Sachs' Electrical Stage "Bridges," Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

From a Photograph by Alfred Ellis & Walery.

The new "Gridiron," Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

and the enterprise made great headway, more particularly on where the number of divisions of the stage is further reduced account of the protective measures against fire proposed soon to a few medium-sized sections, worked by means of a comafter the burning of the old Ring Theatre at Vienna. The bination of a central hydraulic ram and suspended cables duly movement gradually developed throughout Austria and Ger- counter-weighted. The top work in this case is entirely countermany and spread beyond the frontiers of these countries. Con- weighted, and requires the least possible manual labour for currently, independent movements originated elsewhere, and manipulation. An example will be found at the Wiesbaden from 1885 to 1895 a transitional period may be said to have Court Theatre. We next have the Sachs system, where electric existed for the stage, both in Europe and in the United States, power is substituted for hydraulic power, the number of stage but by the close of the 19th century the necessity for reform | divisions limited to several large sections, suspended on cables was recognized in every country. During the transitional partly counter-weighted and partly worked by electric motors, time various unsatisfactory experiments were made, some of while the whole of the top work is balanced on a system similar the boldest experiments proving costly failures, yet serving, to that of the Brandt, with intermediate electric motors for because of such features as were valuable, as a basis for further the manipulation of particularly heavy loads. It is this last developments. Great Britain and France were almost the last system that has been adopted at the Covent Garden Opera countries touched by this movement, although in England House, with the modification that the top work is entirely throughout the 'nineties there was considerable improvement operated on the latest development of the Brandt system of in actual scenic art and stage-mounting, as far as this could be manual labour and counter-weights. Another example of the brought about without the aid of improved stage mechanism. Sachs system, as far as individual stage sections are concerned, Among those primarily responsible for this new epoch in will be found in a portion of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. scenic art in Great Britain were Sir Henry Irving and Mr . Regarding the question of expense and practicability, the Beerbohm Tree, both actor-managers, Mr Hubert von Herkomer, hydraulic system has generally been found to be expensive and R.A., Sir L. Alma-Tadema, R.A., and Mr Edwin O. Sachs, impracticable. The system of the Court Theatre, Vienna, architect. Although almost last in the application of stage though practicable, is costly both in capital and annual outlay. reform in its best sense, England really completed the experi- The Brandt method of equipping the upper stage mechanism has mental period with the modernization of the Royal Opera been found particularly suitable for medium-sized, theatres, House, Covent Garden, where, by the opening of the season and not expensive. The Sachs system has been found practicof 1902, the directorate were provided with the latest improve- able, of moderate initial cost and minimum annual outlay. ments of mechanical skill for the almost complete re-equipment The advantages of electricity over hydraulic power have been of stage scenery. This work of remodelling was carried out by most marked both in capital and in annual expense. There is the Grand Opera Syndicate, with Mr Edwin O. Sachs as tech- of course a far greater initial outlay required to-day than with nical adviser and architect. Modern mechanism has also been the wooden stage of old, but the saving in staff and wear and applied at the Apollo Theatre, London, where, however, the tear of the scenery, and the absence of expensive temporary stage equipment was bodily imported from the Continent and makeshifts, repairs and reinstatements, compensate for this by does not include any mechanically or electrically driven parts, a material reduction of annual charges. It is known as a fact manual labour alone being used. The stage mechanism which that upon an overhaul of the Covent Garden equipment being was employed in the equipment of the Royal Opera House, ordered after five years' running, the contractors could not find Covent Garden, embodies the Sachs system of dividing the stage-anything to do in the way of repairs or reinstatements. The floor into a few large. sections and working them with the aid stage carpenter has long reigned supreme in England and France, of electrical power, the Brandt system of counter-weighting although in England there are already one or two notable for the suspension of all scenery from above, the application exceptions of men who are advancing to the position of engineers of light in four colours by electricity, and the designing of all rather than carpenters. In Germany and Austria the stage scenery to accord as much as possible with nature, the whole carpenter is already being replaced in most theatres by men of mounting being built up on the basis of a flat stage as distinct engineering or technical training, as the more complex arrangefrom the sloping stage of old. ments of a modern stage demand intelligent and careful control. It is merely a question of time for the engineer to obtain general control in these matters.

The classification of stages generally, both home and foreign, whether for the production of opera or plays, should be made Stage as follows: wood stages, wood and iron stages, and iron Mechan- stages, with subdivisions according to the power chiefly ism. employed in working the appliances. These subsections are: manual labour, hydraulics and electricity. Owing to the almost entire absence of steam for motor power in connexion with stage machinery, a separate subdivision for appliances where steam is employed is not required. With the wood stage and the wood and iron stage manual labour alone is utilized. But in the iron stage manual labour, hydraulic power and electric power are either used individually, or a combination of any two or three of these classes is applied. The first series of stages built in accordance with the principles of Stage Reform was erected on what was termed the "asphaleia " system, in which direct hydraulic power was utilized throughout. The stagefloor is divided into innumerable small sections supported on rams (some working telescopically), whilst everything suspended from above is also worked mechanically by hydraulic power. Notable examples are the Budapest Opera House and the Municipal Theatre at Halle.

The next type is that of the stage of the Court Theatre, Vienna, which, although based to a considerable extent on the "asphaleia" system, showed somewhat larger sections. These are suspended by cables and worked indirectly by small hydraulic rams placed at the side, whilst the whole of the top work is manipulated by manual labour with the partial assistance of counter-weights. The next type is the Brandt type,

Scene

Regarding the actual designing and painting of the scenery, the English scene-painter may now be considered in advance of his Continental and American colleagues, although the productions of some notable ateliers at Vienna palating. and Munich run the English scene-painter's work very closely. In 1890 Vienna was in advance of England in scenepainting, but the English scene-painters have since then rapidly come to the front, and it is to be anticipated that it will never again be necessary to import scenery from Austria, as has been the case, both at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. As a matter of fact, scenery from Covent Garden and Drury Lane is already exported to the United States. The position of the scene-painter is particularly difficult, inasmuch as whilst artistic temperament and thorough knowledge of art are essential for the practice of his vocation, it is equally essential that he should be thoroughly practical and to a considerable extent a mechanic. He lacks recognition among artists and there is unfortunately a tendency to depreciate his work.

Modern
Inven-

During the period of interregnum in stage reform there appeared a number of faddist inventions which, while creating public interest, cannot be considered of lasting practical utility. Thus in the United States an attempt was made to have a large platform constructed like a lift, bodily rising and falling, with three different tiers or stages on which scenery could be mounted at different levels

tions.