| Show Actors Play Platy in Workshop To Learn Stagecraft Business The hero clasps claps the heroine in his arms arms and and the curtain falls on the second act of a stirring drama The stagehands and technicians hur hurry to arrange the settings for the final thrilling act which takes the characters charac tens from the wilds of Africa to a London drawing room The complete change of scenery tights lights and props is accomplished in to just three minutes and the veteran stage manager Jack Reidy nods approvingly Now sound the buzzers in the dressing rooms and get set for the curtain he orders Stand by the control board to dim the lights back stage Well We'll use the twilight effect ef ef- feet Its It's all strictly time big-time stuff but stuff but the whole procedure of stage technique tech is 11 being worked out under the proscenium of ct a unique miniature theater and the stagehands technicians clans dans and electricians are students of the Columbia College of Drama and Radio at Chicago Columbia's theater which is 11 believed be be- to be the most complete and faithful copy of a modern stage ever constructed Is 11 Reidy's Eddys idea for training aspiring thespians in every detail of stage craft Thirty years I trouping as an actor and nd technical authority backed up Reidy's Reidy construction construction con of ot the little tittle theater which t Marion Cluck Gluck left student duden t in stagecraft arranges arrange stage stag e settings for the he miniature th tIle the e atre while chile Jeanne Smith ha hadies han handles n dies die lighting effects from a control board measures 42 inches in width 3 36 0 inches in height and 32 inches in depth The stage opening is 2 29 26 9 inches across Every detail is 11 precisely to scale caJe one one inch to a foot foot from from proscenium proscenium prose e arch to back wall There are ceiling pieces which are stored in a rigging loft curtains drops scenery solid loUd doors parallels paral leis and platforms and a complete lighting system of footlights spots X-ray X border for colored effects an and d bunch lights lights all all operated from a tiny control board Reidy put 1 in n more than eight m months months' work in designing designing designing de de- signing and constructing the faithful faithful faith ful working model of a theater Weve found that this provides provide s the most practical way of ot teaching what goes on behind the curtain Reidy says Students are unable to grasp the details when they ar are confronted with the maze of technical cal devices in a size life-size theater But Dut with the miniature to won work k with their own hands and eyes eye s teach them eve every function of the Involved processes |
