Studio: international art (41.1907)

Modern Stage Mounting in Germany

all his surroundings are painted from the outset in take place in a room, throughout the whole play,
the most sombre colours, totally unrelieved by any There is only one variation, when the stage is
natural touches. The lighter vein of the piece reduced to half-length by a " traverse" consisting
scarcely; acts as a foil to the tragic scenes, as it of another pair of curtains of the same pattern, but
would do if it were limited to the loves of Florizel this time with the linear design dark upon a light
and Perdita, but distracts us by the farcicalness of ground. The wings remain unchanged; but in
Autolycus, the old shepherd, and the clown. Scarcely consequence of being lighted differently, they
have we adjusted our mood to sympathise with the apparently have altered their hue, and the smaller
sufferings of Hermione, when we are jolted by the room seems altogether less sombre. It is used, of
buffoonery of the rustics. The contrast naturally course, for the slightly less serious scenes of the play,
disturbs us more when we see the play than when The wings, moreover, remain unchanged also for
we read it. Any new issue, such as a special feature the great trial scene, in which the curtains (which
of mise-en-sdne, is consequently welcome enough, act as a drop) are quite withdrawn. Here we find
for it relieves us by adding a new source of interest, the populace filling the background and hedged in
and thus diverting us from the disturbing anomalies by a rampart, which stands out dark against a light
of the text. sky. In spite of the extraordinary simplicity of

Prof. Orlik has had the entire mounting of the the means employed, this scene is very effective,
play, costumes and scenery entrusted to his care, depending principally upon the powerful contrast
and thus has been placed in a more enviable between the darkness on the stage, in which the
position than Fanto. The text of the original has actors appearing during this tragic scene make the
been somewhat simplified, of course, in order to impression of silhouettes against a sky seemingly
avoid much shifting of scenery, and the scenery glaring with the rays of the sun already set.
itself pursues the same plan, so that there are only It is difficult to say how far we may be
four settings in all. justified in generalising from a single instance.

When the curtain rises for the first time we see For this one play, however, the Orlik mise-en-schie
what may be characterised as the room rather than has proved indubitably that an unrealistic mount-
a room. The wings on the right and left consist of ing like this can do far more towards emphasising
masses of pillars of a neutral colour. There is no the main vein of the author and towards putting us
attempt at realism: there are no doors. The actors into the proper mood for appreciating the drift of
make their entries and exits between the wings with- his fancy than any carefully realistic setting could
out passing through any
such. The further half of
the stage is raised, and
half a dozen steps lead up
to it right across from wing
to wing. Instead of a
drop, a pair of large curtains
cut off the view with a
simple linear ornament—
light upon a dull, dark
ground. Where the cur-
tains meet at the centre
they are occasionally drawn
back a bit by invisible
hands, and the opening
serves as one of the princi-
pal entries for the actors. No
actual architectural structure
is presented to our view;
the main principles of archi-
tecture rather are suggested
to our imagination.

Th is set is rri3.clc to

"a winter's tale": autolycus, the clown, and the old shepherd
serve for all scenes, which , by emil orlik

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