Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-27
ELIZABETHAN STAGE SCENERY.
Properties and Mechanical Devices in
Early English Theaters.
From the Fortnishtiy Review.

From the Fortnishtiy Review.
We have some idea Of the appearance of
the stage of the Swan Theater by draw
ing taken by John De Witt about 1885, cop
led into Arend Van BucheFs Commonplace
Book" preserved in the University Library
Of Utrecht. published by DIR. GaedertZ in
pamphlet in 1883 and reproduced In Mr.
T. F. Ordish'S Early London Theaters.
1891. and in other works since then. This
precious sketch shows the proscenium sup
ported frame. 1.-The turned columns.
the actors house. with windows and doors
Of entrance and exit. portable bench is
all the furniture represented, and there are
three actors rehearsing to empty galleries.
The heavens are not represented at all.
1t is evident. however. that at some parts of
the back Of the stage there was arras or
tapestry and some hangngs 1t may be re
membered that Shakespeare makes Hamlet
kill the spy Polonius when listening be
hind the arras:" and the trick upon NAL
volio could hardly be played without some
curtains shrubbery for the conspratorS
to hide IN
Ben Jonson in The New Inn" published
in 1929, definitely mentions the tapestry
called arras cloths and faces represented in
the hanKings. When the drama revived
after the hiatus in the development through
the commonwealth this use of tapestry is
remembered. Fiecknoe in his Short Dis
time scenery was fairly introduced. says:
Now for the difference between our the
aters and those Of former years. they were
but plain and simple. with other scenes
or decorations but only old tapestry and
the stage strewed with PUSHES. Cory said
in the prologue to THE Generous Enemies, -
1872:
Your aged fathers came to plays for wit.
And sat knee deep In nutsheils In the pit.
Coarse hsuginss then instead Of were worn
And Kiddermnster did the stage adorn
We may therefore jot down tapestry"
and the players house" SIS permanent
parts of scenery. The frequent occasions in
which characters are made to speak from
walls. battiements. towers and balconies
show that they had some contrivance for
representing these by utilizing the players
house. Yet any such representation might
justly be called further scenery. The stage
was also evidently furnished with trap
doors In Lupton's "All for Money 1878.
1t Is directed: Pleasure rises from beneath
the stage" In Lodges and Green's Look
Ing Glass for London and England, 1881
there Is the stage direction, The Magi
with their rods beat the ground. and from
under the same riseth a brave arhour;'
and later in the same play "a fame of fire
appeareth from beneath. and Radagon is
swallowed
In Ben Jonsons "Poetaster.' 1901. Envy
rises from the ground. Marston in his
"Antonios Revenge" 1902. uses the same
device and doubtless ghosts entered In
this way from beneath the stage There
were also mechanical contrivances by ropes
and puleys to raise gods and spirits TO
.ths heavens" sometimes the chariot OF
Phaethon and other similar properties are
stated thus to have been elevated Ben
Jonson gtrds against the practices of the
romantic dramatists in general when he
puts forward his own play of Every Man
in His Humour. 1898. Speaking in the
character OF the poet:
He rather prays you will be pleased 10
One such today, other plays should he.
Where neither chorus watts you DER the
Nor creakins Throne comes down the boys to
please,
rolled bullet heard,
To say 1t thunders: tcnpestuous drum
Rumbes to tell you when the storm doth come.
In ''Henslowes Diary there is an inyen-
tory OF stage property about 1898 which In
cludes, beyond dresses, ROCKS, cages,
tombs Hellmouth. a pair OF stairs Tor
Phaethon. a wooden Canopie and the Cioth
OF the sun and the moon. We know that
the sudden fire which destroyed the Globe
in June. 1913. caused by sa!Fo OF
cannon fired for the re}oicings during the
performance of 'All Is True; or Henry
VIII