The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25


bowed aside and someone slips into your
place
once more The lights on the stage
fare ND The electric ''spoLLeTs' and
.'-efectOrs" in the flies AMI wings are
plugged in" The electrician Elaucos
over his stage. taking note of every light
TO see that it is 'spottinE OUT the prop
eT place and that the operator has put in
the right color screen He again presses
the button on his switchboard. As If
by magic the orchestra stops playing. A
little man with eyeglasses and brisk.
decisive manner steps out to the center
of the stage we'll down towards the cur
tain. 1t is Mr. Grips. the stage mana
ger; the man who above all others IS
directly responsible for the success or
failure of the show.
The Man Behind the Curtain.
Clear! Everybody of. Keep your
entrances clear. girls Get wei back
in the Wings With a few sharp hand
cIaps he completes his work All mem
bers OF the company who are not on the
stage al the rise of the curtain hasten
off. either TO stand in the wings or 20
back TO their rooms TO await the sum
mons of the call boy
Get your places.
The actors spring for their positions
in The opening picture
The manager raises his hand. AT his
cue the electrician closes a small switch
that lights a red light in the fly gallery
Another touch of the button and the
orchestra starts upon the opening num-
Der. One last glance over every part
of the stage, and the manager runs to
the wing GTasping the switch, he
throws Ii open, cutting of the light
above There is a brief swishiug sound,
as OF escaping steam. as the curtain
slides up along its guide ropes, and the
play is on
Standing in the wing, you watch the
progress of the play But while the
fairies are making merry upon the stage
very different performance is taking
place behind the scenes Save for a
handful OF people. who stand in the
entrances watching the show all the
gavly-attired men and women have en-
tirely disappeared from the stage 1t
seems almost beyond belief that there
are enough dressing rooms in which to
stow them all away-yeC they are gone.
The workmen are now IN their placs,
ready to strike" the scene when they
receive The signal
Second sceuet Second sceDet" Through
the doorway that leads up TO the dress
ing rooms comes the cry of the call boy
For answer a number of the girls and
men come running down 10 the stage and
huddle off in one corner out Of the way
Of the grips.
4 Dark Charge"
Another moment and the fairies con
clude their song Suddenly the lights
fash out and the place is in total dark
ness. Two heavy drops shoot down from
the flies. to form the back walls Of the
interior scene which follows. HuTryi1g
forms brush past you, dragging the big
wings that mask in the sides OF the
setting You are forced 20 remain per
fecJIy mOtiOnIess. Were you TO step out
Of your corner you would be run down
and crushed by the heavy moving seen
cry which you are unable to see. A quick
dark change is being made
a bell tingles close beside you. Up 20
the lights The chorus dashes onto the
stage and takes up the catchy air that
the orchestra is playing. The scene has
completely changed. now showing The
Hydro ar AiZ-and-Pains.'
But the work of the stage hands Is
not over; in fact it has just begun. The
first scene showing the Fairy barlla-
menu-' has TO be cleared away and The
next big scene in the paut0miue SET.
The intermediate scenes. like the one
now on are merely narrow, shallow az
fairs that are set inside Of the larger
one Big platforms are pushed INTO
place and sraiTWays forming terraces
placed against them One bg one the
back drops and borders are lowered,
each hanging q few feet in front OF the
one behind IT,. The flowers and other
. props" are hurried Oh The electrician
tries his lights. 10 make sure that there
VIII be no hitch az the last moment
Lines and cross marks painted on the
floor of the stage show exactly where
everything should go.
Another dark change is on A drop
fails IN front OF the actors. forming the
back Of the next scene "T0rmeutors'
are showed in al either side To hide the
wings already there
How the Cats Are Worked
The scene is now laid in she haunted
vaults of the castle. the abode Of the
witch MalevoIeutia- In every nook and
corner The eyes Of the hays cats glow
herceIy for a moment and tnen dlsap-
pear. like the spark OF a fire fly The
picture is weird and ulcauuy-
The setting for the previous scene has
already been removed The drop on
which the cats are painted contains
transparent spots, corresponding with ,hg
animals eyes. Behind each pair OF eyes
men are stationed with rows of electric
lights. each row being lii for moment
alternately
When the next change IS made only the
--witchs drop has 10 be raised. whaa
the stage is open on the next scene 10
almost its entire depth
4 But you want TO see more OF the &C
tuaI work of the production. Turning
. your attention from the play for @ time.
you toll up the narrow, dirty little stair
way 10 the working fly gallery. The bus
tie and Gevcr-euding labor of The stage
below is even more apparent here. 4
crowd OF mcu in rough OVeraIIs and fan
mel shirts are at work upon an amazing
network Of ropes. At the edge OF the
gallery and running its entire length are
Two heavy rails, one slightly above and I'm
front Of the other. The heavy sets OF
lines that hold the hanging stun ar.
brought up over the 'gr!dirou and down
to these rails. where they are secured
around wooden pins, six inches apart
When q drop or border is TO be raised
three or four Of the Gymeu grasp the set
OF lines on which 81 is hung and pull
until the piece OF stuff is high. OF
above the view Of the audience. When
very heavy pieces are 20 be- raised. men
are sent up 10 the 'gridiroH' TO ride tho
f ropes"
This is beyond All question one Of
the most dangerous occupations q human