In the meantime the illusionist has made his way out of the room by a door in the vicinity of the stage. Thence he hurries to a door leading to that portion of the room containing the audience. Pushing this slightly open so that he may obtain a view of the stage, he waits until he sees the shawl drop, when he unexpectedly and dramatically makes his presence known.
The assistant being arrayed in black apparel will, of course, remain invisible.
The only drawback to this illusion is, that it necessitates there being two doors to the room in which the “black stage” is erected. Then again, although a room may possess the requisite doors, one of them may be so placed that it is impossible for the performer to reach it without being first seen by the audience. In such a case, however, the difficulty may be overcome by an ordinary screen placed from the door to the back entrance of the stage.
As already observed, these illusions can be easily added to and improved upon. In fact the “black stage” and its “black” assistant offer tremendous scope for a really first-class entertainment, teeming with bewildering and mystifying illusions.
If the stage is large enough, two assistants may be employed, and still more complex effects attempted. But having described several illusions of an entirely different nature, and having explained the principle upon which all such illusions are worked, it must be left to the reader to invent other “black stage” mysteries with which to entertain and bewilder his friends.
CHAPTER XXIII
CONCERNING GHOSTS
Mirror Frauds
If the Honorable Society of Stage Ghosts were to choose a motto, they would find few more suitable than the old adage, that “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.” As the following remarks will serve to show, their very existence depends upon a sheet of glass, and if this be cracked or broken, farewell to the apparition and all its attendant mystery.
If you look out of the window of a lighted room upon a dark night, you will notice that the pane, instead of being transparent, acts as a mirror and reflects the room behind you. It is on this principle, applied to a stage, that the greater number of ghost effects are produced. Owing to the fact that apparitions are usually seen at night, a good excuse is found for having the stage darkened, whilst the gloom serves to conceal several things highly undesirable the audience should observe.