Evening star., 1914-01-25

the limit of grandeur. There were all
kinds of properties.
There We're weapons as props" for the
battle scene and a mass of trivial things
which lent the note of realism to the
production. 1t is recorded that when
that show landed in Washington the local
property man wept aloud.
.'There amt a place in the theater to
stow all that stuff he moaned.
And there wasn't. Part of the scenery
was placed under the stage, after the
back of the stage had been piled up like
a department store before the Christmas
rush. Still the wagons arrived. And
when all of the props and scenery had
reached their destination the alley out
side the stage entrance looked like NOV
ing day at an apartment house.
Moreover Mansfield, with the care
which made him famous, became sort
OF general property man himself. Every
fitting had to be placed thus and so.
The noted actor made up his mind that
the setting of scenes which were to fol-
low should be placed at a certain part
of the back stage'-and if there wasn't
room for verytning at the particular
place he selected he simply swore.
After that performance was ended the
property man spent days in reading the
prospectuses sent out by rest cures and
sanitariums. This saved him from be-
coming neuraSthenic.
How much depends on the property
man and what he is expected to do on
short notice is illustrated by two tales
which they tell in property rooms today.
The first relates to the production in
Washington some years ago of a melo-
drama which was intensely popular be-
cause one scene showed shipwreck.
There were billowy seas Of canvas
through which the vessel fought her way.
She was apparently driving straight on
the rocks when, high above her, there
shone the rays of a lighthouse. Then
the audience heard the toll Of the light
house bell-and the band played on while
the saved ship steered out to harbor. 1t
was a great scene and the audiences used
to go time after time to see it.
When, the show came to Washington
the Monday night performance went off
without hitch. Tuesday night came and
the first two acts moved as smoothly as
they had the night before. Then, when
the second act was almost over, di-
sheveled, maniacal figure burst upon the
stage manager. 1t was the property man.
Somebody's swlped the lighthouse
bell!" cried he.
The manager felt his reason tottering.
The ship scene without that lighthouse
bell was a John Drew comedy without
John Drew.
Find one." Kissed the stage manager
"Wot?" said the property man. in an
injured voice, dye think I can go out
and pick up bells like them?'
Get bell!' roared the stage mana
ger, land get out of my sight before I
forget you have a wife and two small
children
The property man disappeared. The
shipwreck scene was set. The curtain
arose. The laboring vessel slowly plowed
her way through the riotous billows of
canvas. The lighthouse lamp suddenly
shone forth and then
Breaking in on the dismal scene like a
breath from the sunny pastures of the
southland came the sound of COW
bell!
kle tinkle'' would go the bell. and one
could fairly see the lowing kline and the
fresh grass and all the rest of it. As
combination of marine and pastoral eff
greatest ever staged in Washington. And
the strangest part of 1t all was that the
audience didn't even notice the entry of
a COW bell into the lighthouse and ap-
plauded as vigorously as had the audience
of the night before.
When the scene was over the stage
manager sought the property man.
Where did you get that bell?'' he
asked.
The property man exhibited it proudly.
1t was all old tin can with. two iron bolts
and a bit of stone tied inside as clap
per.
Another story which they tell of
property men gone wrong relates to
a horsey show which visited Washing
ton about five years ago. 1t was one
of those plays with a grand old race
track scene. and the heroine tripped
through most of her lines clad in a !
riding habit.
Now, the first act was laid in a draw
ing room and there were two entrances
which demanded the attention of the
property man. First a maid came on
stage with feather duster and brushed |
at the furniture in that aimless man !
ner peculiar to stage maid servants.
Two minutes after the maid was on !