The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-04
THEA TRIC4L ILLUMINATING.
Irving's Exactness In Procuring His Light
Enects-Oil, Gas, Electricity.

Henry Irving. as manager OF the Lyceum
Theatre. has done more than any other one
actor to advance the art OF stage lighting. In
one of his productions he uses upward Of
twenty five calcium lights. and uses them ar
tistcallv. not merely to produce bright light
by force. but to produce an artistic and yet
natural effect One of these lights is in the end
Of a sofa hidden from the audience. but shin
ing at tho proper time: another is in projcc-
ton on the SIDE scene-a box built right out OF
the scene but so colored and lighted that from
the front it is practically imperceptble. He
has worked out in person and through his stage
electrician the way to produce effects The
average manager however, has not followed
Sir Henry's example. and still lights his most
costly productions in a way that would make
one of the judicious grieve and regret almost
that he wasn't blind.
Loe Fuller was not the first to devise flame
dance. though she was one OF the first. II not
the very rst. TO do" such a dance. In 1S42
Mr.. Charles Bablage. the distinguished math-
cmatcan who invented the calculating ma
chine. invented also the rainbow dance" and
also devised ballet in which it should be cX-
hbited. In this dance the dancers were to be
arraved in pure white costumes. and on them
colored lights" oxy hydrogen rays passing
through different colorrd media. to, pro!uce
the soup course. 1t was never pro iuc"d The
nanfer of rS vas b,at as ng and tie
was dropped. and it remained for La Loie to
gain fame and money from the dance
and before Mr. Bahbage. with his oxy-h hydro
gen rays and different media, gaslghts were
used in the theatres. with rehectors when it
heroine around or shine on other important
persons of the play; And, before gas there
| people found that there was something better.
Floats were the original fo3tlights. They
were long troughS in front of the stage. where
tn footghis nrr now. filled with oil, on which
tioated wicEs in little saucers; Sir Henry Irving
reproduced the idea at the star Theatre years
! ago. when he had little cups Of red glass hung
! around the front Of the gallery, in which
burned dimly little wicks. They lid no, give
enough light to interfere with the darkness
/ needed occasionally in the pays.
When gas came, 20 put a stop to the snufrers
| at the theatres does not appear exactly. In
! 1903 it is said gas was usel exp"r mentally
at the lyreum Theatre ~ London: Lut
! III S accession. celebrated on Oct. -. 1910
! there was gas star in front OF house in Pail
Mall which f bn tsSf a The tGo Wn GMW i
rXpe rment with gas. In THIS country it was
fhowa Art t in Ro the New Ny York MH~sm
! Candles and lamps had lighted the theatre
for two centuries or more gas lasted tor not
quite three-qnartcrs Of a century, 'or about
! Kate Claxton. took the Third Avenue Theatre
| they installed an electrical system; which per-
| haps was the first attempt to light a theatre
| with electricity. and since then electricity has
! become tho regular system of lighting in every
! theatre where it can be had. Mr.. StevenSon's
! experiment was net wholly successful. how
! ever. The electric current played s,.rh tricks
with his performances-going out when it was
| needed and refusing to go when it WAS not
! needed-that he duplicated the fixtures. placing
| gas in the theatrr. and one night; when the
| pranks. he cut II oil entirely. and thereafter
| used gas. But it was Mr.. Stevenson who TOOK
one OF the earliest steps toward electric light.
| ing on the stage.