New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-01
Mr.. BeILGeddes and Others
The Young american Scene Painter Arriues-
Present Activity OF the ounger Generation
Made Possible by York OF Urban and Anisfeld

at once brought him into prominence,
was born in Detroit, and attended for a
very short while art schools in Cleye
land and Chicago. He then took up
portrait painting and magazine illus
trating, in which work he was exceed
ingly successful. At that time. however
he also wrote play, but, finding it of
type unsuited to the average theatre
stage, he determined to make a study
of the theatre. In furtherance of this
plan he obtained access to the stage of
one of the Detroit theatres, where he
studied all that went on, and where he
helped the stage hands and electricians
He also constructed in his studio a
stage of his own, on which he made ex-
permerts in all sorts of appliances,
especially in the matter of lighting
After leaving Detroit he lived for two
years in Los Angeles, where he designed
the scenery for stock company and
further improved his knowledge of
'ractical stage conditions. His first
work in the East was in designing the
last act set of "Shanews" at the Met
ropolitan Opera House, after which the
Broadway managers seized upon him.
1t is only in his set of "The Legend"
however, that New York has as yet al
lowed him even moderately full sway,
but in the coming production at the
Metropolitan of Henry Hadley's new
opera, "Cleopatra's Night" he hopes to
show Metropolitan audiences what he is
capable of accomplishing. Meanwhile
he has finished designs for settings of
"Pelleas ct Melisande" and of "King
Lear" and is about to set to work on
another play. 1t is these settings and
those which he made for stock COM
pany in Milwaukee last summer. Of
which he and Robert Edmond Jones
were directors, which he hopes will be
cons dered his, rather than the work he
has done for Broadway managers.
I'VE young chaps ought to be tire
mendously grateful to such men as
Josef Urban and Boris Anisfeld," said
Mr. Geddes recently. "These men with
worldwide regulations have opened
the door through which we youngsters.
can pass. Without them, our enthusi-
asm and whatever merit we may pos
sess probably would have been power
less to break down the innate conserva>
tism of the average American man
ager. But those men have opened the
eyes both Of the public and of the man.
ayers, and SO now we are able to get
an opportunity Of being seen. Of
course, we often have to compromise,
and Of course the average Broadway
show gives little scope for the magma
ton, but, at least, we get in our hand"
Mr.. Geddes believes that lighting
counts for more than painting in the
modern theatre.
"The painted scenery is the material,
the lighting is the spirit" is the way he
puts it. There is no need of modern
scenery being so horribly expensive.
With proper lighting it is possible to
do almost anything, the only trouble
being that the lights are not arranged
scientifically in most Of our theatres
With triad Of lights any color or
combination of colors can be obtained
and extraordinary effects in intensity
ing the mood can be produced by mere
ly intensifying the lights.
"The science of color is definite, yet
the average stage manager knows moth
ing Of it, save in the barest outline
In Europe Adolph Appia has perhaps
gone further in this respect than any
other manager, though Reinhardt has
absorbed and applied the ideas of
others. Gordon Craig was of use as
path breaker, but he writes and talks
rather than carries out his ideas. In