The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-10-10
BEHIND THE CURTAIN.
Continued from PAGE 8.

SOuAisAdGG tiOiii dSN ~
teriaI that is true to American life and
clothes it with as much of Frances or
EurOpe's excellence in technique as will
not rob that material of one iOta of its
strength. Technical excellence of French
play writing combined with the great
emotional or optimistic strength in Amer
lean play writing, would seem to be
perfect product. The more French plays.
even in translatiOn, that America sees,
the more rapidly we shall attain such
product
x X x
Playing with the elements is one of
the favorite pastimes of theatrical pro-
ducers. No matter how satiated with
levity an audience may find itself, the
crash of thunder. the flash of lightning
stage thunder and stage lightning, Of
course-or the employment of any other
of the tricks that the magicianly pro-
Queer always keeps up his sleeve, invari-
ably will inspire awe and compel silent
attention.
In staging the utterance of nature, how
ever, the producer finds himself up
against the problem OF keeping his I'M
lOOsed theatres within bounds. Beyond
a certain point an audience is likely to
become terrified. instead of captivated
and entertained. 1t was a problem of
this kind that Manager Singer enCOun-
tered when he put on the second act
storm scene in The Goddess of Liberty
There have been many thunder and
stage and most of them have contained
about all the terror that ambitious crafts
men could devise. The Princess manager
wanted to go them all one better and
after much elaboration he hit upon the
scheme Of having a bolt OF lightning
flash from the stage sky and tumble over
a tree right over the heads of mis- prima
donna and the leading man.
As the idea was worked out the crash
comes after series OF terrifying claps
of thunder and much use of the arc lights
back stage. Accompanied by a noise
like a gatiing gun shot, ball of fire
di ops from above and strikes a tree trunk,
leVeling it to the earth in the Berkshire
forest at night as if impelled by the
whitening hand of a doomsday destroyer.
The faint-hearted in the audience might
well look forward the destruction of Sal
lie Fisher and George Parsons, who are
seeking shelter nearby, for they have
been talking about death and taking a
last farewell. But an end to their fears
is FASTENED by a drenching rain that
seems to afford relief to the mock nature
at work.
The audiences seem to like the thrill
of this scene, for they invariably APP
plaud it, Managers have learned that
play auditors like that sort of thing.
x X x
Richard earle spent his vacation the
last summer at North Muskegon, Mich
at Aunt Ouisa AlvOTd 5. He lived a regu-
lar countrymans life, moving the lawn
raking the hay, pruning the trees-anC
playing croquet. incidentally, he allowed
no razor to touch his cheek, and at the
end of three weeks he was the living i'm
age Of Convict $50. And by his whisker.
hangs this tale:
one Saturday night earle and Harrs
eastman. also q comedian, motcred ovel
TO MuskegOn from Aunt Ouisa's. Carl.
wore a tattered khaki uniform Zone from
1.-THE TenderfOOt" chOrus), a cOmmo
dores cap, shoes run down at the heel,
linen duster-and his whiskers While
the chauffeur was doing errands, Carl,
and Cushman waited for him on the MAR
street. In order not to be conspicuous IL
their dilapidated attire, they retired int
the darkness of a stairway, which led u,
TO the office of DR.. Black, dentist. DR.
Black is q crouch. but the actors didn''
know that.
By and by fussy little man came I'D
and, advancing towards the two eomedi
ans, said sternly: ''Will you two gentle
men kindly step one side or the other 5,
as not to interfere with business %
The two gentlemen" said in chorus
Certainly. and stepped aside. Inspect
ing the signs, they discovered that tht
stairway led to DR.. Blacks tooth EN-
porium. aud later they ascertained tina
DR.. Black was crouch.