The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-24
THE T'H.EAT RES;

State mechanism has probably received
moro attention III tho past ten year, n
\ than during tho entire period covering
the previous nifty years Of its history
Much OF tho success OF a production to-
day depends upon no scenic equipment.
It Ia not to be supposed that the art OF
acting ID In any way given less consider
alton by reason Of the stage enects
which are Used to cmbellisi a perform.
$ance. OF course there are many proane.
tons OF the realistic" type, In which
moro attention Is paid to the car load
& OF scencry' than to Tho ability OF the
company presenting the play.
Wc all know the water tank pay, the
saw-n1ill play tho fire engine play, the
railroad play. ind others Of Its class, T.
with the stride OF progress, and the IN
ventions which have followed. we nave
nov reached tho stage OF the air-sllip
may Jules Verne, In his rive Weeks
4 in d Balloon" got In the advance story
on the air.ship business but now that
othors have partially succeeded IN putting
In practice the French novclist's Views,
the dramatist has not failed 10 provide
himself with material for sensational
effect In launching the air-shlp on the
stage. II the inventors prove successful
III constructing a machine that Will secn,-l
5ingly defy the Jaws Of gravitation, then
4 tho railroad play will have to take
back seat for q while. And that would
abc a pity, too, for they are Just beginning
10 give us n train OF cars that is some
thing better than tho toy contrivances
with which children play.
q Electricity has done much for the
master stage mechanic. Its application
on the stage has worked effects that
nro really realistic" The snow storms
we used to get required great deal OF
imagination TO enable us to take them
Seriously 1t was such a difficult ma tier
TO control the bits OF paper after they
werc once released from above In not
Il few plays the audience has been ware
nome time during the action OF the
piece, for In the first act, when We were
gazing with rapt attention at tho home
like scene presented in the living room.
with the center table lit BY its lamp
tile electric light In which we could see
behind the globe-down would come
few flakes OF the gently falling snow,
roof was n S. leaky as that. what they
did when 1t raIned. One or two snow
storms. impatient to make their appear
ance, have broken loose in that manner
this season.
The most realistic Of the snow.storm
effects, however. are now worked IN
different manner altogether. for which
Have Good One Here.
The mention OF stage electricians
reminds me that here In Richmond we
have one Of the best to be found IN
any theatre In this country. He !. Mr..
John Duell, OF the Bi1ou. Two !nven-
tions of his. both OF which are prac-
tical, will add wonderfully to the light
effects OF the stage. To describe them
would require technical terms only at
the command OF an electrician, and only
understood by those Of that craft. One
Is an apparatug to dim the electric lights
until each lamp Is very nearly out. The
graduntIons a present do not admit OF
very realistic effects. For instance. It
Is dflcult, under the present arrange
ment to give a good effect Of twilight
deepening into gloom or a sunrise erect.
The lights go down ttoo suddenly. or are
nut on too suddenly, as the case may
be. st's Y
4 The Invention of Mr.. Duell will make It
possible to lower or put on the ligslts
so that they diminish or Increase almost
stmperceptlbly. One can readily under
stand the value of an apparatu which
will admit OF such light effect
There are only about three or four de-
grees Of light or darkness possible In the
DINNERS now used In great many
theatres.
The second invention OF Mr.. DUEL is
an apparatus that will control, from tho
switchboard behind the scenes. the power
full electric lamps In the gallery. which
are used to flood the stage with light.
Mr.. Duell is perfecting this invention by
adding to 1t a contrivance by which the
colored lights can also be thrown on the
stage. This invention Is chiefly valuable
because It will do away with the work OF
one man, which Is quite an item OF ex-
pense in travelling companies.
The stage manager OF the Bijou has
yet another device which is most useful.
rhis is the substitution & OF silk;
film-like substance In place OF the gelatin
now used almost entirely In front OF
electric lamps when colored lights are
thrown on the stage. The gelatin is very
easily broken. and tho heat cracks It
SO that a few dayT use almost makes t
worthless, when a good effect is desired,
Every crack and imperfcction In the
gelatin is thrown upon the stage N
magnned form. Ofthese three inventions
4 of Mr. Duell, OF course the most i'm
portant is the apparatus which dlms the
lights. Every stage manager IN the
country recognizes the need OF Just
such device. 3. g.
There will only be one show at the
Academy this wcek-thc big Henry w.
sPsen," another musical comedy affair
in the extrava ganza1 line,
A great deal Is promised OF the pro-
,duction here. That the piece was one
OF the big laughing and tuneful hits OF
the season Is no news to those who keep
track OF theatrical matters. Mr.. Savage
promises brilliant production and says
lie will eclipse any and all OF the big
shows that have been hero this season.
Then comes Florodora again, with her
whirl Of skirts and the never wea risome
sextette. The same company that pre-
scented 1t last year will give 1t this
time
jeff De Angels will come next with
"The Torador' and then will come the
two great stellar attractions Of the sea-
son, Mansfield and Patti.
sThe Prince Of Pilsen."
Henry W. savage's brilliant and we'll
balanced company will present '"Ihe /