Victorian+Theatre+Technologies

= Victorian Theater Technologies  =

By Clay and Najla'a __//The Stage//__

The Victorian stage is inherited from the 18th century and features a rectangular proscenium opening, and behind it a working space larger than the auditorium itself. Above the stage and hidden from view is the gridiron. This is where machines were placed which used pulleys to lift the play's characters giving the appearance of flying. All the equipment is managed by hand resulting in a large number of stage crew. At the lowest level of this area a series of grooves allowed for the scenery to be slid on and off as required. This system, however, is starting to disappear in lieu of "flown" scenery and free-standing scenes secured to the stage floor by braces or mounted on wheeled platforms. Machinery below the stage is just as important as that above it as it was used to give the appearance of scenery or characters disappearing below the stage. The noise created by this equipment is a bit disturbing and the orchestra compensates for this noise by playing extraordinarily loud during scenery changes.

__//Scenes and Scene Painting//__

The resident scene painter(s) (some of the famous being the Grieves and the Telbins) are valuable members of the theatre company as it is their job to produce scenery that not only represented the play, but also an impression of the real world. And as scenery went from being two-dimensional to three-dimensional, the more valuable the artist. First, the scenery had to be sketched and then turned into a prototype model to insure that the composition, colouring and lighting all worked as one to create the scene desired. This model was then in turn recreated into a frame approximately 40' wide by 25' high. To these frames would be attached gauzes, linen and muslin on which the scene was painted. There were two distinct varieties of scene available, the 'set' scene and the 'flat' scene, and they had different effects and purposes. Indeed, one of the criticisms levelled against Victorian scenery towards the end of the period was that the two different types of effect were mixed indiscriminately in the same show. The 'flat' scene was called 'flat' simply because it was all painted on the flat on the canvas stretched on two great frames, which slid together in grooves and joined at the centre. After use, the picture was split up the middle and the two halves were pulled apart again. All this was done without having to drop the main curtain so the audience could see what was happening. The 'set' scene on the other hand was much more complicated. It was not flat but made up of several separate cut-out moveable pieces (called 'set pieces') arranged one behind the other on separate planes. The contemporary objection was against having some scenes painted on the flat and some in three dimensions. Every scene, moreover, had to be preceded by either an interval or a flat scene behind which it was prepared. This put a great limitation on playwrights who had to see that no two elaborate scenes came together. A common method was the 'corridor cloth' with a scene taking place in a corridor.

__//Lighting//__

When it came to lighting, the Victorians were less resistant to change. Lighting went from candles to oil and gas lamps to electricity in two generations. Prior to gas lamps, the theatre stages were lit by a combination of wax candles and oil-burning lamps for the footlights and in the wings. Gas-lit chandeliers supplied light to the main auditorium and this light was left on during the performance, though it sometimes was lowered to create a ghostly image or moonlit scene. Lenses were used to increase the brightness of the gas mantles. Every lamp was supplied with a metal shutter which would stop it shedding its light on stage, thereby making blackouts possible in theory, if not in practice. Gas and electricity emitted a more brilliant light that enabled directors to use lighting for theatrical effect and this increased their use. As a result, further legislation required that audiences seated at all levels could be evacuated quickly and safely in the event of fire or panic evacuations. Most theatre interiors used a lot of wood, including seats, balconies and structural supports. At that time the average life of theatres was just under twenty years owing to the risk of fire. Tragedies such as the fire at the Theatre Royal, Exeter in 1887, in which more than 190 people lost their lives, led to more careful planning of new theatres or the refurbishing of older ones. Fire exits and escape routes became a statutory requirement. The development of cantilevered balconies was another innovation. These steel-framed structures covered with concrete did not need supporting columns that impede the audience’s view of the stage. Concrete soon became a popular material for theatre interiors, not only for its resistance to fire, but also because it could be moulded into elaborate curved forms.

__//Sound Effects//__

Until the 1890s, sound effects were all produced traditionally. Thunder was created by rolling a sheet of iron or rolling cannon balls down a wooden trough. A rumbling vibration was created by striking a big wooden drum with the skin tightly stretched over it. Wind was created using a wind machine which resembled a paddle-steamer wheel. Rain was made by crushing dried peas into a wooden box and shaking it.

__//Technical Rehearsals//__

Prior to the dress rehearsal, a technical rehearsal would be made, supervised by the theatre manager, to insure that all the scenery and lighting worked properly. Any special effects would also be tested at this time.

__Other effects included traps of every description (there were at least fifteen different types), waterfalls, fires, etc.__ __Above the stage was situated the 'upper fly floor' where the ropes that controlled the hanging scenery were operated.__