The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-29
ILLUSION IN STAGE ART.
SONE OF TIE DEVICES BY WHICH
NATURES EPFECTS ARE INITIATED.
Sir Henry Irvins's Great Carefulness-HIs Re
liance on Lights Above All Else Earth
quakes as First Produced on the Stage
History Of Some Old stage Effects

Quakes as First Produced on the Stage
History Of Some Old stage Effects.
In these days when managers supply in the
production Of q play almost any effect that the
dramatist may suggest, It Is difficult to realize
how meagre stage equipments were at one
true. A little red fire burned In the wings
used to simulate a confagration satisfactorily
enough, but now the flames putting from build
ings that really appear 20 be solid must BIO very
realistic not 20 arouse the derision OF sophisti-
Gated audiences. Red FIRE would not satisfy the
least ~exacting rural public when a fire. was In
question and every other detail Of scenic Illusion
must DO looked after with a care and fidelity
to realism that seems astonishing TO persons
who formerly found sufficient excitement IN
simple expedients. Nowadays managers
never refuse to produce a play because 1t con-
talns scenes that are difficult to represent
They may not accept dramas In which they
have little confidence when the cost OF per-
forming them seems too great to insure the
necessary return, but u play written by OK
perienced dramatists will never be rejected
because its scenes are difficult to place on the
stage,
In certain plays the scenic opportunity 10 the
principal thing. Authors Of melodramas put
their heads together to devise the most original
and sensational scenes possible, Thus in recent
years melodramas have shown race meets.
employing the services Of several scores OF
trained racehorses, q scene under the sea with
divers creeping about among visible fishes and
a fight In a balloon that really seems TO be
sailing through the air far above the earth.
These were only episodes In long plays con-
tanning many scenes nearly as difficult to ar
range and quite as costly to the managers
Yet these plays were not refused because OF
these scenes. They we're accepted. on the CON-
trary. because Of them. and managers in England
where most Of these snowy melodramas come
from, pay well merely for suggestions as to the
character Of different sensational scenes. Ii Ia
the selection Of these scenes which busies the
playwright, or. az II usually Is In such a case,
the association Of playwrights who put these
melodramas together. They first select the
places In which they expect the action OF the
dramas to pass and devise two or three striking
episodes. such a. the fall Of an avalanche or
the discharge Of q battery Of field guns In a
battle. The number and quality Of these
episodes must be striking nowadays to please
a public which was satisfied a score Of years
ago with the raft scene In The World" or Eiisn's
escape over the ice IN Uncle Toms Cabin"
In view Of the remarkable effects that are
created now by the ingenuity Of scene painters.
property men" who devise these ingenious
illusions. electricians. stage managers and ma
chinists. 1t Is interesting to read the story told
half q century ago by an actress who had as
sumed control Of q London theatre. She was
accustomed,to amuse her friends with descrip-
lions OF the plays sent to her by unknown
writer's and the impossible scenic requirements
they put into their plays. Que Of these looked
apSa s' q Su the 9 ti4Ds ana sy 81 q 'e q tie a eatTsvn
aaances Of the amateur dramatist. was de-
scribed In this way; The defeated hero of the
piece, after having been pierced = by a JSvelin,
his enernics was expected to ascend the slope
Of a mountain and compose himself to die there
in n such .Hor, "a att s.1f d that 4, the S,d rays Of the dying
The arrangement Of the rays Of tho sun was
at that time looked upon as out Of the question
and no manager would have accepted a play
than a stage manager would have attempted
to realize such Instructions. Nowadays the
dying hero could have the sunlight fan wherever
all about the stage until he found just the spot
on which he wanted to die, The sun. or the
moon, for that matter. would do even more and
long acts il that were his pleasure, But ths
department Of what the French call "mise-en-
scene" represents the progress Of stage scenic
the i've Of the lights that the. modern stage
managers have progressed chiefly beyond their
predecessors; The greatest stage manager
Successes are attributed to his masterful and
careful handling Of the stage lights. Beauti-
fully or appropriately painted Sa1t Dis, scenery rich
the lights Is not Of a character TO show them at
their best. Effects Of atmosphere. sun, rain, tropic
or arctic. all depend on the skilf,l use Of colored
becomes greater and everything had been done
20 create an illusion that paint, canvas and re-
productions OF actual objects could do, It re-
T main . i5 scis tn ncso ana LEX ~ The iS. Sam lsst time mTtS ar
ment. There have been, OF course, no regular
rules for all cases. Every particular problem
iI n.taS sf,se 3 nSS care re t ItstI ST. II Henry N r' IrSIns iak As
with this feature Of all his productions is shown
BY one device he uses In the frst act Of The
R 1sat a p nnts gss t tas TSsnI' q Fl th 81: sSsne Ia.
b bssn .sti4ae S'S Sits s'I ISe { E,SfRiaIHSbss w or a ilsSs
t thtcIsn . a.S% tn Shtnn ,afhf ne ma1 Dn TnIss The the s slsI.
colored illumination. But Sir Henry ~pondered
over HI. problem until he found q splendid so-
s sniitn Il Mdtiio. hears I The :" old : story Ne u Pt the de lie
appearance OF the Polish pedler whom he
hr1 murdered twenty, years before, The
s 1 & J Ts1 \ nS. he it w Iy'n nsd yS.m Of tb the I'M. inn
fcient light should fall on the face Of the muir
dcrer 70 show his sufrerinss while the story OF
H. tsi. c paneo sa' Sir Settle Henri IN I 2TfsT r. had deS g sgSsTs
box built on the background Of the scene. 1t
was Of the same color ~ the canvas represent
ing the stone wall and the side facing the actor
was orcn. The. light placed thus in the square
box fell on the face OF the guilty man with SUI
pernatural effect, showed the play Of bis emo-
Hons and II was impossible for ANYBODY in the
audience to tell where the RAYS that foil on his
face came from. Under ordinary circumstan-
ces n long shaft Of light falling from the wings
would have. been thought sufficient for thls
purpose, although such a device marked the
difference between what was really mysteri-
ously impressive and what was theatrically
conventional.
In THE Lyons Mail" Sir Henry Irving has
Of course from the. audience. but Illuminating
a spot which could never have been reached
in any other way. IN view Of the reputation
that he holds to-day 1t might be thought worth
while for any actor to use tho care that Sir
Henry Irving bestows on all his productions.
stage Is behind those Of all other countries.
Light effects TO this day remain crude In com
parison with those 10 be seen abroad. Night and
day arrive as suddenly as they depar. There
Is no evidence usually In these processes Of
turning on or of the light has happened. New
York theatres are usually provided with the
necessary electric equipment for all kinds Of
delicate effects. and that these are regularly
ignored must only be attributed 10 the stage
taking time over. The best effects Of this kind
! seen In New York are ~ the Irving Place The
| atre. Manager Conried has had n training in
| his W country and has learned what an i'm
portant Influence In the spectacular success
of a play the illumination may be made.
/ This Is rather to be expected, as the German
| theatres In tho use Of their facilities are moro
advanced then those Of any other country.
1t Is particularly true In the operate theatres.
In both France and England skill in this. detail