The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-17
HOW A PLAY Is PRODUCED
1T Is A WORK THAT REQUIRES
MONTHS OF PREPARATION.
Every Move on the Stage Carefully
Planned Out-Rehearsals for
Actors and Scenery.

When the curtain IallS on the last act OA
a spectacular melodrama which has been
full of wonderful scenic effects. ranging
anywhere from the sinking Of a ship at sea
to an earthquake, the audience files out
and says, Fine scenery, wasn't IT." and
goes home. 1t seldom stops to think how
everything has been done, nor does it real
ize what an immense amount Of work has
been entailed and how many months of Ia
Dor have been spent before the curtain can
rise upon the first act.
Incidentally, too, thousands and thou
sands of dollars have been spent which
may prove to be an utter loss, If the piece
is a failure, or, rather, If it does not catch
the public (for the two are often different
propositfons), but that Is a question when
is of no concern here.
How is a stage production made? The
methods, OF course, are essentially the
same whether the piece is a society COM
edy, a melodrama or a grand opera, but as
the production becomes more -pretentious
the labor increases in geometrical progress
sion and the details become more and more
involved. An example at hand is the ex-
t~ravaganza, The Sleeping Beauty and the
Beast" which was produced last Monday
taken as showing what an elaborate pro-
duction involves.
THE STORY FIRST.
In the first place. of course, comes the
story and the lbretto. In comparison with
what follows, that is an easy matter,
though it must be written with a view to
the spectacular effects which the manager
desires TO introduce. AS soon as that is
written and carefully revised the real work
begins. Everybody connected with the man.
agement of the theater is called In TO carry
out the playwright's ideas and to make
suggestions.
me scene painters, the costumers, the
property makers, the ballet master begin
planning Immediately, though II may be
months before the production is to be
made. They must work entirely in har-
mony. A stage scene is really a painting,
and it's drawing, so to speak. must be &C
curate and it's colors must harmonize:
The scenery, to put 1t broadly, is the
frame and a good deal more besides. The
rest is the picture. An unappropriately cos
TUNED ballet against harmonious seem
cry, though 1t may be well grouped, Will
fail at once.
All these people now being busy there is
another man who is even buster. This is the
producer as he is technically called. He
has the great burden of the production on
his shoulders. He starts In by learning the
Mss. of the play practically by heart. He
familia rizes himself with every word in 1t.
he is keen TO note where an effective point
might be scored, and he makes copious
notes of what he believes would be effect
i've gesture, by-play, etc, On the part OF
the actors. which is technically known as
business"
STAGE DIAGRAMS.
He provides himself with diagrams of the
stage, and plots out every scene with
mathematical precision. The position of ev-
cry actor is noted and the place of every
piece Of property" is as carefully marked.
When the people in an audience see a
player shift his or her position on the stage
in a perfectly natural manner they prob
ably don't think about 1t at all. Neverthe-
loss n hQC hpnT "a FafnlV MANNED Olf long
before. The produce is q chess player. His
moves are all mapped out. His opponent is
some possible accident which may mate
him, but he has his game SO well in hand
that this seldom occurs.
In the meantime, rehearsals have begun.
The ballet and the s"upernumeraries have
been at il for a long time and two months
or so before the production the principals
and those intrusted with minor parts are
called together. The producers burden in
creaSeS. Necessarily he must have the act
ors under his control, for he has decided
what they are to do. He gives the correct
infections to words and phrases and puts
the proper construction upon phrases, sell
dom relying on the actors themselves. AS
the days pass by the rehearsals increase in
severity until sometimes they are going on
morning, afternoon and night.
1t should not be imagined that these re-
hearsals are carried on with all the sur
~roundings OF scenery. On the contrary,
there is no scenery at all They are con-
Quoted on the bare stage, with the bricks
of the back wall showing.
SCENIC REHEARSALS.
The scenery requires many special re-
hearsals of its own. One of the first things
that is done is to prepare working models
Of the stage, say about three feet wide,
and on them is set up the scenery in minia-
ture, arranged so that it can be manipu-
lated just as the large pieces will be in the
real production. Thus it can be told wheth-
er il is practical and practicable. Finally,
when the scenery is completed, and in place
in the theater, each scene is rehearsed time
and again, until the scene shutters are per-
feet in their tasks and can change a palace
TO a dungeon while the stage is dark for a
few minutes.
1t requires it's cues just as an actor
does. A 'cue" may be a certain sentence, q
bar of music or even a bit of p~antomime.
For instance, when the fairy godmother
says TO Cinderella: And now my dear,
you shall go to the palace" the stage man
a cue. He gives a signal, the stage is dark
ened and the scene-shifters get to work.
When the lights are turned on there is the
interior of a magnificent palace, instead of
the humble room in which Cinderella sat.
Now d single mistake might spoil all this,
the fairy palace might vanish and the bare
walls of the stage show instead. 1t requires
quick eyes and quick brains to make sure
that there will be no bitches.
Now imagine that the months of prepara-
ton are over and everybody is drilled as
we'll as they can be. On the night before
the first performance a dress rehearsal is
given-to an empty house. But the piece is
audience were present and what defects
there may be are remedied. Then the man
ager goes home to hope for success, but
maybe to dream of failure.