Show r r 1 fr K y 1 r d r 1 ll llA fJ D I A SHADOW THEATER Delightful Entertainment ment Which You YouCan YouCan YouCan Can Provide for Friends Frendl It is not difficult to prepare the necessary necessary necessary essary fittings for lor the shadow theater 1 t 1 I 2 K The Shadow Theater To begin with the stage Either the folding doors between two rooms would be suitable or a three leaf l screen with the upper half halt of the middle middle mid mid- middie dle die cut away and placed In a doorway or falling failing this in the room Itself so arranged as to hide the stage man manager I ager alter and from the audience A e r Figure 1 transparent tracing cloth or muslin dipped in water and well wrung out must be strained across the opening A drop or sliding curtain must be arranged arranged arranged ar ar- ranged over the stage which must be high enough to admit of or the operator standing or sitting at the back below A A. very narrow ledge runs along the x 7 S Figure 2 inside to rest relt the figures on so that they nearly touch the transparent sheet They are held In the hand by bya a piece of or c cardboard or wood glued to the back see Fig IV If a screen is not av available the framework of a shallow shallow low box would do the transparent cloth stretched so as to Jea leave ve room for the tho drop curtain in front The e Figures 4 and 5 b. b box should then be suspended by ropes from its four corners and fastened to walls and floor curtains being thrown over OTer the ropes to hide the operators A shadow stage is usually about one yard and a quarter wide and one yard high A piano is iso I o placed in the front 0 of f the fhe th e scene areas where the performer per per- former with back to the audience takes the place of an orchestra The figures can be J first drawn then thea pasted on to cardboard card card- board and cut with scissors or knife But Dut those wishing Fig III to go to work seriously and have a stock company of lasting clean edged clean edged shadows should cut them In zinc as decorators do their stencils Jr Jf they are to move they must b be Jointed as in Ira Fig IV which shows how a Gibson girl can be f tl LH 0 made to trail and iway sway rhythmically across the stage after the manner of her kind The limbs are cut off orr and a n apiece apiece piece of or cardboard being added they are replaced with wire and manipulated ed by means of or cotton or string kept in place by little wire wiro hoops thus preventing pre venting the tho string projecting and becoming becoming be be- becoming coming visible to the audience The Tho cardboard clowns sold in which dance and gesticulate wh when n a string is pulled would be of or great help helpin in understanding the mechanism of our little shadow figures The arrows pointing to the forearm of or Fig IV indicate that the tho arm has been Jointed here but replaced b by a knot of or elastic which gives a lifelike life Ufe- like springy motion without requiring requiring ing to be bo manipulated with string A pretty Dutch scene could be bo reconstructed reconstructed reconstructed re re- re- re constructed by taking a similar subject subject subject sub sub- as Fig II The Mill Fig III Ill could be fastened to the side of or the j stage as shown in diagram to represent j sent the middle distance The sails I if it fastened on according to diagram have havo only to be bo touched to be bo set in motion Subjects similar to Fig I. I representing the fairy tale of or the Princess Princess Prin Prin- cess of or the Geese will wUl suggest themselves themselves them them- selves readily to those who are fond of or telling fairy tales to children |