The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-07
LIKE REAL WAR
Impressions Behind Scenes at
the Ground Up"
1t Seems That Actual Fighting
Is to Begin.

No matter how the battle scene in
1.-THE Roundup which gave the sec
on of three nights engagement at the
Grand last night appears to the spec
tator in front, behind the scenes II is
as real as any battle you ever saw
Such a statement may seem exaggera-
ted, but any one who has seen a oooy
of troops preparing for conflict Will
appreciate every movement OF prepara-
ton for the battle.
The horses, some Of them champ1nE
at their bits, paving the floor anu rear
ing on their hind legs, others the only
quiet living things in the bustle OF
getting ready, remind you OF a troop
of cavalry waiting for the command 10
charge. The nervous supes, who acc
as soldiers are as excited as bunch OF
Twentieth Kansans, impatient to start
after the Filipinos-
sattEe Is Real Behind Scene.
And when the battle begins it as real
as can be without the whistling OF oui-
lets. You cont hear their ping II Is
true, but you nearly choke to death on
and if is real rattle back of the Wings
the .'plackity plack-plack- PACK OF tn5
machine gun recalls wildly to MIND
descriptions of fights.
The realism is apparent IN an I'M
IRRESPONSIBLE sense. If you stand at the
side of the stage just as the curtain
goes I'D on the third act, you see ulInlys
ever so far away it seems, the vans u
a canon, yelled in the purple ana Dlue
Of a desert sunrise. The rocks seem TO
shiver in the chill air of the approach
of dawn. All is quiet You know just
what is to happen, that IL IS an ~ 4
play, but you SILVER just the Same
1rI,e1 through the stiffness to the &C
commandment of the slow music OF the
oroTestra comes the weird hoOtlnS- You
know that this owl signal is the war
CRY of the real Apache, ana the actor
T~dian who eIides by on his horse, the
GOf1nd
bark spread on the incline, seems hkS
a real Indian. Again you shlVer as He
repeats the boot
Feel Imminent Danger
7-ro,,, 1,o1Ir nosition behind the scenes
- ,.-a+c1, the procession of mounted
yvar-painted men file by on the poiilJs
as silent as statues. Again comes me
feeling of dread. You laugh at Soui
self and watch closer
1-ben comes the figure Of the man,
Who slides over the sand ana means
for water Your throat lnVoiultaIilS
in sympathy with his tnlrsl-
when the battle begins, even II you
- lot a .ssupe'' and are allowed be-
hind as a courtesy, you get excited ana
nI+bo1oh coughing with the pungent
2 l-powder in your throat, you cie0i
end cheer with the rest at the hnale-
I,,nressive even is the un-realty or
~ ea++ines You come in the stage
door from the dimly lighted alley at
tbe rear of the theater On the Dig
crowded stage, masses or tim pef-Iraihe
work like circus seat supports loom up
in the semi-darkness- The
frs7,9es are covered with canvas. but
1-ou have to touch the cloth to make
sure If is cloth and not solid rock rep
resented.
R1t YOU have not much chance or
room for such verification Although
tha stage manager and assistants are
courteous you have an instructive desire
TO get in a corner and shrink into as
small a space as possible. All is hurry,
b1t NOT TOO much confusion. The stage !
manager is in a dozen places ana CIV
ine as many directions. answering as |
many questions. it seems at once.
Your ewes are now accustomed to the \
gloom. You can see thai behind the /
fence around the house in the first act |
& concealed the furniture for the sec
md act And as soon as the bottom
IF the curtain touches the floor after
Tho first act from the high loft drops
! rectangular piece of canvas. Stage
hands glide toward the front Of the
stage like shadows. bearing frame work
1pon which is stretched the canvas of
he house walls. The cottage is made
md the curtain rises again.
No Time Is Lost.
In the mean time. the work of get
ing ready for the third act has been
soing on. The runways Tor the horses
which are supposed to descend the can
N trail are put into place. A Whit of
he night air comes in to the paving
md stamping of horses as the big door
s opened and the animals come in on
he stage You are told to avoid the
leeIs of some of these hors~s as they
re bad ones and you do So The
caffolding supporting the mountain"
ides is moved silently into place be-
lind the outside Of ths stage cottage,
nd the horses are led up the incline
o their places on the scaffolding. The
supe'' soldiers begin to tumble up from