New-York tribune., 1918-03-03
The Art of Lighting
a Stage
David Belasco, Tirelessly Experimenting, Has De-
vised Methods of Illumination Which Follow the
Varying Moods of Nature

ences or of intensifyng the emotional effect
of speech or situation, to have some sort
of musical Interpretation accompany the
play. A trace Of the custom still survives in s
the term 'melodrama,' which implies drama
with musical accompaniment; but my con-
viction was that the most powerful emo-F
tional appeal could be made, and the strong
est interpretative agency gained by the use
of color and light.
"From the time when, as a boy | used to
play with toy theatres lighted with lamps. |
have tried to reach my audiences through
their senstiveness to color and light. Later
when | became stage director for managers
who did not have the financial resources to
provide even adequate scenic decoration, I
made my strongest appeal in the same wav
10 use color, not for mere adornment, but
to convey a message to the hearts of audi
ences has become my creed. The proof that
am right is my love CT nature and my
intuitive knowledge of its moods
~ recall that when | was child | de-
lighted in watching the changing effects of
light upon the mountains, the ravines the
river banks and the Every hue in the
heavens, by day or night, interested me- and
then | began to study the moods of naturen
MR. BELASCO bases his faith in real
AvA ism in dramatic art upon the creed
that II you follow nature you cannot be
wrong, because nature itself is never
wrong" However, he points out
"a school of decorators has grown up within
the theatre which is trying to improve upon
the effects of nature. Thus has risen the
so-called new art of the stage. 1t has re-
suited in the eccentrcities OF coloring and
lighting that have had a titful vogue during
recent years. My own belief is that it ia
not only negation of truth but a waste
of time to try to improve upon nature, be-
cause from such an effort there emerge only
the tawdry the bizarre and the unreal
"This movement has not been confined
wholly to the theatre, but has spread among
the other arts. 1t has been utilized By un-
skilled workers to conceal their deficiencies.
and it has been lauded and champoned by
faddlsts who are always ready to fancy that
they discern sublime truth in things which
to normal eyes are grotesque and unreal
In the theatre it has manifested itself in
Opaque backngs, in the vivid, deadly color
lngs of extreme impressionism, and in eXac-
gerated architecture
Yet out of all this eccentricitv-this striv
ing to be different at any cost--much good
is eventually to come. Already the attempt
to exaggerate the effects of nature is pro-
viding its own antdote. From it all will
will be found to consist of just this-ight-
ing, colorng, simplicity, according to the
established laws of nature"
belasco has not paused, having achieved
the mirroring Of natures moods, but has
busted himself with such fine. Elusive de-
tails as contrivances calculated to bestow
illusion upon the player. An interesting
instance is thus given:
"In my workshop was invented the new
system of horizontal lighting which made
necessary the complete architectural remoi.
: cling of the stage OF the Belasco Theatre
before the production Of The Boomerang.' in
the autumn of 1915. Within "a wear every
theatre III New York which makes any etforg
at progresslveness had adopted the hood and
SIDE nights, with their peculiar DINNERS and
refectors, which formed the basis of the
process.
Years before this the 'Du Barry lights
and baby lights, which afterward went all
over the world, had their origin in my lab
oratory. 1t may be Of interest to know
thaC the former, which | invented for the
production of 'Du Barry, were brought into
existence on account Of i>,e brilliant red of
Mrs Leslie Cartef's hair and the peculiar
colorng Of her complexion.
she was Ike an April day all sunshine
end rain-and, as she was a woman Of great
passion and power, hcr emotional scenes
"ould tend 10 accentuatc the lines in
her tace and take away her beauty. saw
at once that the lights which were suitable
Tor the other actors in the company, both
IN nue. and intensity, not adapted to
her. They might make the other actresses
beautiful, but they made Mrs. Carter look
h'deous. 10 counteract their effect | con-
,rlVeo system of small, moving individual
llgh's' winch were KEEP fixed upon the i'm.
poftant characters as they moved about the
stage.
On account Of Mrs Oarter's coloring. the
hght constantly cast upon her was delicate
PINK which tended to accentuate her beauty
py softening the sheen of her hair and re.
moving TIE lines from her face. The device
was simple enough-after some one had first
thought OF it-and ever afterwara Il bps
: oeen blessing to red-haired actresses"