The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-04-17
"CYRANo De BeRGERaC."
Richard Mansfield 10 Present Rosiaud's Romantic
Drama Tonight and Tomorrow Night.

The coming OF Richard Mansfield
with his great company OF 134 actors
and his vast production OF "Cyrano de
Bergerac" would ordinarily strike ter
ror TO the denizens OF that portion OF a
theatre behind the curtain line upstairs
and down, which is Familiarity known
as back" On the contrary, tonight
and tomorrow night, at the Providence
Opera House are 10 be more or less days
OF leisure and studious observation on
the part OF the stage hands. This is be-
cause Mansfield, with characteristic
thoroughDess and with notion that
the rapid and correct handling OF seem
cry and furniture is as necessary to the
completeness and beauty Of "A produce
tion as the scenery and furniture it
self, brings with him his own corps OF
stage hands. who could handle scenes
of "Cyrano" i'm the dark The theatre
furnishes thirty stage hands in addition
To Mansfields corps. Such extra pre-
cautions as a special train are used by
Mansfield, but with so much to pack
and load as is represented by the vast
quantities OF scenery and properties
and furniture in "Cyrano." il is pos
sible to delay a train, and there are
many things that conspre 10 bring a
train i'm late at its destination which
starts on time. The Mansfield special
on the move from New York 10 Chit
cago was five hours late. There were
foolish predictions that the production
of "Cyrano" could not be put upn the
stageih=tea= s@H1t4+a+HHsfieid had
his own stage hands. who knew the in
tricacies of the production thoroughly
and they had everything ready at 1880
the Monday OF the opening at Chicago,
with fifteen minutes 10 spare before the
curtain rose.
The special train in which Mr.. Mans
field and this organization travel ev-
erywhere is made up Of eight, and
someties nine cars. There is the cell
ebrated actors private car, two sleep
ers and n day coach for the company
and four cars i'm which are carried the
scenery, properties, furniture. armor,
costumes and horses for "Cyrano de
Begerac." There are quite a number Of
Mansfields organization who are on
the stage, but do not act There Is the
stage director, who directs every move
ment back OF the curtain line There
Is call boy, who is aide to the stage
director. He notifies the actors and ac-
tresses OF the quarters OF an hour be-
fore the first act and of the rise OF
each curtain. There is a registry board
at the stage door. where each Of the
large company egisters his coming in
or going out. and the call boy consults
IL anxiously at short intervals. III an
actor with a line To speak is not I'm at
reasonable hour. the call boy sends a
messenger 10 his address and then no.
titles the understudy TO prepare for his
role. There are several calcium light
men and a practical electrician on Mr..
Mansfelds staff. He makes n pictur-
esque and a realistic feature of the
lighting i'm "Cyrano" These effects"
enter into the first act, which is at first
dark, then is lighted by the rising Of
the candelabras. and is again dark but
lighted slightly by candles borne by the
"aetars= in etiey.&There is q defieatc
dawn effect" at first in Raqueueau's
cook shop, and the moonlight on the old
corner of Paris before RoXan's balcony
requires expert handling on the part of
Mr. Mansfeld's specialists.
IL is on the battlefield i'm the fourth
act and in the convent garden that
two Of the most beautiful effects" are
realized. In the former is shown the
entrenchmnt befor the besieged City Of
Arras at dawn. Gradually the rosy
flush OF sunrise creeps over the scene
and unconsciously one becomes aware
of the approach OF bright morning
sun. The direct opposite is achieved in
the fifth act. The autumn sun is glow
ing warmly on the western horizon
then IL sinks away. The gray OF twi-
light darkens into night made pale and
blue by the mellow moonlight. There is
art in all this. The property man and
his assistants take care Of all move
ables which are not worn and are not
n part OF the scenery The carpenters
have less to do during a performance
than i'm the daytime Not the least busy
is the wardrobe mistress. She has
charge Of nearly four hundred complete
costumes All of the walking gentle
men and ladies and the figurantes OF
Mr. Mansfield's company change cos
tune at least twice. and a large proper
tion of them four times. during the five
acts. The wardrobe mistress has the
responsibility of keeping all these cost
ly robes in fresh. presentable condition.
Then there are the stage hands. fymen,
grips and others. who handle the seem
cry. Others who are back" but are
not seen by the audience. are the mas
ter of transportation. two carpenters.
four clearers. the super-captsin. Mr..
Mansheld's dresser. and the peruquier.
who has nearly two hundred wigs 10
keep in order. These alone. the unseen
Of Mr.. Mansfield's company, are a nu-
merous party, larger in number than
any travelling companies. When the
great actor is seen amid the picturesque
splendor Of "Cyrano" some note may be
taken of these handy experts who
frame the picture.
IL