New-York tribune., 1912-01-07
TWO DRAMATIC MUSEUMS.
COIumbia'S Now Started-One
in London To Be
Founded Soon.

London ard New lOih CIV Nv" 49,
Cling with the idea, new 20 both Giles al
though not So new elsewhere Of founding
and eauippinC 4 dramatic museum.
New York; collection, now reposing IN
class cases In d room on the third floor o.
philosophy Hall Columbia University Is
"a far composed Of hyc delightful niue
models Of olGtimc theatres and a hUm"''
nf unusually interesting prints and ongrdN-
incs belonging to a date which makes therh
nov. look quaint The purpose 81 the l"u.
SCUM AZ Columbia Is to assemble modeIS OF
theatres OF different types and origlnatlhs
IN different countries. On the theory '''dl
the conditions Of presentation that Is the
kind Of theatre used, governed many points
in the composition Of the play and, in many
cases. governed its whole nature, these
models will, in themselves, explain to stu
dents Of the drama many things which theN
had not before understood in the great
r1asterpieces Of dramatic literature.
London's dramatic museum will be locat-
cd, according to latest reports, in room
in the new London Museum, which has
been erected out in the Kensineton Palace
Gardens The collection VII contain not
only models Of old and new playhoUses but
viii be a repository Tor interesting thea'T-
cal relics of all kinds. among them many OF
Garrick's costumes and playbills from the
time Of Charles H. II is possible. also that
Mrs Charles Enthoven, of CadoSan Car
Cens. will donate her seventy thousand
plaNbills, q collection which Is said to be
the largest Of its kind in the world.
Paris has a dramatic museum in the IL
hrary Of the Opera, and, if memory serves.
there is a small exhibition of historic the
atrical costumes in the National Museum
in Munich and some sort Of collection OF
Tho same kind in ST. PetersburG The one
N Munich is not composed Of genuine cos
,,,mes but Of models made on small dolls
IN to the present. however, the little eX-
aa,tion at Columbia is, with TIE exception
Of the one in the opera 1T Paris. unique Of
f, kind And the pleasure which may be
cot from a look at what is already assem-
Med aro.,ses interest iu Professor Brander
NI.tthews's cndaavor 10 add a great many
--.re models and 30 establish a thorough
a-srau, library iu conjunction with tn"
museum This will be done as soon as suf-
.~.su. money Is collected.
Columbia gives no course intended 10 de
.rl4y playrights, and this deficiency. If 1t
.-ay ns called so. will be largely atoned
Elr by .rc ruusel0I-whch, Jy the way IS
entirely open and free % the public at
-.ras-whera Tie would-bo dramatist can,
10 p measure. train himself
Professor Matthews has himself donated
a fine little model. executed by NM Du-
yfgraud and Cabin under the direction OF
lIarius sepat. Of the stage of the mys tery
acted at Valencieuncs in 1917. The play
~orcernel itself. as usual in the old mys-
heaven. earth. limbo and hell, and these
regions are represented side by side across
the wide stage. Heaven. it is interesting
10 note. was presented by Greek tenn
ole. atop of which the heavenly person
ages. cut out of cardboard and colored 70
taste, rcpOsed iu an ornate cardboard cir
gIc suggestive OF a halo, which was big
CROUCH tor all Earth was city scene,
with a palace in the for ground and some
spires and buildings, inGisunct, in the
background. Limbo was hardly more than
q hiatus with d sOrroWiul devil walking
across il. though there was pool OF
water down front Calas for the novelty
ef the IIippodromcD with miniature bark
afiOat on it--CLarOn's perhaps Hell was
the best Imagination has, in fact, always
done its best work over hell, and has sue
cecded in giving the place much better and
more detailed advance notices than heaven
has ever received. Hell, IN the Nalenci-
.unos mystery, was represented by q tine
old graystOur castl~. witt am entrance
made Of great dragons head. the mouth
wide open. belchinE hamos Fire leaps
from al! the lOOpholcs Of the building and
from the roof while people. grmacing
horribly. are seen through the Windows at
the moment Of being pitchforkod down into
the blazing dungeons below, by uonchalant
,oyIjs with tails waving and with splendid
smiles on their rather attractive features.
With such a background Of mere scenery
who could not act with grandeur and with
Imagination TOO?
The other French theatre shown is
O.. c.oss-scctional model Of one Cf Molerc's
pIayhouses which he used in 1861. 1t was
the Paus Royal erected by Cardinal
Richclicu in 1525 and is more like the the
.tres OF to-day than any other Of the old
timers II has a raised stage with wings,
and has su incloscd auditorium with an
orchestra-as the ground floor Is called iu
Amcrica-and balconies.
The three other models are English, AMI
how the development of the Elizabcthau
theatre.
one Of these is Of an open place in an
English village. and IS modelled directly
from the scene shown at The New Theatre
in the spring Of 1911. Around the sides and
l,ar Of the stage little village houses arc
,~t about irreeularly. with balconies jutting
.lyt over crooked streets that wind away in
very direction. The centre and foreground
Of tie sta4c form the "opcn place" wh-rc
She pageant wagon, representing N"ah'@
\gk was drawn up ready Tor t.c perform
auc,. VIHaeDrs stroll about the square oT
.it ia their traIl windoWs al leisure
Thoyc were lHc days when the theatre
went 10 the audience. And the same tbinG
was true Of tho next stage in the develop
mont Of the Elizdbcthan playhouse which IS
shown in little model called the Platform
Tn,ltT. Ia the courtyard of AN inn, In
tHo.. da.s, when tn architect built his
house on "a hollow square ana ran balconies
completely around each floor, strolling play
,T- would come in and erect a platform at
one side Of the square, with an entrance
from the back Of il into the house. The
audience could thcn come out from their
room upstairs, lean over the balcony rails
and watch the performance. Tho house
on four sides no doubt made
{ he acoustics very good.
The nnal Eizabctnan playhouse was
direct outcome Oi the inn-cOurtyard plat
form idea. n was a series Of balconies built
ON three sides Of a hollow square ana open
at the roof. Tho fourth side was the stage
roper and the tower erected over II was
the upstairs, which formed dressing rooms
and epace Immediately over the stage, from
which mechanical effects. stage angels, dp-