f atmosphere is taken
up in all our courses, and practically and thoroughly demonstrated and
taught. Great care must be exercised that a dance is not overproduced,
because if the scenery, costumes, in other words, the background, is
allowed to dominate the dance itself, the dance will fail. The pupil
must always dominate the costume and the entire stage setting or
surroundings in order to get the dance over. Lavish production and
accessories of any kind sometimes will interfere with the success of
the pupil, or dancer. In other words, a too lavish production will
detract from the dance itself and from the one who is performing the
dance. So it really takes a person of artistic perception, who has
become practical through actual experience, to set a dance properly
and surround it as it should be surrounded. Many a novice will have
good ideas, perhaps, for atmosphere, but through lack of experience
will not be able to get those ideas over on the stage. It takes,
therefore, practical stage direction to realize all the possibilities
of stage atmosphere in a practical way.

The subject of atmosphere as it relates to the future success of our
students, is given proper attention in our courses. I personally
present it before the classes in talks from time to time, and
demonstrate its meaning and purpose practically, by use of settings,
lights and properties on the stage of my own Demi-Tasse theatre,
connected with the studios.

The recognition of atmosphere and its need in connection with stage
performances is a mental process, an idealization that not every
material mind is capable of grasping readily. Probably no pupil would
think of enrolling in a course that had atmosphere for its sole
subject; yet it is an important matter to all students of the stage,
and my plan of introducing it incidentally in my classroom talks, and
at the same time showing them by a practical stage demonstration just
what it means to them personally, has put it before our pupils in such
an interesting and material way that they cannot fail to absorb some
knowledge of its benefits.

Every producing stage director must possess an innate or an acquired
sense of what we designate as atmosphere, in order to put on a
production in a perfect, pleasing and profitable way. My many
unqualified stage successes demonstrate my possession of this
essential element, which I try to unite with originality and artistic
perception, as well as a sure conception of