Stage Effect Sensations

About the Book

Ships on fire with passengers screaming, floods and avalanches sweeping away entire villages, horses in full gallop yet within constant view of the audience, heroes struggling with dastardly villains on shipwrecked rafts or in balloons that have slipped their moorings- all are described in this book on stage effects. Early examples of productions in daylight and in the days of candles and torches required a degree of imagination on the part of the audiences. But as gas, then hydraulics and finally electricity became available, so theatrical effects have become more convincing. Audiences have always been credulous from the citizens of ancient Thebes naively fleeing when actors put on fairy masks to 19th century audiences tearing up seats to throw villain.

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