Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Stage designs that highlighted the technical skill of the scenic artist began to shift during the second decade of the twentieth century. A new vision and stage aesthetic began to appear; one with the increased use of draperies and three-dimensionality objects. New lighting accentuated this type of setting, taking on its own importance. By the 1920s, the demand for beautiful painted visions of pictorial landscapes continued to diminish, an in its stead were a variety of abstract interpretations that defined the stage space. Contrasting fabrics with minimal paint application suggested interior and exterior settings rather than replicating them. In some cases, curtains even replaced cumbersome flats for interior walls, with only the use of a fireplace, window or door.
I explored the popular production and setting of “Daddy Long Legs” prior to the holidays. In 1914, Thomas G. Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis delivered scenery for the production. Of the stage setting, he wrote, “It was a very delicate interior, real fabric walls.”
There are two ways to look at Moses’s comments: “real fabric walls.” The first is the use of fabric panels as in residential homes. In that regard, fabric panels were falling out of favor for home use by 1914. Newspaper articles reported, “Not so many years ago the walls of the boudoir would have been silk panelles, but sanitary specialists have pronounced fabric covered walls uncleanly abiding places for germs” (New York Tribune, 6 May 1914, page 7). It is possible that the “delicate interior, real fabric walls” referred to the use of actual draperies on stage, another type of setting that was gaining popularity on the stage by 1914. Real fabric walls for interior settings instead of painted backdrops or flats.
Artistically patterned and draped fabrics were becoming a popular alternative for painted backdrops, both exterior and interior sets at this time. Scenic studio sales books would promote this cost-effective trending interpretation for modern stage settings. This is where scenic art quickly becomes a craft, requiring a different skill set. The once thousands of painted settings that created scenic illusion for a variety of entertainment venues begin to disappear. Delicate landscapes painted with skilled hands give way to contrasting fabrics and minimalist stencil work to suggest a setting. It was new, fun, more versatile for the stage, and in many cases cheaper.
Like other studios of the time, the Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio was not simply a firm that specialized in painted backings; they manufactured all types of settings, draperies and stage equipment for differing entertainment venues. It was this diversity that helped the company expand over the decades, being able to offer a variety of products and services for all types of stages. The mention of fabric walls for a setting, instead of hard covered flats, was a cheap alternative that could be quickly manufactured and shipped to any stage in a matter of days, not weeks. No complex rendering or skilled scenic artist was necessary to create this popular stage setting.
Scenic art branches off into two separate directions at this point: increased realism for the film industry and diminished realism for live theatre. Scenery for many films became increasingly realistic, tightening the scenic art style and application of paint for cycloramas. On the other hand, live theatre was moving in the opposite direction, broader strokes and non-traditional approaches to interior settings. The manufacture of scenic illusion, for projects other that moving pictures, diminishes to such an extent that many studios no longer require a full staff of highly-skilled scenic artists. The hiring of craftsmen becomes a prudent option, as painted illusion was no longer required for every project. By the 1920s, many master painters could be hired on a per project basis. This also allows room for new studios to open across the country, replacing many of the main studios that heavily relied on a legion of high-skilled scenic artists. The painting work is still there, but the demand had decreased.
Fortunately for Sosman & Landis and other well-established studios, certain social halls, fraternal theaters and other public spaces continued to demand painted illusion for the stage.
To be continued…
