bohind the other 10 cu' OH
,bo vie,v ord the audience agreed 10 regard 'hen
az forming walls The actors helped the Hlusioh ny
mot walking in and ont between the wings. hut using
the doors "a, tho back and the extreme iron' en-
frances al tho sides. the prosoonirm entrances ''
now and then. certain selected places between Inc
wings which The actors ana the audience taciu!
agreed 20 rceard doors.
After q while somebody invented the ooE scene
c-d ono convention was gradually done away Wi'h.
SIN tho ceiling OF a room was formed just Ike the
SIX, Of flies strips Of painted cloth hanging down
~ tho tons Of tho fats side and back scenes
This r,cthod IS still used to some extent even ID
tho best theatres but the better one rs 10 use COZ
,rr niece n nat piece Of canvas. stretched on -
frame and laid across the top Of the fats. stu
every audience IS ready. at any time tha' II i
asked - regard four strips Of cloth hanging down
from, above rs tho ceiling OF 4 palace.
l. tho missing fourth wall OF the room were sup
pliod il would occupy about the position that the
curtain does when II is down licre another IL
ccnsca convcntionaty Of the stage Is to be OBJ
served IN the fondnesS OF the actors for directing
all their action and speech. far as possible al
this wall Whenever they can they stand and slt
and speak with their faces toward this wall ana
close against IT, In real life people. for the mos;
part face the ridClo Of the room. and they seldom
stand close 20 wall and facing II. unless they are
looking at pictures On the stage two lovers. alone
in p ROOM bring their chairs close together. right
in the middle of a dead wall and up against IT, and