Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-28

on the last act OF the producers came to and
asked had been able to ferret out the for the
GOODNESS of the audiences reception of the play. sug-
gested that the lighting in several of the
wrong; suggested further how the change in lighting
might be easily accomplshed,-the changes were ex-
ceedngly trvialand suggested still further that the
producers try out the scheme the following night
They did So The play took sudden lump in pop,-
larty; the scenes that had missed fire missed fire no
longer; and complete out of what was
almost failure
When Marion Crawfords drama, "The White Sis
ter, the preliminary process of production, it
became evident that going to have trouble in
keeping the central figure of the play the white
about whom the dramatic action revolved in the fore
ground in of the situations The for
difficulty lay the manuscript that called for the pres
of numerous other white sisters the stage at such
times. These latter, obviously, had to the same
white costumes the central character, and ap-
precated consequently that the eyes of the audience
would have to be trcked into directing themselves in
these away from the lesser white sister dramatic
figures toward the leading white sister character What
do? After three days of vain endeavor in attempt
ing to gain the desired end by dsposng the characters
in various positions about the stage it became impressed
upon that the salvation of the situations and
in point rested in light. Accordingly caused soft
white light to be directed at the central character while
she was surrounded by the other women dressed in
white and the longed for effect achieved at
The light which would not be detected by the audience
for the good and sufficient that the audience
would stop to think about it, made the leading
character stand out against the other characters SINH
larry CARRIED, drew the audiences eyes toward her
(that is, toward the strongest ght) and assisted in
lntusng the necessary power into the situations.
THE way in which insufficient analysis of the power
of lighting it relates dramatic effect may work
for harm to dramatic situations may be illustrated in the
of "The Man from Home" At the end of the
ond act of this play, Daniel Pike the from Indiana
is found alone in garden in Sorrento with his ward,
girl who is bent making ttedforeigner matrirno
NAL alliance. Pike endeavors awaken her reaza
ton of her snobbishness analysis of her American
heart; short, to her 1t evening The
is setting When arrived at this point in the play
during the last stages of rehearsal the actor playing the
part of Pike, the role the presentation, asked
that the rays of the setting be directed at him dur
ing the scene, that he would be made the central
figure and that the eyes of the audience would be
chained to him during the action of the Without
stopping to thnk,-for my mind at the moment
busted with certain other details of the producton,I
said "All right" and the electrician ordered to
direct the rays of the setting at the actor the
latter had requested.
The next day, when the scene was rehearsed again
| observed at once that something
wrong; but what that defect was | could not
grasp. The same thing fastened itself my i
mind at the dress rehearsal; but still Is
batfed. Then came the opening highland
in a flash the realization of what wrong
came to The audiences curiosity, at the
point of the play under discussion, concerned
itself not with Pixies actions, bat with the :
girls. what is she going to do?~ the
audiences and only thought. And, there
fore, when Pike made the main figure in
the scene in the audiences eyes through the
directing OF a strong light upon him. the
audiences senses were divided against them
selves The audience looking at Pike;
but it was thinking Of the girl And,
suit the effect of the scene ruined. The
explained to the actor. He was s
quick to appreciate the truth OF the facts in the
case. The light OF the setting sun was shifted