THE NEW MOVEMENT IN THE THEATRE AS RELATED TO STAGE SETTINGS.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 23, 31 October 1929, Page 12

THE NEW MOVEMENT IN THE THEATRE AS RELATED TO STAGE SETTINGS.

Being the third cf a series of six .articles on matters theatrical by L. M Ass-heton Harbord, Producer Hutt Valley Dramatic Society.

The modern- revolution in the playhouse has taught no more serviceable lesson than this: that \he written play is only an incomplete expression of'the art of the theatre—that a drama is "only provisionally, effective until it is • actually staged. The new movement -has brought, a new conception of the totality.cf the dramatic production, of its architectoric nature. The art of the theatre exists not in the text alone, oi- in the acting, or in the stage 'setting, but ""in the production "as a whole" with play-acting, and setting-bound together to afford^one harmonious appeal- j -The mounting of the play is in a senso a sopaTate craft, but it is a craft. that exists oil 1-y for the sake of the. larger art—just as the craft of pictureframing may be said to exist for painting. And .* except in certain unsual forms of dramatic, entertainment the setting has no more positive function than the picture frame,

The average playwright has come to think of'the writing of the play as the whole art,' considering the mounting a ir.ere mechanical after detail; the usual stage "artist" on his side has come to think of.the stage setting as something entirely distinct from tho play, with, an independent appeal of its. own. Thus contemporary pla.y-mounting tends to tie two extremes; negligence of setting and over-exaltation of setting. The average setting is merely a shabby covering for the body of drama, or else a dress that outshines the weaT-

er. To understand the underlying fallacies of the ordinary sort of stage-craft it is necessary to go back to some first principles. In the first place theatre production is an aTt, and is subject to those general laws that by common consent taiderlie all art. As a work of art the specific production must be characterised" by seriousness, by dignity, by unity, and by a .harmonious interrelation of its component paxts^ Therefore there must be unity and harmony of play and setting—the setting must be in the "mood" of the play.

Again, it is a first principle that dramatic art distinguished from the other arts by its primary dependence upon action. The- development of the playwright's intended story, through the figures on the. stage is the main' thing. Therefore the setting should be so designed that it will concentrate attention on the actors rather than distract it from them. In other words the setting should be an unobstrusive background for the action, rather than a thing of conspicuous beauty or ugliness that will attract attention to itself. ;

: There is a moment after the curtain , rises, and before the action begins,! when the setting makes its more or less j positive appeal to the audience. Tie a\oragc.' stage ; setter endeavours so. to a, his work that in that moment he ,will get a round of applause for the "naturalness^' of the scene, or for the mechanical wonder of-its invention. The new stage' craftsmen in that moment after the rising of the curtain would make a quieter, inner, psycho- > logical appeal. They would have the stage suggest -subtly the underlying spirit.of the play, and haye it evoke .the mood in 1 which the'action-is conceived. By sub-eonscious~ suggestion they subtly carry the impression that the'scene is to" be tragedy or , comedy; with the art that conceals tfce means; they suggest that it is to be an intimate picture of domestic happiness, or a Stark portrayal ( of a severe les«pj» of life. By proper scale, and by the proper combinations of line and mass, "any atmosphere that the scene may icmand can be evoked in the imagina-' tions of .the audience. For example, the long straight, upright lines bring a sense of-'majesty, nobility, even severity;' accentuated' horizontals cany a feeling of restfulncss. ' A setting in large scale suggests tragedy; a setting in "cottage" scale, intimacy. So the whole'Tange of pictorial composition is applicable to the setting that is designed to be suggestive rather than delineativ'e," decorative rather than graphic.; By lighting too, the mood of the pro auction..-is suggested. The average]

tleatre-goer does not realize the v?ilue o<! lights as an aid to emotional appeal. Unknown to him, his sensibilities aic: continually being played., upon in the theatre by" the changing lights.

In its achievement up to this time,

stage-craft forms, the-definite beginning of a complete ..revolution in pTny-mminting. The only ones .who can not see it are the business men and th..- sign painters who unfortunately; control xtlic gieat majority of theatres. But we may be very sure that in time, art will conquer even them. For any r.ew. manifestation of beauty and truth ultimately' if accepted by artjoving peoples; .-and its ac&eptanee is not far di&tant when such, pioia'gonists as Gordon Craig, Max Reinhardt, and even Oear Ashe are pushing its plaims.

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