The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-09
WHEN BOB
SHOUTS "CLEAR"
Scenes Behind the Curtain in
the Crawford Theatre.
IN THE INTERMISSI0N
Hard Work Which the Au-
dience Does Not See.


to the stage at the Crawford theatre. all
evening, beside a long line OF black
handled copper electric switches. and
watches "the show" He is stage car
penter and electrician and it is his bust
ness to provide all the changes Of set
tings and lights which the visiting COM
pany demands.
He has been long in the service, and
is one Of the best men in that line in
the country. He has to have a talent
which the stage carpenter in the large
city where the same show runs night
after night finds unnecessary-that talent
being an instructive fore-knowledge Of
what effect is wanted. He has never seen
the play in question and yet with 4
meagre scene schedule, he arrauges
things so quickly that the play goes of
without a hitch. With the spectacular
attractions stage carpenters and property
men come and superintend arrangements
OF course, but Mr.. futile has his hands
full just the same. For instance, last
evening, in the production OF The EVIL
Eye" a spectacular AFFAIR OF extreme
mechanical design. Mr.. futile had on
his force twelve or fifteen men. who
during the progress OF the play were
st.l as mice but in the intermissions.
worked like beavers under his direction.
Although the idea Is an old one, a
reporter for the Eagle decided to give
the readers an idea OF what a scene
Lind the scenes in a theatre is like and
so The Evil Eye" was selected and
the reporter posted himself in a corner
of the stage to watch the proceedings
last night.
An ensemble was a drinking song. TO
the weli-known refrain that it is al
ways fair weather when good fellows
get together. II opens an act with the
company enmass. and each in pos
session of a stein. These stems were
piled together at one point and there
was confusion in their distribution. Get
your stems" was the order and as Bob
Tuttle called clear" and the curtain
went up, the confusion fell into precise
order and apparently everybody had his
or her stein. A young man. say Of sew
enteen, was In charge of those stems,
and he watched them with lynx
eyes. Apparently IL has become a set
rule Of his that at the end OF the song
everybody should bring a stein of. and
at the end OF the song when the chorus
girls and the men came dsrting OF the
stage he accumulated his stems and
counted them. He was one short. and
be began to search for it. He found IL.
Il was setting on table well out on
the stage. He looked at IL wistfuny.
How could he rescue IT, He consulted
with the gentleman who was taking the
90 -
business on the stage and apparently
extracted a promise from him that he
would grab up that stein and bring it
of. At mis- next exit. the French waiter
came of steinless and the young man
was worried. But at the next exit the
Frenchman remembered and swooped
up the stein and bore It triumphantly
to the young man who gathered Il IN
with irnmenes satisfaction
Near the entrance was a shallow square
affair like the broken top OF dry goods
box. 1t was an innocent looking arrange
nent and easily escaped detection for
two acrobatic gentlemen soon began a
search for the "resin-box' and its iden-
tity was established. They looked on
it with mirthful contempt and proceeded
20 rub their feet on II. But the rude
box was better than none. and resented
the remarks for in the next shift Of
scenes. II got tilted up on end. fell over
bottom side up and went out Of business
the acrobauc gentleman having 10 do
thereafter without resin.
However confused and complex applause
may be in the auditorium OF a theatre.
1t comes 10 the stage as an entity. easily
~
people know b. rote when applause is
coming and when i is not When 70 Is
expected there IS sudden halt behind
the scenes. a seconds reckoning OF the
amount OF the applause. and a counter
march before the audience The great
desire OF the stage-folk. the desire 10
please. IS always paramount The smile
of the comedian comes and Hoes a.
though Il was controlled by an electrical
switch He Is soleTnnity az one step.
jccosity az the next One ensemble was
the chorus with racouets IN the song
The PinE-Porg Girl" u was rendered
with spirit and effect But during its pro
gress the manager says This doesn't
out here. I don't know why They 20
Wild ovor Il IN the east. but It's fat in the
said There was only nurraur q per
functory applause. There = Is. he said
IT doesn't 60"
Presently n specta GUAR climax. The
curtain CONES down and Instantly. aH -
stage folk are below n tne ere--ir~
rooms and all the scene shiffs-s are a,
work Trees. fms. -ivers ard IN ihis
Instance large Dutch Windmill are
cleared away. There are SHUTS from he
platform fzr abovs. ard orders from IRE
stsze below. while are man 3. puttirr
down a carpet another nnan "a rearing
wall tables and chsirr cone r. u-itA
great hate ard are established with
great nice<y q order With nuoh.
sweat noise anS confusion. the sce-e
changes. The chorus Eirfs ore y one.
wander ~ from TIE dressing rooms ard
scatter about Ths-s = rot 1rch corr
versatiez among the--
one sole-nn-sacsd 81. a. table pre-
occupied srd rnoross
4 kindly Hft-e woman pats hsr hzu6 On
her shoulder All ssys.
"ToE must ri Sc sick
TIE ether dos rot reply
'-Tssrn-on jour aorser..- scru. o-e sass
70 Tzttis and Tutfle throws a. sis-trfe
iever. 4 helztet s-dfvsesal rrzhss = ~lss
81 a-a1sl e rigs ani Dr-clzs tksrn %
she dl~e---t places 4 sag ssns. his
sie-vs- roflsd ~. .,zzts u tEs rsfr. -
ihs company. & oo-trzst 20 ;hs.r f1a
cress He IS fIt-< -orne co-frsve--s.
Tuttls crfe- 'cfe4r AID IRE cage Bad
zszkes = desperate rionre 20 Ire rtz-
sd aisss q - fhs e-rrslz siss.- ~
zsr1-