The sun., 1910-05-08
Sem IN EHR WORLD OF ART
STAGE PICTURES OOMPOSED ny
DAVID REL.ASCO.

Vsmua-Dwsg Wesa EnEEaytnSs -
Vasw-EMhIations at the GalieF,es.
RRiohard Wagner had had such stage
manager a. David BsIascO he might have
realised hls stage pictures 20 the fuh-
Wagner saw In his Imagination the goT-
Gsous opiO q wood and wind. of say.
earth and water. but how orudoly these
were translated By his various scenic
aRtlsts thoss who went 10 tho perform
ancos &C Bayrsuth during the earlier years
ven know. Thsro b much Improvement
since thsn. though Vienna with Prof
RollaF and Munich At ths PrinErsgenten
ThsatsP have sgt he paos. The point We
make Is that Alr. Balanoo. who has ths
renius 20 ombody on tho boards what be
manaally visnahmes. might have kept
Wagnar from committing thS numerous
ains naainga good taatS from which ths
visitor % nayrsulh suffers Whsn IN the
andieoriu1u at me festival piayhOuas. We
remember with q ahudder that glAring
flower wnrAsn with rosa like cabbaGos
and Eat. foolish PaFsiSul moving about In
the hldeOuS ohEomatio medley Of badly
attirsd fOwsr naidsns hsaded BY Kun-
dry who weighed half ton. Deoidedly
tha Rslasco shatle touches would have
ruftansd tAs picture. for Belasco 10
paintgr born.
JuSS how Ne playwright works e has
been our privllegs 10 witness. Glowing
tales Of . magnificent atelier furnished
with OEisntal luxury. q dreamliks atmos-
phors, muhiolang gloroualy pulslng through
the parfaHnsd ar. with the magician, the
KliNosop oe these snchantmsnts. sumVtu-
Ouuly arrayed. composing in an eca1aay
hs plays "a he sips ahsrbst or pifs az
hs nArRile, have been narrated; but
unlika b ths reality. The BelascO studio
situated somewhere In the Belasoo-
Btuyvesant Thsatro is truly magnificent.
but not In an exotic ssn@s. The Interior
reflects the artistic tastes and nsntal
habits 0f its occupants. Il h full Of
beautiful objects. and emphatioally the
Abods oe q working man. q man who
spsnds a least aixtson hours of hia day
In protracted COncantFAted labor. ID \
the atsllsr Of an artist who employs the
big Ilame Of the Stags instead Of few
feet Ol canvas upon which to record his
forms and oOl0rs.
To reach that aocrst rstroat h a. DIM
cult az 10 gain q Vatican audience; and
when your passports are vised by the
watchill chamberlain ROeder. even then
yOn are mystifsd by the manifold ap-
proachss 70 the dramatlst-up circular
iron stairoasss down long corridors.
across chambers where the engines Of
theatrical construction puzzle the neo-
phyte. up more stairs. down again. until
you think Of enigmatic engravings by
PirAneai IN which immemOTial humans
wander from dungeons 70 air swept
spaces, only 10 descsnd for no particular
purpose In the world except the fantasy
Of ths artist. Finally you do enter
through q low narrow doorway and you
do ind yourself In the presence Of the
picturesque master. who is In a house
robe beneath which paiamas show. There
IL M pose IN his welcome, no pretentious-
ness IN hts snTToundings The simplicity
and good taSts of everything II frst
deceive yOa. for the room =. croWdsgi
with rare thinwss fuFnitur~ that h hot
only Wonderfeh IN design but al historic
interest Evidences that Mr. Balaaco
attended the sale OF the late Stanford
Whits are borne strongly iR upon you &C
sight Of marbles and marvellous wood
carvings Of clocks and the great Rildad
iron liOn which swings above: Of French
bagpipes and bellows, Of stamped feathers
and Middle Age tapestries. lamps. shields.
esoutcheons. medals. coats oG arms.
stairs that lead to upper chambers. A
collection " Napoleon pictures. books.
letters, manuscripts. even a lock Of the
imperial hair proclaim Bslasco a lover oF
things NapOleonic. Books that range
from Sixtsonth century vellum covered
volumes nf Action Of yesterday are Of In
terest 20 those who sssk In his reading the
real man: bus there are matchless Dresden
scts, embroidery. Damasoeno blades, old
pewter. bnases-aeverai singular plates
with the quotations from the Torah
carved On them. a medieval Bavarian
dining table with jugs that date to the
Crusades or thereabOut, desks before
which kings and queens sat and wrote.
mirrors into which Razed Du Berry and
baAkers out Of which poets drank. rugs.
dnpsries-it IA like a masqus Of the Old.
ell thess lnanimats yet eloquent objects
with which the artist n enciruled. What
. sstting for play In which philosopher
or poet or composer would hgurel
Wagner In his prosperous years had
10 gaFb himself like a Persian aalvaD 20
~ 10 excite a haGging musical and poetic
imagination. Some men have written
immortal dramas in a cellar. The
modern playwright is not Of this sort.
SardOu loved luxury and hooks. pictures
and costumes. BelaacO works best In
his studio because hS IL cut on from the
world, and becnuss after he has con-
ceived q scenic setting he can cross 70
another room and make a practicable
working model 30 as 10 teat his ideas.
Mindful Of an Interview We once had with
Paul HoFvieu, the French dramatiat
~ Questioned Mr.. Belaaco a. 70 the wnv
hs naw his stage pictures; whether a
dinay room In an old fashioned boarilnv
hOuss. or . misty morning, with soliiarS
riding In the distance, or q moonlit drpaU
Of old Japan. he convinced us that Ia
is what the psyOhologists have called !
"vi@laiisi.' which HsFvieu is not; aluo an
-auditive,' which Hsrvieu IL. Bslascc
hears every biz Of dialogue he compose,
land ho always rsfashions every snasch
Of his plays, Whether written In OOllahoa.
ton or not). He dictates dialogue and
"husiness.' and from the hnutv 49,,