CHAPTER X
Presenting Your Play
The successful presenting of a play requires much planning and organization. It will be necessary to choose a property man, two assistants, a stage electrician, an inspector of the strings, one assistant, and a prompter. It is the business of the property man to see that the scenery and properties are in perfect condition before each performance. He, with his assistant, sets the stage long in advance of the performance. He changes the settings for each act. It is necessary for him to have two assistants, one for the right and one for the left of the stage. The property man finds places for all his properties. He places the properties for each scene together. He places the back drops and wings in the order in which they are to be used. Each property, when not in use, should be in its place. Benches should be provided behind the scenes for the puppeteers. If chairs are used, beware of squeaky ones.
The stage electrician is responsible for the lights and the making of all changes in lighting between acts. He must be provided with a chart of instructions, giving the lighting plan for every scene. This plan should be securely tacked where it can be easily referred to. The electrician can also take care of the drawing of the curtains, which is an important task. There should also be a sheet of cues for the drawing of the curtains, since a scene can be spoiled by drawing the curtains too soon, too quickly, too slowly, or too jerkily. The last words spoken in the first scene of Men of Iron were: “I will climb the wall and fetch it.” This was the signal or cue for the electrician to close the curtains.
The prompter ought to have a low, clear voice and ought to be a person in whom every puppeteer has confidence. Girls usually make good prompters because of the quality of their voices. The prompter should stand on the bridge near the middle and always keep her eyes on the lines. She should never fail to prompt a puppeteer the instant he needs it. She never confuses the puppeteers by trying to prompt them when they do not need it. She must know the play so well that she understands every pause.
The inspector of the strings is another important person in the organization. This office is usually well filled by a girl. If there are a great many puppets she may need an assistant. It is her duty to test all the strings about a half hour before the play. This is done by placing the thumb and forefinger on the string, just under the controller, then letting the string pass between the thumb and forefinger as they travel down to the marionette. If there is a weak part in the string it can be easily detected. She sees that the fastening at the controller is secure, and that the strings hang straight and untangled from the controller to the marionette. She should provide a first-aid box fully equipped with scissors, thread, paper of pins, thumb tacks, and needles. A threaded needle, with the thread the length of the knee strings, can be pinned into the curtain so that it is available the second it is needed. A place for everything, and everything in its place, does much toward making your performance move along with smoothness and rapidity. All puppeteers, including property man, electrician, and prompter should wear gymnasium shoes. In fact, anyone who assists behind the scenes should do the same. If you find that your bridge stairs creak the puppeteers should remain on the bridge throughout the scene. Before a puppeteer comes down from the bridge, he hangs up his marionette.
Since silence is so necessary behind the scenes, it can readily be understood how important it is to have absolutely no talking on the bridge, or between puppeteers who are waiting behind the stage. Scenes must be changed and properties moved almost noiselessly. If you have a high ideal of perfection for your play, two or three weeks of daily rehearsals will be necessary. This is especially true for any marionette ballet, such as Petrouchka, where it is necessary to memorize the music, because each puppeteer is dependent on the music for his cues. Before the curtains open all marionettes that are to be in the scene should be in their places on the stage. Hold your controller with a steady hand, so that your marionette is motionless. Keep your puppet on its feet. Do not let it sag. Remember the sagging puppet.
As soon as the curtains open, begin your lines. Remember that a play is like a piece of music, it moves onward in perfect time. An awkward pause, or hesitation, breaks the time and destroys the spell you are weaving about your audience. Entrances and exits should be so arranged that the marionette makes his entrance and begins to speak his lines as soon as the speaker before him finishes his lines. We have spoken of the spell that you are trying to weave. Let us see what has been done, so far, toward this end. The puppets are beautifully made. The scenery is lovely in design and color. Hands, through patient practice, have acquired that deftness and sureness that we call skill. The voices are well pitched and appropriate for each character.
The greatest thing, however, is yet to be done. It is to touch the imagination of your audience. The key to this world of the imagination is suggestion. The lights and setting give the mood. The voices and the movements of the puppets convey the thoughts and emotions of the characters of the play. The harmony of lights, setting, voices, and the movements of the puppets work the spell.