CHAPTER VI

Making Your Scenery

The stage is made. The puppets have a floor to walk upon. Is anything more required? You say, “Oh, yes, there must be scenery before it will be a real stage.” Who shall plan and make this scenery? Shall this be the work of one pupil or the work of the whole group? All will want a share in it. This means that the large group should be divided into smaller groups and that each group should be made responsible for a scene.

Let us suppose you have dramatized Howard Pyle’s _Men of Iron_ and made a play of four scenes. In order to give the same note of unity to the scenery that you are trying to give to your play, every scene must be in harmony with every other scene and with the whole idea of the play.

Three scenes of _Men of Iron_ are laid in Devlin Castle, England. What do we know about castles and about English castles? When were castles built? We go to the library and find books that give us both illustrations and descriptions. In one of these, Quennell’s _History of Everyday Things in England_, there are drawings and descriptions of castles of the XIth, XIIth, XIIIth, XIVth, and XVth centuries. The story of _Men of Iron_ is laid in the year 1509. Devlin Castle had probably seen many generations of the Mackworth family come and go long before this time. It probably was built in the XIIIth or early XIVth century. Let us follow, therefore, the plan of a XIVth Century castle. On page 86, we find a ground plan and a picture of such a castle. Read the description of its massive stone walls and towers, colorless and gray, and of its courtyard and great hall. The first scene of the play is laid in the courtyard. The second scene is laid in the ladies’ garden. The third is laid in the great hall.

Your problem now is to give your audience a picture of this castle, and the varied life of its courtyard, its ladies’ garden, and its great hall. On a stage measuring 30 inches by 55 inches, how can this be done? If the settings are wisely planned, the audience will have such a vivid impression of the courtyard, the garden, and the castle, that they will feel they are living in the time of the play.

[Illustration: [Stage]]

You may be interested in the way a group of boys and girls planned the stage settings for this play. The first scene was laid in the courtyard. Instead of trying to show every little incident and detail of the life of the courtyard, every stable and blacksmith shop, every well and water trough, they asked themselves what important things happened in this first act and listed them as follows: First, Myles practised at the pells. Second, the armorer worked in his shop. Third, Myles played with the squire, and threw a ball over the wall. Then they took the ground-floor plan of the XIVth century castle, as they found it in the book, studied it carefully, and planned this setting. Every stage setting must give the actors enough room to move about in. It must have exits. It must be a well-composed picture. It must be related to the scene that follows. You can readily see how this careful planning met each of these requirements: First, it gave room for their puppets to do what they were required to do. Second, it gave them the two necessary exits, one into the castle, the other out to the drawbridge. Third, it made, by the arrangement of wall, towers, and armorer’s shop, a well-composed picture. Fourth, by this arrangement of the first scene, they were able to carry the imagination of the audience, with Myles, when he climbed over the wall, into the ladies’ garden, in the second scene.

[Illustration: [Stage]]

Another group planned the second scene. They imagined themselves on the inside of the garden, on the other side of the wall shown in the first scene. They asked themselves, not what do we see, but what happens in the garden during this scene.

First, Lady Anne plays a lute and Lady Alice dances.

Second, Myles tumbles over the wall.

Third, the Earl of Mackworth comes from the castle and returns into the castle.

Here is the plan they made. You can see how they planned first to have plenty of floor space for Lady Alice’s dance, and then, to keep the wall away from the back drop so that Myles could climb over it. Second, it provided the necessary exit. Third, through the arrangement of ivy-covered towers, trellised wall, and garden bench, it made a charming picture. Fourth, by means of the exit into the castle, the interest of the audience was carried into the third scene.

[Illustration: [Stage]]

Still another group planned the third scene which is laid in the great hall of the castle. Their purpose was to make the audience feel the spaciousness of the great hall and of its galleries and corridors. Again it was necessary to think of what happened in this scene. The first difficulty to present itself was this: How can enough space be provided for eleven puppets to be on the stage at the same time, to move about freely and moreover keep the stage picture beautiful? A clever boy thought of making a gallery at the side for Lady Anne and Lady Alice to sit in. This gave them a place in the picture and enabled their puppeteers to stand behind the wings of the bridge. Here they were out of the way of the other nine puppeteers who stood on the bridge behind the back drop. These illustrations will show you the floor plan and elevations. Another boy ingeniously planned the doorway seen in the elevation, for a rear exit. He made two back drops. In the rear drop he made a stained-glass window. The forward drop he made in two parts. As you can see in the illustration, he placed one section just a little in front of the other. This provided space between the two parts, for the passage of the strings of the king and all the other characters that should enter from this doorway. To the eyes of the audience there appeared to be no break in the wall above the doorway, neither did the eyes of the audience detect the painting of the tiled floor on the rear back drop, done in perspective, another bit of cleverness, which seemed to give width to what otherwise would have appeared a very narrow corridor. Whenever one sees a puppet going out through a door, or passing by outside a window, he is interested, because it gives the suggestion of life and activity beyond the stage.

You have a chance to show yourselves artists in the placing of doorways and windows. Doorways that open upon courtyards, or that give glimpses of distant landscapes, and windows that open out upon gardens, are charming details when appropriately used. Avoid, if possible, painting doors and windows on to your scenery.

[Illustration: [Stage]]

The group that made the tournament scene had the problem of providing plenty of space for the puppet spectators. It was decided that a very effective scene could be made by placing the royal box, for the king and his court, at the rear of the stage. Directly in front of the box there was space enough for the tournament. The entrances for this scene were on the right and left, and were large enough to admit the horses and their riders. On the back drop was painted a landscape of the surrounding country, with hills, trees, and a distant castle. It usually happens that certain members of a large group are more drawn to one scene than to another. If there are too many in one group, some pupils, realizing the importance of equalizing the size of the groups, will, good-naturedly, turn to the assistance of the smaller groups. There should be boys and girls in each group, and a chairman selected for each, who will be responsible for his group. Each chairman meets with his group to discuss the requirements, general arrangement, and the color scheme.

Do not be in a hurry to begin. Have the impression you wish to convey to your audience clearly in mind. Close your eyes. Can you see with your mind’s eye the place where the scene is laid? Can you see its color, the movements of your characters, and hear their voices? Does the picture which comes to your mind’s eye put you into the mood which you felt when you first read the story? If it does, you are ready to begin. Take a sheet of paper about 14 by 17 inches. Let the rectangle you draw on this be the same proportion as the proscenium arch. As you plan within this rectangle, keep in mind the picture your audience is going to see when your scene is presented.

When the plans for a scene have been submitted, choose the best one, or put all the best ideas into a new plan. Remember, if you understand proportion, everything is possible. You can show lofty cliffs that seem to tower into the air. You can show level plains that seem to stretch miles to the horizon.

When you have finished your plan for each scene, you are ready for your tools and materials. Here is a list of the things usually required:

Tools

Rulers Scissors Hammers Brushes Saws, large and very small Screw driver Dye pans

Materials

Beaver board Wood Unbleached muslin Burlap Tacks, nails Screws Dyes Gesso Glue (flake and liquid) Oil colors Water colors by the pound

Suppose that you belong to the first group. Take your plan and place it before you. For the back drop, wall, and wing, you may use beaver board, heavy paper, canvas, or muslin stiffened by a thin coat of boiled starch. Now go to your stage and measure the height and width of the back drop and the wing frames. Then cut out the back drop and wing from the material you have chosen. Place these in their positions on the stage. Take a piece of charcoal, or soft lead pencil, and lightly sketch your design onto the back drop and wing. Now step back, at least ten feet, in order to see if your arrangement, perspective, and scale are correct. You may find that your distant tower is too large or too small, or that your trees are too small or too tall, or that your arrangement is not according to your well-worked-out plan. Make your corrections. Then take the back drop and wing from the stage, and lay them flat on desks or tables. With your scenery in this position carefully complete your sketch.

Now take a piece of white chalk and draw on the stage floor the ground plan. If the tower nearest the front is made large, and the one farther away slightly smaller, you will get the effect of distance. You will observe that the larger tower is not round, although it appears so to the audience. By making it flat at the back, you gain floor space for the marionettes that may be waiting to go on the stage. The bases and tops of these towers are of wood; the sides are of strips of wood which serve as a foundation for the burlap cover. The armorer’s shop, too, may be made of wood and beaver board. The effect of stone may be produced by covering the surface of these towers, walls, and shop with a mixture of sand and gesso.

_Colors._ When you are ready to paint the scenery, you can use ordinary house paints, showcard colors, or water colors. House paints are ready mixed. Water colors are practical and inexpensive when bought in powder form, but when you use them you should add several tablespoonfuls of a fixative made from flake glue dissolved in water. Various kinds of showcard colors are clear and pure and very easy to use, but they are comparatively expensive. If you cannot afford many colors buy red, yellow, dark blue, and white. By combining them you can get a wide range of colors. If you are not limited in the amount you can spend, add to your list orange, light green, light blue, mauve, and magenta.

_Color Mixing._ You probably know something about color and the mixing of colors. However, you may find the following directions helpful. First let us experiment with yellow. If you add a very little bit of blue to the yellow you can see the yellow turning to greenish-yellow. As you gradually add more blue you can see the greenish-yellow turning to yellow-green and finally to green.

Let us begin again with pure yellow. If you add a very little bit of red to the yellow you can see the yellow turning to orange-yellow. As you gradually add more red, you can see the orange-yellow turning to yellow-orange and finally to orange.

Let us begin once more with pure yellow. If you add a very little bit of blue and red to the yellow, you can see the yellow turning to a grayish-yellow. As you gradually add more blue and red you can see the grayish-yellow turning to yellowish-gray, and finally turning to a neutral gray.

Let us experiment with red. If you add a little bit of yellow to the red you can see the red turning to yellowish-red. As you gradually add more you can see the yellowish-red turning to reddish-orange, and finally to orange.

Let us begin again with pure red. If you add a very little bit of blue to the red you can see the red turning to a bluish-red. As you gradually add more blue you can see the bluish-red turning to reddish-purple and finally to purple.

Let us begin once more with pure red. If you add a very little bit of yellow and blue to the red you can see the red turning to a grayish-red. As you gradually add more yellow and blue you can see the grayish-red turning to reddish-gray and finally turning to a neutral gray.

Let us experiment with blue. If you add a little bit of yellow to the blue you can see the blue turning to greenish-blue. As you gradually add more yellow you can see the greenish-blue turning to bluish-green and finally to green.

Let us begin again with pure blue. If you add a very little bit of red to the blue you can see the blue turning to a reddish-blue. As you gradually add more red you can see the reddish-blue turning to bluish-purple and finally to purple.

Let us begin once more with pure blue. If you add a very little bit of yellow and red to the blue you can see the blue turning to a grayish-blue. As you gradually add more yellow and red you can see the grayish-blue turning to bluish-gray and finally turning to a neutral gray.

Brown, which is not a pure color, is made by adding a little blue to orange. There are yellow-browns and red-browns, but some blue is used in making every one of them.

_Value and Intensity._ What do these technical terms: “Color Value” and “Color Intensity” mean to you? There is a certain satisfaction in understanding their meanings and in being able to use them correctly. Value refers to the amount of light reflected by a color. Light red is lighter in value than dark red. A color is always made lighter in value by the addition of white. Intensity refers to the strength or brilliancy of a color. Pure red is intense. When a little yellow or blue is added to it, it becomes a grayish-red, and consequently is less intense. If white is added to pure red, its intensity is lessened.

_Brushes._ For the painting of the scenery you will need several brushes of different sizes, varying in width from the small sable brush to the inch or inch and a half bristle brush. Use large brushes whenever possible. Work from left to right, using horizontal strokes or vertical downward strokes. Brushes are expensive, and should be given excellent care and thoroughly cleaned after using.

Let us suppose that you are ready to paint the scenery for _Men of Iron_. Let us take Scene I: what is the time of year and what is the hour of the day? You answer, “It is a day of sunshine, in early spring.” Spring skies are clear and may be painted light blue; the trees may be painted yellow-green with splashes of pure yellow to give an effect of sunlight. The castle towers, wall, and armor shop, should be painted a warm neutral gray. An occasional touch of darker gray at the top of wall, windows, and tower suggests thickness and adds to the illusion you are creating. The distant castle tower on the back drop should be painted a lighter gray because it is far away.

In the second scene, the time of year is midsummer, and the time of day is mid-afternoon. Therefore, the sky was painted a deeper blue than that of the first scene. The trees were painted a richer green; the flowers were painted in brilliant colors. The castle walls and towers were painted a yellowish-gray, while the vines that clambered over them were painted a rich green. In order to carry the imagination of the audience into the castle, a circling stairway was painted on the right wing. The audience caught a glimpse of this stairway at the right of the tower.

In the third scene, which is laid in the great hall, the back drop, wings, and walls were painted a lighter gray than the outside walls. Sand and gesso were mixed with the gray paint in order to give the suggestion of rough stone. The great stone walls, as you know, made the old castles cold and colorless. This coldness was relieved by stained-glass windows, rich tapestries, hangings, and colorful costumes.

The boy who painted the tapestry for this scene went to books and to the old tapestries in the art museum for his inspiration. He produced the effect of rich tapestry by painting directly on the beaver board, with thin vertical strokes of pure color. Another student produced the effect of stained glass by making a design on tracing paper, painting it on both sides with water colors, and then fastening it to the window opening in the back drop. Manila, Haytol, or oak tag paper may be used instead of tracing paper; you can make them translucent by brushing both sides with a little linseed oil after the water colors are dry. A light placed behind these stained-glass windows brings out their designs and colors.

In the fourth act, which is the tournament scene, the time of year is late summer, the time of day is late afternoon. On the back drop was painted a landscape of the surrounding country, hills, trees, and a distant castle. The sky was painted a pale gold to signify the success of Myles in the combat. The royal box and fence were painted a dark earth brown. The box was enriched with gold and colorful hangings.

These directions are not meant to be followed. They are merely offered as suggestions, to assist you in meeting the problems your play may present. Every boy and girl ought to feel free enough, in every phase of his work, to express his own ideas. This should be equally true in arranging or writing a play, in making a marionette, in planning and constructing properties and scenery, and in experimenting with lighting. Few pleasures in life compare with the pleasure of creating something. In planning your scenery, much depends upon the plan and the type of stage you have chosen. No matter what the play or what the stage, you can make no mistake if you keep your backgrounds simple. Some of the greatest artists use no scenery. They produce their effects simply by means of curtains and lighting. Begin your experiment by using curtains. A light gray curtain for a back drop and the sides of your stage can give many charming effects, as you will discover when you begin experimenting with colored lights.

[Illustration:

_Scenes from the Marionette play, "Men of Iron."_ ]

Few things will show your judgment and good taste more than your scenery, which must be first, last, and always, a background for the marionettes. This means that it must be either lighter or darker than the puppets, so that they can be seen against it. It must be so simple that the eye can follow the marionette easily, and not be lost in the detail of the background, which will happen if there are too many colors, and the colors are not of the same value. The scenery should not be an end in itself, but should be a beautiful setting for the marionettes, and by its fitness give an added sense of the beauty of your play.

[Illustration:

_How to pull your curtains. Attach central ring of one curtain at A and the central ring of the other at B. Pulling string C closes the curtains, while D opens them._ ]

So far we have not thought of the frame for our stage, which is called the proscenium, nor have we spoken of the stage curtains. These are important because they are what might be called an introduction to the play. If they strike the right note, they may even hold the thread of interest between the acts. It is usual to have a contrast between the proscenium and the curtains, and between the proscenium and the several settings of the play. If your play has several brightly lighted scenes, you will probably find that a gray proscenium with a very simple, appropriate design looks much better than a brightly colored one with elaborate designs. Use the same good taste in framing your stage picture as you would in framing any other picture. Grays, yellows, and dull gold are always pleasing. The best material to use for the curtains is unbleached muslin. Because it takes dye so beautifully, it sometimes comes to have the look of the richest old velvet. It should be thoroughly soaked in hot water and then rubbed between the hands before dipping in the dye bath. The selvedges should be gathered together and then the entire piece should be wrung out. The dye bath should be ready. If you wish a plain color you may dip the entire piece, usually four yards, two for each curtain, at one time. If, however, you wish to have the curtains darker at the bottom than at the top, you must allow the lower part to remain longer in the dye bath. As you gain experience in dyeing, you may wish to use two or even three different dyes for your curtains. The curtains for _Sigurd, the Volsung_, kept the same color symbolism as the costumes. The upper part was yellow to symbolize the wisdom of Odin, running into orange to symbolize the home ties of the Volsung line, and into deep red at the bottom, symbolizing the valor and courage of the hero, Sigurd. The curtains for _Men of Iron_ were red at the top to symbolize the valor of Myles, then purple to symbolize the royal blood of the Mackworths, black at the bottom to symbolize the deceit, overthrow, and death of the Earl of Alban. Until you have acquired skill in dyeing it is best to hold to very simply colored curtains. These may be either in harmony with or in contrast to the color you have chosen for the proscenium. The curtains should never be ironed. They should be smoothed out with the hands, when the muslin is still very damp, then hung up to dry. Hem carefully at the top and bottom, fold into pleats at the top. Small brass rings should then be sewed on to every pleat for the curtain strings to pass through. To the bottom of the curtain small dress weights should be fastened every five or six inches just under each curtain ring. Crease the folds with your hands. Your curtain may come to have its own way of looking just right—of behaving properly when it has its part to do, and may add the last note of craftsmanship and perfection to your scenery.

[Illustration: [Stage]]

[Illustration: [Marionette]]