The Electric Light In Stage Setting

The beauty of stage setting is being greatly enhanced by electrio light dovices. For instance, in a play fonnded on life on the Mississippi, a most iealistic bit of scenic detail is introduced. In one of the scènes, which depicts a sónthern swamp, the air is thick with fireflies, which flit and glow with a most realistio phosphorescence. The secret of this effect is a net hung in front of the back scène, upon which are fastened innumerable small Geissler tubes. These are connected with a battery actuated by a keyboard, which can be operated at the will of the electrician. By Bwinging the net gently backward and forward the motion of the fireflies is perfectly imitated. In the weird opera of "The Flying Dutchman" an extraordinary effect is pioduced, as the phantom ship comes in sight, by the bursting forth froru the topmasts and yards of St. Elmo's fire - the pheiiomenon which occurs in the tropics on account of the electrical tensión between the earth and the clouds - and the streaks of bluish white light wave like spectral banners high over the glooruy deck and the ghostly steersman. This striking illusion is effected by placing on the top of each mast a 100 candle power aro lamp, which ia operated individually from a keyboard. Another Wagner opera, "Die Walkure, " is indebted to a beautifnlly conceived combination of light and steam for one of its most important spectacular features. Olouds of steam are always effective in a stage picture on account of their susceptibility of taking the color of calcium or electric lights. A box about 15 feet long, having half inch open slits in the top through which the steam escapes, is masked behind a low set piece of rock or shrnbbery and connected at either end with steam pipes. As the clouds rise a row of white, red and blue incandescent lights from bebind gives the appearance of sunlight sparkling on the mist of a waterfall, while to complete the fascination of the scène a rainbow is seen playing on the