New-York tribune., 1914-11-29
PLAYS O. PLAYERS
The Power of MelOdrama-How Joseph
Urban Designs Stage Settings.

emperOr's palace, where little Swanhlld
is so full of happiness because she is
fifteen years old and can rise TO the
surface Of the water now for the first
time. the scenery is more fantastic
than real. But IN the second part,
after Swanhild has gone TO the sea-
witch and received a potion which has
given her two feet in place Of tail.
and she has become the page Of the
Young prince of the Blue Mountains
whom she had saved from drowning,
the scenery is more normal But II IS
still more poetical and ideal than real.
There is a scene on the holy island,
where the young Queen of the South
lands and her six maidenS play. II is
there that the body Of the young prince
who is saved from the sea is carried
by Swanhild. and is found by the
queen. The little queen is more human
than any other figure in the play. II
is a flower growing in the grass, sweet
and innocent and full of sunshine, not
knowing why it lives, but very happy,
that symbolizes the queen and her
maidens First of all, | must choose
the island. so that will know what flow
ers may grow there. Then | may de-
sign the costumes. The maidens should,
/ think, be dressed in the colors of the
flowers which surround the queen on
the island. The little queen herself
should always wear touch of blue.
. She is like the pure blue sky.
After ] have made the sketches Of
/ the scenery said Mr.. Urban, 81 make
small models Of il, just as II Will look
and be on the stage so that my work
men will understand by looking at the
models what | could make them under
stand by words. Then we paint the
real scenery. We choose different tech
nique for different expression, just as
/ in costuming we must use different
materials. Cotton would never be ele-
CANT enough for princess. She must
have soft silk and jewels. So must the
material for the King Of the Crabs be
/ harsh and rough. If we want TO make
. light and flowers we use pOintllagei
which means that we do not paint IN
one solid mass. but in spashes, to give
F the effect Of light. If we want TO make
darkness and shadow we use different
technique. But in painting we must
always choose colors which will give
/ the living effects of a real landscape.
A stage scene is not like a picture on
the wall which stays always the same.
We must paint settings which Will
change and move. For instance, one
scene which begins at evening in a
golden atmosphere may change TO dark
ness and then TO moonlight. The colors
in the scenery must be such that they
will respond right TO the different
I lights. Il is all very easy 20 ono who
/ knows where TO put the daub Of red
I or green or blue, but to him who does
not know the desired effect IS impossi-
/ bic TO attein.
After the scenery is designed, then
sketch the costumes as | feel they
should be-" said Mr.. Urban. Little
Swanhild was not a real mermaid. She
did not want 10 live under the sea for
/ 500 years and then turn into sea foam
She was more than mermaid. She
had a great feeling for the sun and the
air and for the humans. She must have
a long, slender, graceful tail and fms
: blue-green hair and decorations OF
Jewels longing, wistful air about her
/ The costumes for every one-thc sol
der swordfshes, the Prince Jelly Fish
the Prince of the Blue Mountains, the
fat cook-sll, every one, l dreamed
about and sketched. Then ! called FOR
/ Mr.. Allessandro Sappelli, the costumer
and explained 20 him the different
characters and what ] wanted. Then
( he read the play OF Mr.. Sheldon, so
that he could feel the difference better
and carried out my wishes in the cos
tunes. lIr. Ramsey, the Liebler cos
tuner. assisted him.
What ! have told you of designing
for The Garden of Paradise" is true OF
every play or opera ! design said Mr.
Urban. ~ try to make everything har-
monize greatest art. To the artist
the chief thing is not praise, but the
feeling that he has created the right
setting for the play. He must not make
a circus spectacle out of play. The
lines and acting should be first, the
scenery last"