The sun., 1907-03-31

than Frightening the upper portions Of the
scenery.
The arc light gives a strong unnatural
white light. IL has not only revOlutionised
the question Of mskeup but 1t has certain
well defined effects that have had to be
overcome by years OF study and expert
ments. -.
Left to itself II makes the stage look
streaked and this has to be guarded against
by the use OF the hlms Of gelatine which arc
placed In front OF II toreduce the sharpness
Of line and shadow, The new bunch light
has a softer light and an equal amount Of
illumination with the arc and It does not
cause this streaked appearance; there are
no sharply defined lines and shadows.
-The old fashioned snowstorm,' says Mr..
Mitchell, appearing to take longer mental
jump than he really does, was made by
the use Of cut paper which vas placed in
trough that ran across the stage from left
20 right between the borders, and when the
cue was given for the SNOW to fall the man
in the flies, by pulling ropes. shook the snow
onto the stage.
The snow and rain Of the stage to-day
are painted on a bit Of gelatine that is
placed in a disk attached in front Of q lens
box. To this disk is attached a set OF clock
work. When il revolves the light throws
the shadow Of the little marks on a gauEe
that is hung wherever circumstances re-
quire. sometimes behind the proscenium
arch, sometimes twenty or thirty feet back
OF the footlights.
FUSED both snow and rain In the Wizard
Of Or and the same eject in the production
OF Omar KhayyaD.' At the end OF one
scene In the Wizard OF Or the house was
in total darkness and while so lowered the
gauze drop; back Of that lowered an
Opaque drop painted a sort Of indefinite blue.
The light could not penetrate through IL and
did not show what the people were doing
back Of il.
The disk was started and the light In
the lens box turned on. Immediately the
rain or snow was thrown upon the gauze
While this was going on tho other scene
was being set. Later l raised the opaque
drop, turned on the red border lights and
showed an enormous poppy field. As the
lights became brighter and brighter. nat
urally the effect was TO do away with the
rain effect. which seemed TO stop naturally.
a. a shower would pass.
Another Improvement which adds much
! TO the smoothness OF stage equipment
n
drop Is a strip Of canvas reaching across
the stage with batting about four inches
wide at top and bottom. This is always
the backing TO your scene.
TO get these drops out Of sight quickly
and quietly has always been a matter OF
great importance in stage management,
and at present with the counterwelght
system the difficulties seem to be over
come. By pressing a button in the prompt
entrance eight or ten Of these drops rise
out Of sight without hitch. This counter
weight and electrical system are in use
at the Amsterdam Theatre and the Metro
politan and Manhattan opera houses as
well as many others that do not happen
to know about except by general in
formation.
The enormous p opularity Of the flying
ballet in The Sleeping Beauty and Peter
Pan has brought to the attention OF thou
sands Of people this device, and it Ia not I'M
usual to credit the invention to one or the
other OF the productions named. The truth
Ia that the flying device is one OF the old
timers in equipment matters.
Personally saw 10 twenty-five or more
years ago at Wallack's Theatre. which was
then at Thirteenth street and Broaway.
SO far as know the representation there
was the first given in this country. 1t
was done by a man named Conquest.
He made a great hit by flying right
through kitchen ceiling. use the word
hit advisedly for on that first appearance
through some fault OF the wiring when he
attempted to return along the same original
pathway he fell and broke his leg.