The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-14

II HIS is the age of the Spectator on
w the stage 1t is hoped by enter
prising managers to so dazzle the
public by the splendor of their produce
tons that the public will forget It Is pay
ing something for nothing. Never before
in the history of the drama has so much
attention been given to pleasing the eye
Elaborate stage pictures are devised that,
Instead of experimenting the play are
supplemented by the play. Such produc-
tions as Beauty and the Beast" BABES
in Toyland," Alice In Wonderland"
Mother Goose and even the glorious
''Parsifal' appeal to the eye more than
to the intellect. In fact with the excep-
ton of 'Parsifal' none of the others has
any claim to being anything else than a
series of splendid pictures. And In the
case OF "Parslfal although there were
many people present at the first perform
ance who could not appreciate the music
all were Impressed by the magnifcence
which characterized the stage settings
When thousands Of. dollars are paid out
for glass palaces, other thousands for
gorgeous costumes still others for lights,
furnishings and sumptuous trappings,
while winged ballet girls fly about and
the most marvellous stage mechanism
provides transformations, disappearances
and bewildering changes, 1t can readily
be seen that the stage of today Is great
peep box which Is open to the public to
gaze for the price of a seat.
In scenic effect nothing has ever sur
naqgnd Fol hut ~,
tude is almost equally as high In a num-
Der OF other productions which have APP
peared in this country. All3frst-class
productions are now staged with an elab-
orateness and perfection in detail that
would prove astonishing to Thespians of
Shakespeares day who were accustomed
to have sign for a tree, or a palace.
or whatever else was supposed to be in
the immediate neighborhood But now
adays II a palace is to be represented 1t
Is a palace. and II a woodland scene It
is a forest, although painted on canves.
The water Is canvas too, but real logs
and leaves can be found in stage forests.
All this Genie investiture is not a bad
idea, however, for 1t makes strong
play stronger and often saves a weak
one from total failure.
The public thought for awhile that II
was finished with appendicitis, but not so.
1t has just been discovered, or reported
discovered that appendicitis has been In
the germ class all the time and therefore
deserves to receive more extended notice
than when it was merely a disease that
have and others escaped Now that
germs are responsible for appendicitis we
may expect to have a revival of the com
plant, since a great many diseases are
known to be contracted by thinking about
them. II people once get notion that
appendicitis is contagious and can be
spread by germs they will straightway
become inoculated, and there is no more
to say.
pendicitis by contact or by eating too
rapidly and thus swallowing small things
we ought not to swallow? The fact re-
mains that we do have it and it is little
consolation to know that 1t was contract
ed by the germ route or by swallowing a
seed. What the public wants is a cure
for all the new tangled diseases that are
being discovered every day and if that is
not possible people would be grateful If
they could be allowed to die in peace and
not be harassed by hair-raising scientific
explanations of their maladies.
Philadelphia society women are getting
quite a reputation for their disslpating
proclivities. In fact they have become
subjects for editorials in the papers. Some
of these articles are not very compliment
tary while others are merely satirical
without being committal. To disinter a
joke that is ancient 1t may be possible
thta the bellies of Independence town
smoke and drink to pass the time away
and ward off the horrible ennui which is
said to afflict residents of Philadelphia.
But even with that excuse they ought not