The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-01

than the imagination OF the spectator. An
inanimats pantomime doing many things
that the modern theatre vainly Processes
20 do IL the experiment.
The inspection Of a sheaf Of ~puppets-I
u not say the p~ersonages OF the new
drama, for Mr.. Craig repudiatee both words
easily convinced mo that something In
teresting was in hand and that the whole
soheme was more concrete than il sounds
in the telling. These littls fgurants were
4 fine pre-Raphaelite sketches that had
eaten their way into hin boards.
Each had a bold and expressive silhouette
"A characteristic pose that The puppet
holds for an entire act. They were boldly
and simply scored with the ~chisel-aford-
ing splendid lines Of delineating shadow
when the puppet is swept by the strong
side light. Their make may be inferred
from the fact chat two Of the Illustrations
are printed on an ordinary press from the
linked puppet itself.
/ need hardly say that the ~fiatness, the
pictorial quality OF these marionettes diff
EerentiStes them from those in the round
and requires a different sort Of manipula-
ton Of the stage. Rather at a venture I
have suggested pre-Raphaslite influence in
the designs. but technically the linear pat
tern 10 akin TO those strange drawings which
Rodin makes with a single sweep of the
brush, or, a. IL happens. with a finger dipped
In the morning coffee. 1 r g these analO-
SteB merely TO describe the work. II super
Ricially. Blake. Of whom Mr.. Craig is a
devout admirer, 10 the real influence behind
IL all. The coloring OF Mr.. CraiG's puppets
il still tentative, but he IL moving away
from q fully tinted scheme toward one that
lets most OF the white poplar appear.
Indesd the experimental atmosphere
pervades the place r~eHreshingly. Looking
about, / saw that the present simpliied
style OF m~arionette had been adopted only
after many trials with more complicated
forms. There q for example, a very
impressive creature evidently inspired by
an Egyptian bas-relief. II was quite half
the size Of Life and appeared to be striding
formidably along its platform.
On pulling a series OF strings many accom-
plishments declared themselves skinny
arm was extended as IL to summon an mag
mary host. then the fingers opened quickly
as il TO grasp n victory. and finally the
left hand felt for the hip az il to swing the
scabbard within reach before the clash of
the charge. AND these were beautiful. rhyth-
mical gestures such a. hardly an actor of
our day commands.
Mr.. Craig explained that the torso moved,
and also the missing head, but that the
whole thing was too complicated and had
ceased to interest him. In the main the
new puppets will rave no individual ges-
lures. though OF course they may be moved
readily about the stage.
An exception will be made for heroes
and herOines who will nave a crucial gesture
or two. as it were, up their sleeve but in
general action will be subOrdinated to scene.
The whole picture will be more important
than any single act of one puppet.
The stage itself I found nearly finished in
the vaulted room downstairs. On the way
1 looked into a printing Office. Mr.. Craig
and his associate. the Californian, Mr..
Carmichael Carr. do with their own hands
all that the enterprise calls for. whether il
10 cutting a wood block for a programme.
carving or tinting q puppet, or the heavier
work about the stage. In this they have
the aid OF an Italian carpenter. who varies
the mere saving and measuring by group
ing the trial m~arionettes after his own
within.
The stage is seen through an advanced
proscenium behind which the lights are
worked. Thus the picture is to be well
within the frame. Naturally the most in
teresting Of the new various devices will
and should appear to IN audience merely as
an inexplicable effect, muc OF which will
depend upon the handling of the light.
Although fiat back scenes will often be used,
the most will be made Of projecting screens
and blocks which afford a fine pattern Of