Hiding in the cellar, basement, attic, or woodshed, of almost every house, are a lot of packing-cases, but if from any cause these boxes should be absent from their accustomed places, you must go to your grocer for the material for your stage.
Build a Narrow Box,
of about the proportions of Fig. 298, and make a frame of four sticks for the back of the box; notch the cross-sticks (Fig. 299) so that they will fit flush, or even, with the inside surface of the two long pieces (Fig. 300).
Cut Some Dark Red Canton Flannel
into four pieces, to fit the four sides of your stage frame; plait the ends, and tack each plait as the drapery is tacked to the frame, as shown in Fig. 300.
After all four pieces of drapery are plaited and tacked fast, nail the frame to the back of the stage, as it is shown in Fig. 298; then, one piece at a time, spread the edges of the cloth over the front edges of the box of the stage and tack them there, as in Fig. 297. This will give you a dark-colored stage frame with a small opening at the back end for the panorama to slide by, as the crank of the roller is turned by the showman behind the curtain.
Figs. 299 and 300.
Curtains must be arranged to hang down on each side of the stage and be pinned together above and below it.