The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-23
ROPES OF THE FLY GALLERY AT THE GRAND

erty Man assured her convincingly.
Come here any time of the day or night
and you'll ind it just the same
Like the property room on the stage
floor of the Metropolitan this property
room behind the stage of the Grand
serves to house hte props that are
in immediate use. And these props" as
a rule belong to the company that hap
pens to be playing the week engage
ment. However, there are many little
things in the way of Stage furnishings
that few companies carry and these of
course are supplied by the house. Ad-
joining the property room at the Grand is
a completely fitted out carpenters shop,
the sanctum sanctorum of the stage
carpenter. In this s4Iop a. the stage
furniture is made. Just now the stage
carpenter is at work on set of parlor
furniture of Florentine design. AS soon
as it is finished this furniture will be
placed in the property room and desig-
mated a prop.
The Grand possesses something that is
not often found in theaters in this coun-
try and that is property room in the
fly gallery. This fly gallery is nothing
more than a platform that swings out
half way between the stage and the roof
of the theater. The gallery is reached by
means of spiral staircase made of iron.
Two windows looking out upon a court
furnish dim light for the room. On the
outer edge is heavy curtain of rope.
To the observer the multitude of ropes
that form the curtain seem only a tangle
of odds and ends, but the man who has
charge of this particular gallery knows
that each one connects with different
scene or bit of scenery and when he
touches one he knows exactly whether
the piece of scenery which slides down
to meet the stage will represent forest
or a parlor and on his deftness and skill
in dropping the scene depends much of
the smoothness of the performance.
The property room of this fly gallery at
the Grand is peopIed with odds and ends
that, locked at separately, would never
be connected with the stage below. But
all of them have played their brief part
in some drama and because of this have
earned their right to the dignified title,
prop"
For instance, there is complete outfit
for a cosy corner to be found in this
particular property room. This outfit
consists of three long pixies with broad
heads, a 1imsy covering of Oriental stuff,
a seat cushioned with Oriental cotton and
a swinging Oriental lamp. Seen from the
auditorium the effect of such a cosy
corner is always picturesque. A nearer
view takes away all the enchantment that
distance lends. The wobbly pixies, the
Hli1Sy 1dQ6U COIlOn ana the seat Thta is
anything but cosy are suggestive Of
nothing so much as those magazines
that tell the credulous how, cut of to-
mato can and a few tacks almost any,
thing in the shape of furniture can be
evolved. Opposite this fly gallery, to the
left of the stage, a place has been found
for two more property rooms of the
Grand. In one is neatly arranged
variety of chairs and odd bits of furni-
ture, card tables, hat trees, foot stools.
ETC., each one fitted deftly into its proper
place. All of this furniture is kept in
excellent repair and although of mex
pensive woods, is substantial looking
enough to harmonic with the most eIe-
CANT stage setting.
This article began with the property
man, and perhaps it is just as well to end
it with him. Behind scenes the property
man is an important parsonage He
works with the stage manager, natural
ly, but his department is by itself. and
the responsibility of seeing that things
are placed where the players can easily
reach them devolves also on him The
property man must possess not little
historical knowledge. He must know that
an army of Roman soldiers would hard
~ to be armed with -Jorgensens, In
deed, his knowledge must be able to make
finer distinctions than those. Should the
play be a historical one, he must know
enough about the customs of that period
to make no awkwas mistake in regard
to the many little articles that must be
supplied from the property room.
Perhaps the largest production ever
given In ST. Paul-so far as stage settings,
at least, are concerned-vas MansIieI6's
Henry W, produced here last season
Everything was. cleared from the Met
ropolitans property room to make way
for the mummy props, of the big pro-
duction Besides the property man that
always accompanies a company, Mans
field had with him three assistant prop
erty men. They all worked under the
direction of the house property men. and
the smoothness of the production testified
to the entire absence of any friction.