23.—Metamorphoses.
These may be carried to a great extent; nothing that poets have imagined appearing too difficult, not even the change of the human form to the trunks of trees.
An actress, dressed in a brown or green dress, on taking a certain assigned place and position, with upraised arms and outstretched fingers, would appear gradually to become like the young oak or elm, with but slight indications indeed of humanity, until disenchanted.
Here the only phantom would be that of the trunk and branches of a tree, either natural or artificially arranged to correspond with the body and upraised arms and fingers of the actress.
Changes from age to youth, male to female, friend to foe, and so on, may be achieved by the phantom actor stepping on a small turning portion of the stage, like a double sentry box, of which one half turn does the magic business, being occupied by two actors.
24.—Trial by Fire.
Men in Gothic costume may be seen at an altar, on which wood is burning. The accused has to test his innocence by a fiery ordeal; for which purpose the priest advances, declares the crimes, and promises clearance from guilt should the accused come off scatheless. He is seen as if washing his hands in the blaze, and burning drops falling from his clasped hands.
The duplicate altar has upon it a metal dish of inflamed alcohol, with a sponge dipped in it, which at the moment of clasping the hands, is raised and pressed by iron tongs, from which the dropping spirits take fire.
25.—Any Legendary Saint’s Martyrdom.
Anything of this kind would be too terrible for the stage, but the principle on which it is conducted may be applied in different ways, this being but one out of many striking examples.