Studio: international art (82.1921)

THE ART OF THE THEATRE. a

IN London, with but one or two ex-
ceptions, a theatrical production is a
chaotic affair knit together only by the
forceful personality of the producer. If
the producer is intelligent and masterful
the chaos will be less than if he is a person
who does not know his own mind. His
first act is to meet the author and gather
his views on the representation of the
play. It is quite possible that the author,
new to the theatre, has no views at all, or
if he has that they are not practical. The
producer's second act is to commission
A to paint scenery, B to design dresses,
C to write music and D to stage manage.
Now A will paint his scenery in Lambeth,

B will design his dresses in Chelsea, C will
write his music in Hertfordshire, and D,
who is incidentally responsible for all
" properties " and lighting, will buy furni-
ture in the Tottenham Court Road. None
of these people will meet each other until
a week or so before production, when a
dress rehearsal is called. The result is, of
course, muddle—dresses, scenery, music
and detail are contradictory and at variance.

Birmingham is luckier. It has a theatre
that is self-contained. From A to Z,
every detail—a wig to an elaborate " set "
of scenery—is made in the workshops
on the premises by experts. The play
is rehearsed, produced and staged under
one roof. In the painting shops adjoining
the designer has his studio and is able

"the garden of a thousand trees "
(the potter's shop) designed and
painted by paul shelving

(Birmingham Repertory Theatre)

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