The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-10
SCENE PAINTERS TASK.

|
Profits of the Profession Are Large
Tendencies of the Work for the Flu
ture.
Probably the average spectator seat
ed in a theater thinks that the scenery
is of more importance in creating an IL
fusion than any other feature of the
stage performance thar he may observe.
Undoubtedly badly painted scenery may
sometimes mar the pleasure of the least
lexaotins audience, but on the other
hand so much illusion is created by
even the humblest shreds of canvas
that nothing seems to create great
effect with such small means as the
scenery used to form the background
for play This may be the simplest
painted canvas or the finest specimen
of the scene painters art. In either
case it is the one element of a stage
performance that seems absolutely in
dispensable. SlSilful use of lights may
add greatly to the effectiveness of
scenes and enhance their beauty in
crease their efficiency to create the il
fusion for which they were designed
and throw into relief the results of the
painters work All these requirements
of lights which are so highly priced by
stage managers. But it is the scenery
itself which is the more important ma
terial aid to creating the illusion de-
manded by drama.
The scenery used in the American
theaters to-day has improved in quality
as much as any feature of our Stage.
! Persons who remember the old back
| grounds that used to dash out from
each side of the stage and meet in the
middle whenever a change in scene was
necessary will not be likely to dwell on
the palmy days of the drama from a
scenic point of view 1t is not how
ever from this standpoint that the
glory Of those imaginary old days is
ever extolled. These old flats" that
represented castle, or a waterfall or
an interior scene cut down the middle
were invariably smudged disgracefully
at the edges OF union by the soiled fin
gers of the stage hands and if the
scenes were at all light in color this
imperfection was plainly visible to the
whole audience But in those days such
details We're not regarded as severely
as they would be to-day These scenes
| LIlctl SllDl lIlD VIEW ITOIH me WlnSS
were on castors and dusty scene shift
| tiers leaning their shoulders against
them propelled them more or less vio-
lently into their places.
| The wings" at the sides projected in
a way that made it impossible to give
a very convincing illusion of an inte-
rior. 1t always appeared as if the
room had no walls or else that through
violent collision of some kind they had
all been knocked sideways For In those
days the canvas wings intended to rep
resent the walls Of rooms stood side
wise Just as the wings that represent a
forest orany exterior do to-day Under
such circumstances it was of course i'm
possible 20 have a door or window
that bore any possible resemblance to
the genuine article. If it was there,
nobody could lock- or walk through It,
Persons who came on the stage or left
it used to walk through the wall which
was in reality merely indicated by the
three "wings" of painted canvas which
faced the audience and were separated
by stretches Of emptiness.
The correction of this absurd old hab-
1t was one of the first advances of mod
ern scene painting, and began about a
quarter of a century ago. Then for the
first time a so-called "box" scene.
which represented in canvas the three
walls of room. was introduced. The
doors and windows In these wide walls
opened and shut like those in this
background, and to this day the
"boxgd" interior survives. 1t marked
of course a great advance in scenic
decoration. The old rooms with their
open walls were like no apartments
that had ever existed since the world
began. What are called in the profess
sion practical" doors and windows,
that Is, doors and windows that can be
opened and shut, were already known,
and were regarded as one of the mark
ed advances of the time. They were
confined, however to the backgrounds,
and when they were seen in the walls
of a room that really had three solid
looking walls like any real room, it
seemed as if the last round in realism
had been reached.
Since that time improvement in the
scenic effects of the theaters has gone
on continually. The betterment here
has rot been merely in the skill of the
painters, although that part of the
business has also been carefully looked
after The men who paint scenery for
the New York theaters to-day are all
skilled artists who have served long
tersm of preparation for their work
They began themselves as assistants
to we'll known scene painters, and
gradually learned for themselves the
secrets of the profession. Most of them
are better than their New York prede-
cessors were, and few of them We're the
pupils of New York scene painters.
The majority of them served their APP
premiership abroad, Some of them
came from Europe and their object in
becoming Americans was to get some
share of the large sums Of money paid
out every year by New York managers.
AS the services Of most of them are in
demand, they seem to be enjoying the
results of their long term of prepara-
ton.
The rewards of the successful scene
painter are large. There is scarcely any
time during the year in which there Is
not a demand for his work The sum-
mer Is passed in executing orders for
the forthcoming winter productions,
and as managers continue to make new
productions during the winter months.
al nrly TO I,1