The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1921-12-02
Turn of Switch Transforms the
Scenery, Costumes and Fig
ureS in London Theater.
WORKED OUT BY A RUSSIAN
u. Samolloff Asserts He lie Merely
Utilizing Harmony Between Light,
Line and color-PrineIpIes
Are Not New.

London.-The wonders accomplished
In transforming scenes, costumes and
actual figures from one period Of his
tory to another by a mere change of
light on the Stage of the Hippodrome
has set all London talking. In revue
now playing there is scene repre-
senting a very modern damsel signing
for her lover In frowning mountain
pass. She sings, the echo answers and
the audience is beguiled by the sweet
sentimentality of the situation.
Then behind the scenes somebody
does something and everything is
altered in a flash. The grim noun
tains become q Hindu temple, the
frowning rocks melt into sands and
palms and the tall, slender young
woman turns into a stout Indian
maiden. 1t has all been brought about
by change in light, by the manipu-
lation of more than 100 different
switches at the same moment, and the
audience is carried back 5000 years
and from one continent to another.
Every detail is transmogritied, and the
girl, who was clad conventionally in
a yellow artificial silk blouse with blue
facings and rust-red golf skirt, APP
pears now with her bust draped In
white, embroidered In black and
brown, with her waist unclothed and
her trousers-skirt pale cream with
graceful figured pattern.
Back Goes Everything.
An Oriental scene follows, with the
customary dances. Men and women
In all the finery of the East enter and
weave In and out In the mazes of the
ballet. The lover comes on, to all APP
pearances robed In the loose white gar
ments and the trousers of certain
castles Of Hindus. The action grows
fast and furious; the heroine Is threat
ened by rival she runs to the hero
for protection, and as he clasps her to
his arms some one throws those
switches again.
Back goes everything to the noun
tain gorge. and very modern young
man In brown lounge suit of unex-
ceptionable cut Is seen embracing the
young woman In the crowd of equally
modernly dressed people.
How is 1t done? Only Adrian v.
samoiloff. the Russian artist who has
worked the thing out, and the Moss
Empires, who hold the patent, can tell
In detail, but 1t is possible TO give
general idea Of this startling new
stage effect. When NJ. Samoiloff was
asked about II, he said:
'It's merely a matter of establish
ing and utilizing harmony between
light, line and color. Is 1t new? Well,
all the elements of II have been been
known for years; / have merely
brought them together and worked
them out scientifically and systemati-
cally. Do you remember. for instance,
the postcards we had as children,
which showed one inscription In one
light and another in another2 Well,
that's part of 1t. Then during the
war he heard lot about dazzle and
camoufage, and how few apparently
random lines Of paint would alter to
the distant observer the shape of the
outline Of a vessel. That's part of 1t.
too. have merely worked along these
and similar lines until I got the re-
suits / wanted"
Light Changes Costume.
But the girls skirt and blouse in
the mountain scene seemed to be of
solid color and heavy material wbila