At the Arts and Crafts Theatre, the ends of the dome do not curve toward the front of the stage at all, but the top arches, forming a canopy over the back part of the stage. The only true dome in this country was installed by Samuel J. Hume at the Madison Theatre in Detroit, now used as a moving-picture playhouse.
With such a dome, a great deal of the litter of painted scenery can be done away with. A background of light takes the place of the usual painted back-drop, and much of the scenery usually set at the sides or hung overhead, merely to keep the eye from penetrating to the back-regions of the stage, is no longer needed.
Added to the stage at the time of construction, the dome costs little more than the price of its materials. The initial cost will be saved many times over in the decreased cost of scenery. The very least that should be done, if the budget does not allow for the construction of an entire dome, is to plaster the back wall of the stage. This, more than counterweights, traps, revolving stages, and all the other paraphernalia of advanced construction, will extend the possibilities of the stage machine, not only for the uses of illusion but for the service of the imagination.
A familiar feature of most theatres in which productions are made is the paint-bridge and paint-frame at the back of the stage. Here the scenery to be painted, mounted on the frame, is raised and lowered before the bridge. To my mind, this is a waste of space and money. Primarily it is a waste of space at the back of the stage. If the dome is used it is quite out of the question. But, strongest argument of all, it is not needed. If the scenery must be painted in the theatre, it can be painted lying flat on the floor. The saving on this item may well be enough to cover the cost of the sky-dome.
Auditorium of the Arts and Crafts Theatre, Detroit. This theatre is of particular interest in connection with the movement to build community houses as war memorials. It shows how a playhouse may be fitted informally and beautifully into a building not designed primarily for dramatic purposes.
Auditorium of the theatre at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh. This is an admirable example of dignified decoration, uniform floor slope, and generously spaced seats; but the auditorium is too wide to secure adequate sight-lines from all seats. See plan on page 28.
CHAPTER V.
STAGE LIGHTING