The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-08-08

elements alone Everything that IS
used the stage. from a penhod-
er 10 elephant is the care Of the
overburdened props" and if one
act calls for an iceberg and another
for a incandescent from
furnace IL As "up to" props and the
stage manager. Everything but the
scenery. costumes and actors is
property. and costumes are
properties when worn by more than TX
person. go VI
Unless it is a modern play with
the dress of the period the manager
has to furnish the dressing ana the [
costumer follows the property man.
Unless 1t is a spectacle with many changes OF
costume for the chorus the costumer looks up
plates of the period of the play and submits de-
signs but for ar elaborate spectacle the costume
designer comes first and with the colors OF the
models in mind sketches designs in water
color which the costumer merely reproduces
BY this time the people" are cafed-the play
and the chorus. With good idea of the Var
characters actors are engaged who can rea
lie the stage managers ideas If II is a spec
tace, musical play or production with a chorus
the principals and chorus called separately
The chorus sit about the piano and a man in shirt
sleeves drills them in the music, playing the alto
parts with finger until the counterpart is
learned. 1t may be week or ten days before the
songs are learned and the ballet master takes
charge. He is to teach them the dances and
fancy steps that accompany the songs. The stage
manager has prepared maps showing the princi-
pal pictures, with the position of each girl clearly
marked, and has given the ballet master an Idea
of the steps he wants. This is the trying period
manager and ballet master impatient or pro-
fame in that ascending order. The ballet master
usually has the advantage of an excitabe Latin
temperament and a command of the oaths OF
three four languages
How a rehearsal goes
M EANTINIT1 the principals have been called some
ANA where else. The play is read to them, accom-
panied by a running fire of comment and their
parts are handed them. Each part consists OF
tyr ewritten sheets about six by eight inches AMI
carries the business" Zines" and "cues" of the
character part looks something like this:
..... here he comes now.
Oou enter r. u Ed
...... expected you before.
/ was detained by accident l trust that l
am not too late,
......are most welcome.
(You to Lady Mary and bow0
speech starts off. His last few words give the
"cue" for the noxt speech and on. At the first
reading the cues are not taken up quickly, but
soon the actors catch the swing of the speeches
and the action moves rapidly. Presently
the stage manager begins to work out the addi
tional business the minutae of the action and he
is less and less tolerant of the man who forgets
his lines.
In two or three weeks there comes the com
mand. 'letter perfect in the morning, and the
actor unless he is blessed with retenttve mem
ory groans for the command means that books
Will not be allowed, but that the actor must know
every letter in his lines. Another week or so ana
then comes the dress rehearsal, when for the first
time the ingredients of the dramatic pudding are
to be brought together and properly mixed. If
possible the scenery is put in place, costumes are
worn and all "hand props" must be in place to
guard against anything having been forgotten
It is seldom that the dress rehearsal moves
smoothly The knitting company cannot deliver
some of the tights for twelve hours some cos
tunes are not properly fitted hand props have
been forgotten the orchestral arrangements are
zinc ,vrford dicpn