Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-10
Behind The Vaudeville
Scene
by Frederic ]. Hsskin.

spotlight is rarely focused On The hidden
side Of vaudeville.
The vaudeville player differ. from The
actor in a thrce-act play ia that he has no
manager travelling with his production W
take caro- Of trunks, scenery and muse
Nearly every week he plays on a different
stage, with different fur nitine about
him, and a different orchestra IN front, and
if anything goes wrong with his at, he y
responsible.
II YOU watch the stage entrance n a
vaudeville house any Monday morning
YOU will sec the actors for the week gong
ia 10 rehearsal. About nine O'Clock they
begin to drift in and wander about The
stage, consulting the property man and
the electrician, locating dressing rooms
renewing acqtIaintances with other play
ers who happen 10 be on the blll that
week. The electrician goes about lOtting
down on a chart which ones want spot
light or colored lights, Or any other spe-
cial effect. Carpenters and stage hands
begin rolling down drops painted hke
forests and city streets from the dim
upper regions.
The property man has received in ad-
vance from each set Of actors a plan ~
the scene showing what properties will b.
needed. II bust Of George Washington ;,
n red bandana handkerchief, Dr a special
curtain il used In an act the actors carry
it with them But ordinary furniture and
settiugs are supplied by the theatre
The plan which the property man holds,
perhaps, calls for Studio, full stage Two
telephones, telephone bell three gold
chairs, piano lamp curtains az window
The property man gays these are ordinary
pieces u stage furniture and can al be-
got out d, the property room Ius' ~ the
stage where Tive" props-those often
used-are kept.
HARD SETTING
The plan for the nezt sct, however
csls for colonial kitchen
Hardest kind of a get % get together
remarks the pro perty man. Have ~ ~
NJ 70 the store room.
An elevator shoots us I'D n the fifth
! foar Of the theater. to room stockcd
/ like a weliequipped Old attic or ? 4ecnnd-
+ hand furniture store. He digs out spin
/ ning wheel from under a pile 0f wicker
! porch chairs. and kettle 3 discovered
/ back of thLone char, all red velvet
/ ard gilt paint.
II made that throne. says the property
man Took the legs of an I'D square
piano for the legs, and the pedals for
{ tffF hft{fH iitFa1F LtitN ~ tafftA7ihfiNF =
/ clock too, and he points 10 tall wOod-
+ pn. cardboard fsced clock which - Few
/ feet certainly would deceive anyone
II We got 70 get the rsm appars tus
while I'm up here he rnumbles from the
+ depths of a heap Of chairs and tables
/ Here y Is TOu ser its a round wooden
pan with handful of shot IN Il When vou
+ rattle { round, L sounds Just Ike ram
For surf We use this wire rettInR aOT-
with oyster shells irside J 0u rock Z
steadily back and fourth 10 get the effect
ot tho roll Of the waves We bang a "a =
drum for thunder, and drop this buck = q
glass and ron scraps for crash off-stage.
70 get the effect of approaching horses
hoofs, we beat two cocanut shells N
+ q carpet Tor turf, or on q piece Of concre =
Tor street.
Ever see stage bo0ks2 We take .
round piece Of wood Ike broom handle
and split il, aad pant each half y look
ike tie bach Of q book. The halves are
glued to the shelves of a bookcase. Mos {
Of our props are bought, though.
REHEARSAL
/ When we descend, the stage looks and
sounds more chaotic than ever. for, fOl
rehearsal with the orchestra has tIsl
begun 4 rowboat s beng put rogerhel
bv q stage hand under the direction a
an actor who has brought il n sections
TO use in his scene Behind this bIr q
carpentry, me stage j. weIrdiy dressed Y
drop curtain representing 2 long vista q
a BALLROOM. with garden flies -
longing 10 a different act on, each side
ana pieces Of a lowered silk curtain 2rl
beng put together and hung from apol'
In front Of the forest.
Down At the front 0f the stage s canoe
hands the orchestra : set Of books Wit
MS music inside.
Open with the introduction tw3ce, q
strict tempo. he says. Then OF suddenly
and when I hold out my hand 20 the Erl
swing INTO Love Ne
The oTcnestra leades mods, and the IN
PRODUCTION IS played, while the voun.
dancer Jerks ms head and MS foot 20 SHOW
the time he wants.
That's it. Now for the next number,
want the drums strong at the end. :,
he goes through the act pointing olE
me irregularities IN the score and m
cues ana insisting IN the time beng JUS
so Only the difficult parts sge played 20
there Is not time 70 rehearse everythIn :
The next number Is sn elaborate pro
ductlon with a large cast and a great Gea
of music. It has brought along It's owl
orchestra leader 50 the regular dJrecto
sits down In the front row OF the orches n
chairs 70 rest
Dancers are always nervous anou
their music. he explains, referring 9,
the vanishing dancer and his girl par the
The least variation from the prope
time may throw them out II step. o
spoil the effect of finale.
THE FIRE MENACE
There the Inspector from the ir
department pointing TO man IN blu
uniform who is carefully trying 70 set ir
70 some blue and silver curtains II
comes in every Monday 70 See that b
curtains, paper flowers. and other dec
orations brought by the actors are hrc
proofed
The blg drop curtain in tins thea,e
Is steel asbestos, nine inches thick
weighs l4tons, and when it's down 40,
can hardly hear the orchestra behind h
scenes. 1t would take an hour 70 burr
through it. Remmember that Old theate
fire IN Washington, when not a piece q
the asbestos curtain, that was suppose,
to be freproof, could be found in ri
wreck
When the rehearsal Is over. and u
20 back on the stage. 1t Is set for he 6rs
act Of the afternoon performance Il
the wings on each side Is arranged a httl
dressing room with a cheval mirror An,
a chair, and a screen around il. There vii
be maid on hand during the perfoI