Identifier: arttheatrediscus00chen (find matches)
Title: The art theatre; a discussion of its ideals
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors: Cheney, Sheldon, 1886-1980
Subjects: Detroit Little theater movement
Publisher: New York, A. A. Knopf
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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t to them. But I do not base thecontention on mere theorizing—although I wasconvinced of the soundness of the theory of plas-tic setting several years ago. I have seen bothsorts in large and small, and the plastic is so farsuperior by every measurement that its time issure to come. In at least two of the most pro-gressive theatres in this country, the Arts andCrafts Theatre in Detroit and the Los AngelesLittle Theatre, not a single painted-perspectivescene was used during the season of 1916-17;and I doubt whether a painted drop has beenshown in the Chicago Little Theatre in all theyears of its existence. And these are only signsof a widespread development. Practically everymember of the small group of deeply-thinking,far-seeing artist-workmen on the American stagehas repudiated the painted-perspective theory andmethod. Certainly Raymond Johnson, SamHume, Norman-Bel Geddes and Robert EdmondJones have—and that represents some of thesoundest opinion on this side of the Atlantic. I150
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The Question of Stage Settings think that Joseph Urban alone among the im-portant stage decorators in America occasionallyreverts to the easel-painters system. in The plastic method of setting, which has solargely replaced the pictorial method in the pro-gressive theatres of both Europe and America,implies primarily that the artist shall work withthings in the round instead of painting their sem-blances on a flat canvas. Such objects and back-grounds as he can bring to the stage in character-istic form, without suggesting a display of virtu-osity, are brought there; such others as cannot beshown in plastic form are suggested by concretemeans, and not by pictorial representation. If achurch scene is needed, the artist does not painta picture of a church for a background, but setsup a single pillar or archway, which in its archi-tecture and its arrangement of aspiring linessuggests the calm dignity and heavy solemnity ofa church. If a forest scene is called for, the art-ist no longer pa

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