The Washington times., 1911-12-18
STAGE MADE ANEW
TO FIT "K|SMET' AT
NATIONAL THEATER
Entire Remodeling by Ex-
perts Makes Room for
Scenes of Oriental Play.

A transformation seldom seen in a
theater between the departure Of one
production and the opening of another
has been accomplished at the National
Theater, where for thirty-six hours q
force of carpenters has been working
steadily remodeling the stage to take
advantage of every inch of length,
depth, and breadth to accommodate the
production of "Kismet." a drama set In
the city of Bagdad in the twelfth GEN.
tury, which Klaw & Erlanger will give
Its first American production Wednes-
day night.
In the capacity Of advisers and d.
rectirs there was ,present a group Of
managers, scene painters, expert stage
electricians. scene painters who made
each alteration or addition from blue
print plans that might have been
drawn for the orikinal construction of
the stage, so radically different were
they from the former physical design.
About the only things left as they
were are the side and back walls and
even these have been pressed to the
limit in setting the lines for the nine
scenes contained in the three acts of the
play.
AouA IUt AAIcm W OIueu.
From the proscenium arch to a depth
of forty feet there Is not a floor board
that is not new. Steel Orders and
beams have been moved and in one
place space Of % by feet square has
been cut to allow for the tank that will
contain the bathing pool in the harem
scene In which the women Of the harem
battle during the action Of the play.
Around the proscenium arch there has
been built latticed frame of Oriental
design. back Of which will be dropped
curtain, on which are the Arabic SYM
boiic quotations, which, Interpreted, read
on the right. Lesson taught by fate"
on the left. (which the poets call Kis-
met" This frame and curtain will be
used between scenes and acts, instead
OF the usual drop curtain Of the theater.
From this frame, backward and up to
the roof. the greatest labor has been
performed. New lines for the Hanging"
of scenery have been strung; new pegs
even on which to make them fast when
the scenery Is set. The wiring for cleo
trio lighting is an entire new system;
than tripied: For the trap.doer rh Tor f the
secret passage in the play, and for the
the. foundation flooring were installed
and stairway was built:
In the fly gallery and above on the
'eridiron," from which are suspended
the scene parts, everything movable was
taken out and the space was allotted In
well calculated inches for the lines and
pulleys needed for 'Kismet." On the west
side an improvised property" room was
built and beneath the stage and wher-
added. and in final preparation every
thing not absolutely needed for the me-
chanical working of the scenes was
taken out of the building.
Experts Direct Work.
In the group Of experts supervising the
work were Marc Klaw, the theatrical
magnate; Harrison Gray Fiske, pro-
ducer and manager, and Mrs. Ffske,
Edward Knoblauch. the author. John
Murray, and five noted scene artists,
Homer Emens, Walter Burridge, Frank
Unit. Harry Gates. and Ernest Albert.
Il When the production was prepared
for American presentation Mr.. Ffske
and Klaw & Erlanger called q meet
ing of the men who were to build and
paint the scenery. A series of blue
prints was laid before them and each de-
tail explained. Then they were told
that one great scheme was to pervade
a general tone of blue and gold, and
T. B. Mcdonald, scene builder: Frank
Price, electrician, and Theodore Seidel,
property man, were kept in consta ut
consultation with the artists SO that
there might be harmony throughout the
scheme of color and furnishings
Four carloads of scenery were moved
into the theater on the heels OF the de.
parting Pink Lady, of last week. and
from midnight Saturday until noon to-
day there has not been a moments ces-
sation In the work of making anew the
stage OF the National The company
takes possession this afternoon. and
from now until the hour Of opening
final and dress rehea will b. piv