A NEW THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1423, 25 April 1912, Page 5

A NEW THEATRE.

FOIVtfHE OPERA HOUSE COMPANYi PLANS.IN .WELLINGTON. With the. arrival ybsterday'of Hie Item, William Pitt, of Melbourne, came iho plans of the now theatre proposiuL to im erected by the Wellington . Opera'ilouse Company on Hint: unoccupied section ui Manners Street East, almost opr.;>siri> Hall's Turkish Baths.' Tiie plans , tlie fact that the theatre, winch will have a frontago to .Manners; Street 'of "'HHii. Sin. by a depth of IHMt. Sin..to KebMl's Lane, will run north and south in tlia sumo manner ns the existing Opera Uoiis , .'. Tho front elevation, designed in severely classical style, v.-itlioul ally Ipretctitibii to be ornate, will be three stories nigh, with the window panels from the "first floor lo the parapet, divided by lonic pillars. The appeuianco will be enhanced by a broad balcony verandah, which will extend lroni the foyer of the dress circle to the , kerb of the footpath—a distance of nearly 'Mi. The iiiiliu entrance to tlie theatre, in l ho* centre of the Manners Street frontage, will admit to a spacious vostibu'o »(l!)lt. 9iu. in depth, by 4lft. in breadth). Straight ahead as ouo enters tlie grand stairway (10ft wide) will ascend, and half-way up branch into two flights, one oil'"cither side, in order to reach the foyer of the dress circle. On either side of tho stairway are:' entrances to the stalls'.' , Ther* is also a large cloak room for ladies, opening off the vestibule. The rest of the frontage of the theatre is devoted to three shops—one on the western and two on the eastern side of the main entrance.. The entrances to the gallery—there "ai'o 1 two —are from the 14ft. rights-of-way on cither side of the building, and these, Mr. Pitt points out, may be used as Inte nnd enrly doors. For that purpose they are most conveniently situated, as tho queues can form up in the rights-of-way, which'completely surround the theatre, without obtruding at all on the main street, It is worthy of note that the building 'is cut oft' completely from surrounding premises by this Mft. right-of-way, a..provision of much value in many ways, which is seldom possible in a crowded.area in tho middle of a city. It will make all escapes Kcnninely serviceable, and in ease of firn lrnnld be of the greatest assistance to tlie brigade.

Tho interior of the theatre is convent-' enlly planned. Thurc are fouv direct escapes to the street; from the stalls,'without counting the stage exits, three escapes from the dress-circle,' and throe independent escapes . from Uiq Rallcrj. . The stalls, which arc to be filled with com-fortably-uphglstored arm seats, arc to seat 700 person?, with, a full view of the stafjp from overy seat. The dress-circle, which will have a large cnisb-rorfin or foyer 20ft. by 41ft., wUI- hnve-siV-rows of seats, accommodating 300 persons, ami, in addition, there will be four ornate boxes, each calculated (o soat half-a-dozen persons. The gallery, which extends back over the dress-circle, and half-way over thfe-foyer,* will' seat'.lOOO persons, which (fives a total seating capacity for the theatre of 2000 persons. Tho colour scheme for tho interior decoration of the new theatre, is ,«■> ploa-satitiy-contrasted. arrangement iof peacock blue, and browns of yaryjng.sjindts. Its keynote' is struck in the florid "Louis XIV" stylo of decoration; Riven .'expression to in the proscenium and • boxes. Flanking tho blue curtaiii"is a,' fluted frame of golden bronze, surmounted by two allegorical figures in the nuclei representing the spirit of music, the ono holding "a harp on her knee, and the other playing a shepherd's pipe. Above (hat .aga'in"are' the inevitable masks depicting comedy* and tragedy,- which denign implies that ■llio.Tquildiiis is dedicated for all time to music and the drami. In characteristic Louis style , ,: (here are 'festoons and bunches of flowers here and there, fluted pillars with highly-decorative capital* '.ami a maze of minor prettiuesses thoroughly theatrical in character. The boxes are similarly treated. On tno side the portieres .of "the boxes are brown, on the other blue, and down below tho panelling 'ofth'i! .'stage-front ond orchestral pit is picked out 4iv; various shades of brown. The design of the "saucer" (the circular space between the top-of-the theatre w.alls and the dome proper) is « gay decoration of picturesque groupings of cupids disporting themselves among pink apple blossoms against a sky of paradisical blue. The Homo will liavo a sliding roof, which on warm, clear nights may bo opened to admit the clean night air, by a shaft and coswheel arrangement manipulated- ti'O.m the • . Nowadays .tlie stage is ■all-important. Formerly theatre-builders ■wasted little time on- tlie stage and its' appurtenances, but the. march of the d.rama has forced on them tho necessity for making suitable provision for the biggest productions and decent accommodation for those engaged in them. There should bo little cause for'comploint in this , regard; in the new theatre. The proscenium has- a-stage opening of'3oft., wnd- if.heislit" of ;2-»t. Tho stage itself is G3ft. wide and.Mllt. 3in. in depth." Tho"depth; howeveivmay ■be increased'without trouble by-utilisin , ; tho space set 'apart-for 'a " scene'-'docte dircctVy at the back of Au arch is left in the dividing -brick-Wall to make that possible There ale; 'five' dressing rooms on the stage floor, and.rows or them on the first and second floors nil on the eastern (or prompt) side of ; the theatre.' It'is horifceablo 'that ample provision has been made'in-tho way; of conveniences both before and behind tho theatre. Extras • not. hitherto' with Wellington theatres are a caie litir in the'dress circle foyer, a'rehearsal room or lounge for tho patrons ot the gallery (who are also provided ,v:ith .; conveniences), a wardrobe room on a level witn, tho third tier, of dressing .rooms, and two paint-frames. The whole . building is divided by brick walls extending to t.lio roof into four sections—the front of tho house (entrances, foyers, and ofliees), the auditorium,' the jstage, iifld the scene dock and paint frames. TJie stage 19 also to be provided with the most up-to-date electric switch-board and lighting svstcm to enable effects to be obtained that hitherto have not been, within the raugo of possibility. Extra space is to ha provided immediately in front, ot the theatre by throwing back tho building ten feet from the present building align-" The directors of the Opera House Company will confer with. -Air. Pitt to-day about the plans and specifications of tlw new theatre. '"- "- »