The Washington times., 1901-09-29

burns in the fireplace casting red glow arount
/ that part OF the room, j. e.. down stage r. Tn,
walls are papered with delicate paper Of white
with punches OF violcts.
Thus are the honors of the production
heretofore given to the scenic artist ruth
lessly torn away and given to the libret-
tist. whose brain has carefully thought
out the style of decoration. the arrange
ment of every window and door the pre-
vaiiing color scheme, ard all the other
fine points, even down to the color of the
wall paper. Then in the matter of the
furniture the property man loses his
credit. and once more Mr.. Smith is
showered with honors. Here are the in
structions:
At L down stage is a sma.r white and gold
piano. This piano is much used during the act
and should be one of the very best makes, having
a tone of good carrying quality. -Four single bras
bcdsteads, placed two at II and two at l. Iht
bed linen TO be of white very simple, glriish.
and without display OF lace. At. up stage
is a large wardrobe white colonial design. This
is to be large enough for two men to conceal
themselves in it. Up stage, at convenient spaces
are two dressing tables and one pier glass These
TO be OF white wood. Two small Whit tables
on which vases of wild flowers. In mont OF
the fireplace is a huge white bear rug asd simi-
lar one is in front of bed down L. Other white
rugs at available places. The floor should have
| the effect of white mosaic. There may be two
or three Oriental rugs, not too brilliant IN color
| In the matter of decorations of the
room the stage manager is furnished with
this explicit information:
Around the mirrors of the dressing tables and
| on the pier glass are punches CT theatre pro-
graInmes and German favors Silver toilet articles
| on the dressing tables. On tables and piano are
| photographs, framed. Some of these portraits
| are to be of theatrical favorites. hanging
| bookcase on the wall filed with books and maga-
| zines. Music the piano. AT the side OF the
| piano is guitar. On the seat near the fireplace
| is mandolin and leaning against the fireplace
| at golf bag and golf sticks. On the walls
| are several engravings of subjects such young
| woman Of refinement might select. These are in
| dark wood frames. Several unframed engravings
| on the wall. There several rocking chairs
| and bedroom chairs Of white wood. II any OF
these chairs are upholstered, lowered cretonne
| should be used, and a similar material for the
curtains and other draperies. Over the head of
the bed at foreground is an electric light which
| can be turned on by person lying IN bed AT
! r and L of door there similar lights.
| There is short bright overture, made up OF
most popular selections Of the piece. The music
| for the rise OF the curtain is to be in the style
Of a nocturne-to have the color OF such a COM
| position as Chopin's 'Berceuse.' which might be
used, very delicately orchestrated.
! Here once more does Mr.. Smith come
| upon the scene as shatterer of idols
Almost everybody in the audience who
saw blonde Edna Hunter turn on the
electric light at the head of her bed
and commence to peruse her Paul Bour,
get just as the curtain descended
for this very effective bit, but dis
closure of the arrangements for the furn-
| ishinss of the stage brings to light the
| fact that Mr.. Smith had previously
thought out this effect and had planned
for the electric illumination just as care
fully as though he decided upon the style
| OF music that would send up the nrst
curtain of the piece The further The
| Times man went into Mr.. Smiths lib
retto the greater his admiration became
for the stage writer who could remain in
I . flnxa hlalrsrs TTfah or On lFl
calmly see others take the credit for his
| work. Still. as Mr.. Smith admitted. roy
aties go long way toward making one
forget that some one else is getting praise
| for ones work Even the entrance of the
first player is as thoughtfully arranged
as everything else in the general scheme
of the production. This is the way Mr..
Smiths play commences, according 10 the
manuscript, and there Is not the slightest
deviation from his instruction in this nor
in any of the arrangement of the stage,
as will be readily recognized by every
body who saw the performance The
manuscript uses the technical word, dis
covered Then:
When the curtain rises the stage is almost
in complete darkness. The c door opens and
there appears in the doorway Edith May. tall,
handsome girl of seventeen eighteen; she holds
above her head lighted candle, which is the
only light apparent on the stage, except the
faint moonlight from the two windows and red
light from grae. the latter only illuminating
the section OF the stage down r. Edith is dressed
in a white nightgown neglgee wrapper, COW
erine her from her throat to ankles. Her dark
hair falls loosely her shoulders The in
slant that Edith appears, the orchestra music
stops and there is moment of absolute silence
This must be an app.eciable pause for the audi
ence to realize the picture
And as minute as are these directions
for the proper dressing of the stage, so
are the instructions for the different play
ers throughout the three acts of THE
Liberty Bellies. Not single person
7 nrn hn CT c n
word or even signs except when 1t is in
dicated in the manuscript that such ac-
ton is necessary for the presentation of
the play according to Mr.. Smith S idea.
And as the working of the various mem
bers of the company was so totally unlike
the one-two-three cut and dried move
ments of the conventional production of
similar type, instead of the stage mana
ger getting all the credit for the perfec-
tion of the performance Mr. Smith must
come into his own and be handed few
bouquets of linotype for the completeness
of his share of the work on THE Liberty
Bellies. even if dramatic writers all over
the country will persist in saying that his
librcttos are of not much serious worth
He will der btless bow his head In humble
submission 1T the decisions OF the dra-
matte review erS and continue TO turn out
musical pieces with surprising facility
and remarkable regularity, and keep
| everlastingly at it until he achieves the
| summit of his ambition and becomes the
| naughty possessor of duo of gallusses
| "The time when an actor had an easy
| time must have been in the dim, dim
past" quoth Robert Drouet. refectively.
! the other evening at the New National
| Take for example fellow working for a
manager like Walter Clarke Bellows. That
man is about the hardest employer an ac-
| tor ever had. OF course, he works harder
than any of his people and seems to thrive
upon it, even though his friends have
been prophesying that he would dry up
| into dust and blow away, for the past
| four years. Well. ii is no Jest that he
makes his people work sixteen hours daily
| with only ten minutes for luncheon. In
| fact SO drastic was he on this point that
| when he sent me my last contract to do
| leads with his company in Denver.
| stated my salary and added $50 weekly
| for overtime OF course. / never thought
| he would accept 1t. but the first mail
| brought his answer in the affirmative. In
my estimation he is the greatest stage
manager America possesses. and l am glad
you are to have him with you again.
| Mr.. Drouet, by the way, is to star next
| season under excellent management If
| able vehicles are already in hand, though
no selection has been made. In addition
to his work on the stage. Mr.. Drouet
writes excellently, several of his plays
used by Maud Odell in her coming star
ring tour Mrs Drouet has been here
| this week. She is n very beautiful woman
| with no professional ambitions or eXpe-
| rieuce although she is said To possess
marked talent.
| Anna Held receives a large number of
letters every day that she never fails t.
peruse with the keenest interest. Her in
| iS highest mitch when the