The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-30

costumes ana stage business unuoI-
went corresponding alterations.
This did not come about all at once.
The expulsion of the narionettes from
the churches was only gradually accom-
plished, and it can hardly be said that
the last Of them have departed even yet
The mechanical saint is by no means
altogether unknown in Roman Catholic
countries at the present day. and 1t some
times does some very remarkable things,
calculated to stimulate faith and to ex-
cite the awe of all true believers The
earliest performances by mRrionettes in
Europe outside of churches were of the
religious kind. One of ese plays, which
still survives, represents the temptation
of St. Anthony. The old gentleman had
an exceedingly hard time, the wife OF sa !.
tan, who is much bsdizened creature.
trying to sednce him, while a lot of little
devils attempt to steal his pig, which is
represented as his only friend. AT length
they set the pigs tail on fire, but st. An
thony puts him out and is presently taken
up aloft where the fiends can get at him
no longer.
1t is said that the first narionettes OF
the secular kind ever seen in France were
exhibited IL 1868 by man named
Marion, from whom the name applied TO
them is derived. A century later den
fist name1 Brioche opened at Paris
little theatre in which the actors were
wooden puppets Ills success was I'M
mense. Paris has now a good many the
atres of marionettes, in which regular
PLAYS in several acts are performed.
These dramas, as rule, are not printed
or even written, being simply memorized
by the Snowman. On this account there
is no censorship by the authorities and
many political and other illusions are IN
PRODUCED which wonld not he permitted
on the ordinary stage. The puppets wear
fine dresses, and their faces are carved
and colored, SO as to be as life-like as pos
sible The typical Briton, in elaborate
plaid and eyeglass, is a favorite character
Some marionetres are as much as 5nTee
feet high, and are exhibited at regular
theatres. The furniture and all otner
things on the stage ara SO carefully pro
portionef to the human figures represent
ed that the latter actually seem to pc HE
size. The best puppets of this kind have
paper heads, bodies and thigss OF WOOD
and arms and legs partly of lead. mus
constructed they obey the slightest I'M
pulse given to them, and their move.
ments can be controlled with wonoeriui
precision. From the top of the head of
each doll issues an iron rod, by which IL
is easily transported from one part OF the
stage to another. This rod is in fact
tube, through which pass number OF
threads connected with various parts OF
the anatomy of the puppet One device
that has been adopted to conceal THESE
threads from the spectator Is screen OF
very fine perpendicular threads. drawn
tight. which is placed in front OF the
stage SO as to intervene between the audi
ence and the little performers. Inc
threads that move the marionettes blend
with the threads of the screen In such
way as to deceive the most attentive eye.
Some marionettes are SO artfully con-
structed as 10 be able to cast their eyes
and smoke.
Those of Italy are famous dancers, repro
duciDg with marvellous realism all une
most difficult movements of the ballet.
Theatricals of whatever kind depend Tor
their effectiveness upon defecGs OF bne nu-
man eye, which are accountable Ior an
stage illusions Thus the electric hght
has been a great boon to mar1onettes.
One of the most amusing of modern per-
formances with marionettes utilities the
human skeleton. For example. skeie-
ton appears upon the stage and seats IL
self In chair, going through variety OF
pastures as living being would. Pres'
emily its head disappears, and this is Ioi
lowed by the departure OF various POT
tiops of it's osseous anatomy one by one.,
Presently the bones come back by
similar process, and the skeleton recon
structs itself in manner too weird Ior-
adequate description.
The puppet show seems to have been
very ancient In Ch1nRs ike mOst obuef
things. The Chinese Snowman, however,
has his peculiar, methods which are Dot.
able for their simplicity. He stands upon
small platform and assumes as gar
ment sort of case of blue cotton, tight
at the ankles and wide at the shoulders,
SO that he looks like statue in bag.
He places on his shoulders box in the
form of o theatre, which encloses and
conceals his head. His hands, placed un-
der the dresses of the puppets, make them
act.
| 1t is asserted as fact that the project
of writing "Faust'' was suggested to
Goethe by puppet show in which the
theme of that very ancient drama was
represented. 1t Is not surprising to learn
that the Puritans warred against mari
onettes and extinguished them as far as
they could In Luther's time automatic
images of the saints were DESTROYED In
large numbers All things considered,
the evolution of the marionette has been
very curious and interesting. First rev
erently placed in niche with spangled
robe and burning lamp it underwent va
rious changes of condition until at
| length it was found perched upon the
hand of jester and parading Juggler 4
| board.