The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
How This Greatest Spaces naagedA Glimpse Into
the Wonderland Across the Foodiglt5

-.-.-s-s-s-s-a-,
4 you are on the stage of the New
7 National Thea,er. 1t is s O'Clock.
You are in The midst of q strange
scene. BuztIe and activity reign SUI
prone. You dodge among a crowd of
hurrying worEmen. Everywhere around
YOU spreads the nervous commotion of
the hour
Above the din of the moviuE scenery
and the pa-rar of Footsteps sharp. short
commands are audible Heavy platforms
are unfoIle5 and set up and big sec
Jious of scenery drop into place as If by
magic The stage IS baJhed in vivid
food OF light from the seemingly end
less rows of iulaudeseenr globes above
You are at THE Sleeping Beauty and
the Beast the biggest theatrical pro
duCriUu Washington has seen for many
d year The rare treat of viewing the
immense spectacle from behind the
scenes is yours
But you are struck with the manner
in which the work about you Is being
done. No lettering OF helter-skelrer
movements are visible Every man seems
10 have his own special place and part
in the work, and be- goes about II swift
ly-wtrhouL stopping to see what some
one else is doing Plainly these men
know The meaning of discipline, rigid
and severe There is 10 unnecessary
shouting The scene IS utterly unlike
anything you had pictured in your nina
it must be ike from watching the play
from In front Of the LoGtHghts- IL Is Ut
terry unlike anything you ever saw be
fore
Behind the Scenes.
You are in an immense rectangular
room. The great size OF the place at
once strikes you against the walls al
the sides and back are piled masses OF
flats Of scenery. From each of these
flats the stage hands grips" the
stage manager terms them-are TemOv-
ing the top pieces and pushing them for
ward TO form the wing for the first
scene Above are the flies" with the
fly galleries or tie floors al either
side The stage is just twice as high
as the big pToscenium arch al the front.
This great loft is completely filled from
wall 10 vail with the hanging scenery
of the production and a network of
rope lines. Beauty and TIE Beast
carries sevenry-fve big pieces of hang
ing stuff. drops borders - etc, each
weighing from i've hundred 10 several
thousand pounds Then there are the
border lights and special electrical
appliances that have to be crowded into
the flies. More than nine and d half
miles OF rope are required 10 hold the
hanging stuff alone.
The Finishing Touches.
Almost before you are aware Of it
the first scene has been settle Fairy
ParIiament-where the birth of Beauty
takes place. Then, too. you are aware
OF grips have disappeared from view.
and IN their place half a dozen busy
property men are laying the rugs and
flowers about where they are needed in
the scene.
The parts Of the stage back Of the
wings and back drop are now in
semi-5arkness- Presently a dainty
little miss dressed in bewitching
fsiry's costume. trips out from one of
the dark entrances at the side Of the
stage. Her eyebrows and lashas are
heavily blackened, and her checks and
lips painted deep red Make up"
IS really hideous at short range.
Dressing for the Play.
= moment more and other fairies
suddenly appear out of dark corners
The number rapidly increases men and
girls dressed as various other characters
IN the play joining the group on the
stage Many of them are only half
dressed. and carry portions Of their cos
tunes in their hands, seeking some
other girl TO help them complete their
IniIettes- Others 90 OF into q dark cor
ner and harness up prefeTTiug that
10 the crowded dressing room. where
six or eight girls are huddIed iuto a
little eight by ten box. with one chair
and one wash bowl ard pitcher between
them
StiH they continue 10 flock on. u
mute amazemeur YOU watch the crowd
increase. wondering where they all come
from and specializing as TO the enoT-
nous size Of the weekly pay roll that
provides these people with bread and
butter. in a few moments the stage IS
packed TO oTeTG6wiEE- Then you glance
out into the wings they are rapidly I'LL
ing up also
Waiting for the Cue
1t is interesting to watch that shift
ing. restless tbrous- IL is probably en-
tireIy different from anything you ever
saw before. There are old men CARRIED
as youths and miGdIe-aged women 10
lights They are the last people you
would expect TO find there. in those gor-
geOuzly coloEed costumes. along with
boys and girls not yet out OF their teens
But The makeup box possesses the
magic power Of hiding wrinkles. and re-
storing youth. The majority OF them
however, are young women. pretty even
through the coating OF grease paint. and
powder Some are singing slarchas ST
The songs rom the play others are sit
ting of in corners, quietly engaged ir
conversation. Quite a rev OF The meg
are making vigorous love 10 as mang
girls as Ehey can gather up ia b0Tr
arms, while a score Of other girls arc
dancing about Dracricug difficult steps
il their cuisines"
What the Audience Doesn't Hear.
suddeaIy the lights Oh the stage arc
turned out. and al is i'm semi-darkness
The actors collide with each other rs
they skip about III the twilight. and rhs
lovers clasp the wrong girls ia their
arms
Above the babel of voices your ea7
catches the indistlnct rustic Of the an.
dience and the sound OF the musician.
tuning their Instruments
Overture, Overture"
From some dark recess the assistant
stage Managers call rings OUT Thf