A PEEP' BEHIND

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2483, 9 June 1915, Page 9

A PEEP' BEHIND

BUILDING A FAIRY PLAY. ". . . . And the good fairy who was so sorry for poor Cinderella waved her magic wand and the pumpkin turned into a beautiful golden carriage, drawn by six white mice, and then with another wave of her wand Cinderella's rags vanished and in 'their place was a beautiful white silk dress, gleaming with gold and silver. "Enter!" said the good 'fairy, "and away to the Ball, but return by twelve o'clock.'" All tho imagery adapted to the child mind is inherent in ithis hard-working old fairy tale. Who is the child who has not shed tears at poor Cinderella's sad lot, and who would not have strangled the nasty ugly sisters for two pins had they had the chance? What raptures has every little girl gone into over Princo Channing's sensiblo action in falling in love with Cinderella, and how the same little girls have waited for tho end "all in pins and needles" for fear the Prince would never find tho one little foot in ill tho world that would fit the glass Ripper. Tho glamour of the ancient nursery classic never quite wears out, for the simple reason that it is a classic, dealing -with primitive emotions, and ending just as it should end. It takes a lot of doing to act up to youth's imaginings, but J. C. Williamson, Ltd., have no delicate qualms about , tho matter, rhoy have taken the risk before of anting fairy plays,' and why not "Cinderella"? "Cindy" and Prince 1 Charming, ind the ugly sisters, and the coach and rix all arrived from Sydney by the Uoeraki yesterday morning, and are row >nly waiting a wave of the magic hand >f the stage manager to live again the )ld story. Not if they watched closely ill day long would any curious/children lave seen these wonderful people. They iro not Teally visible in the daytime, tfor would they have seen Cinderella's ritchen, or ithe Prince's palace,' or any >f the places visited in the story. All ;hat was to be seen by the closest seru;iny were heaps of long panels with bits if 'trees and houses painted on them >eing carted away to the Grand Opera louse, and stowed against the walls of ho stage by men that looked nothing it all like fairies, and big iron-bouna >rown boxes being tumbled about anyiow with as much noise as possible. . . . 3ut there was the beginning of mystery. >o linos of ropes, hanging so thickly a to resemble a curtain, were awaiting he arrival of tho rolled-up scenes ifco ba iud" away up in the air above the stage intil they Sre wanted to complete the llnsion in Cinderella's mimic world, and h rough ithe asbestos curtain could be leard tho tinkle of an orchestra. Peep hrough— "Look—l must havo the house-lights," I he shirt-sleeved conductor is saying, "I an't see anything!" "You've gat all the orchestra lights. r uu can have tho house lights if you like, ut they'll cost you a pound an h ur. 'hat's my instructions!" all right! Now from the chord ] C," the conductor direata. "What about this 1G bars hereP" iys the first cornet. "Thafs nothing—unaccompanied chorus n the stage—go right on. Now there's ' call for the Prince six-eight time—like lis. 'La—la—la-la-la!' . . . That's right, ow!" Whilst Ithe orchestra was in the throes, hero aro busy feet behind. Big brown oxes were being trundled to their ownrs' rooms. .Pretty girls were wanderlg about looking at the name-slips on lo dressing-room doors to know where ley are to live for the next week. The roperty man was arranging his staff, ud tho wardrobe mistress had an eye a the dress trunks. All was ordered infusion; everybody looked important nd talked sharply, and so tho busy ■ene went on all day and after dark laking Teady for the appearance of in'derolla to-night.