New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-27
PRACTICAL STAGE MANAGEMENT.
TALK WITH PERCY WINTER. STAGE MANAGER
OF THE BALTIMORE LYCEUM.
From The Baltimore Sun.

OF THE BALTIMORE LYcEUM
From The Baltimore Sun.
Those who regularly attend the Lyceum per-
/ formances-and the number has Deen sTo~lng
. opened-have been specially impressed with Percy
Winter who In his dual capacity Of actor and
Ills work as an actor Of Intelligence talent and
skill can readily be appreciated since II Is appar-
veals itself only 20 the experienced eye in the
smoothncsa and unity Of the performances ana
grouping and general action Of the play and the
NJ so mnfn shows 80 snoa' thoouch
artistic spirit. Looking back over the characters
are exactly alike so well does he adapt his person
atty 10 the part rather than the part to his per-
sona,y result which comes only from the
Stage management as distinct branch Of dro a,
. thcatrc-goors that Percy Winters remarks on the
subject must prove Of interest.
many things in one He must he an actor. mu-
stefan. dancer. an artist. mechanic swords
IS. ne must know enough Of dressmaking 10
advise the ladies' Of the company as to the styies;
In which their costumes should be fashloneu anu
10 the use Of colors. so that no part OF the dress
will interfere with the general color scheme OF
the costuming and scenery. otherwise the harmony
OF the stage picture will be spoiled The success
Stage fTSctor he # is Who does the hardest work
and Is apt, in the end. 70 get little OF the credit
pany their limitations. their possibilities and their
VARYING and So in s addition 6 20 ms
OF an expert in human nature 49,
i have been on the stage since was a child
management combining It with acting | find that
the two are difficult 10 unite as Il is hard 10 throw
thousand and one details OF management pressing
upon ones mind at the same time. When play
requirements: II play an old mar. try to make
it an old man. and nothing else; II a young man.
AN art must have sound mechanical basis. and
that part OF stage management Is the nrst TO be
lied | m a
can give the necessary directions TO stage
carpenters. scene painters and others concerned
with the practical part Of the mounting of a play;
The first step Is TO give the manuscript q careful
reading. and here the stage manager strikes his
frs, rock in the person Of the author There
very few born dramatists; now and then one meets
such. as IN the case OF Bronson Howard; but FOR
the most part authors are ignorant o. the REQUIRE
10 the manager Occasionally they stumble onto
u.iultl' st''ill.r "y aDCl,ril'i ou., a. I"c ~
and the difficulty I'm the way Of abrdging II Is the
firm conviction OF the author that not a word can
De spared remember staging q play written by
a lady whose heart was wrapped up IN 1t; IL was
cutting ana inc only way ! could manage WIS by
getting messages summoning her from the stage,
and using the axe while she was gone.
the WY OF arranging proper stage effects depends
model with everything used on a stage in min
i4,ure. have small wooden pegs. representing
, r p PIP StfEg ionS sr9uplnss entranecS
these make drawings for the painters and carpen-
ters showing the dimensions and proportions for
the proper ARRANGEMENT and fitting OF the scenes
the next step H. 10 study the dramatic effects
action OF The play. That involves careful study
az the story and characters OF the play. II the
production is a this puts the whole burden
OF developing the possibilities of the play on the
stage manager; he must be able to grasp them all.
the last mart of the PREPARATION the rehearsal.
Now the stage manager has TO deal with other
personalities. So far his work. though arduous.
has been In his hands but at this stage his
material has a Will and a way OF its own. and is
not 50 responsive to his moulding And actors are
much like chldren-they often mpulsive: they
OBJECT to discipline they coax and persuade and
wishes TO have the goodwill OF his fellows. it is
me stage lmperatlvey requires for its success. and
to maintain that discipline 70 exact obedi-
not popular men as - RUE a manaeer has AL
ways the casting Of play. and 1t is his duty 10
OF the work will be well dOre. and each receive
the part specially suited to his peculiar abilities or
keep intact the harmony Of the play while en-
deavoring to develop the originality Of each player
skeleton OF the idea Of the part. and II he builds
upon II himself then the structure stands, though
lion Of the part But realize that the way in
which could best play the part might not bring
out the special gifts OF the actor and that he could
might fail In his ideal and he might fau in nne
whatever In the actor. and IS obliged TO think out
the whole part-busness gestures. ctc-for him
But an actor OF intelligence and artistic perception
needs only the skeleton and tho stage MANAGE
ma. then merely to all his development Of The part
ways resolutely nut down. and that IS the detest-
able habit Of 'guying on the stage Sometimes
an actor must gag or put i'm lines. or business
NOT set down to- prevent q hiatus In the action or
onliveu the movement, but this Is IN strict ac-
cord with the harmony OF the performance il in
tended 10 help its legitimate effect. and is In no
sense 10 be COMPOUNDED with guyng. The habit OF
him i be INDUCES it. TN at last ne cannot rid
himself OF 49, and have known a man Of genuine
ability 70 have his career ruined simply from his
hohiual guying, il dsrcis the oarnestness which
should surround every performance il DESTROYS
the worFlns Of The machinery he enfeti Is gone
and Il cannot be restored. Aside from the artistic
view Of the matter. | regard guyng as an insult
To the audience The peop.e who come 10 see q
with a part and demoralize actors and perforn
auce II the actors do not maintain the reality
10 accent If; and gtvnr Is more percentible from
the front than the offenders always realize.
40 viint vork b,,r IN one resnec, ,bsy Ic an an
production IS in many respects Of the best but il
Is always new When ! staged The Mlddeman'
for Mr. willard | spent some time In reducing the
sign Of the scene from actual art pottery. and
before the play was produced the furnaces were
In me same smoke pesrmed condition as that OF
ondi,ian In n nerformance % The BelIs Tor which
scenery especially painted. the inn. under my
o,g he wos were stained ana
a,st ,9iig use one a NJ % s'a IN an, ari
heads on the wall showed evidence Of age and
passage through them Of articles knocked against
an old ana freqIented inn was preserved The
criticised TIE age and shabhiness OF the scenery.
paser Eroesn artists rS hep s bn nn osn 81 sss
paint It TO look like age and do not represent the
castle OF Elsnore as though It had been finished