At the moment when the vision of the cathedral is to appear, the screens
marked E E are parted and folded back disclosing the chancel. Perhaps
some church nearby has stored in its basement an old stained glass
window, which may be borrowed and used as background for the church
scene. Such a window was used in a performance of "Much Ado About
Nothing" given some years ago at one of the Eastern colleges. It was
dimly lit from behind by electric globes and proved very successful in
creating a churchly atmosphere. If this can not be done, cover two of
the tallest possible screens with any rich sombre colored drapery and
stand them against the back wall. In the Los Angeles production, the
chancel was represented by a curtain of black velvet, flanked by two
silver pillars, between them the altar. Black makes an exceedingly rich
and effective foil for bright colored costumes. Whatever is used for
backing in the chancel can be masked if unsatisfactory by Christmas
greens, which should be arranged in long vertical lines that carry the
eye up as high as possible and give a sense of dignity, or in the Gothic
curves suggestive of church architecture.

Against this background, and in the center of the space, place the
altar. This can be made of a packing box painted gold or covered with
suitable hangings. In one performance of this play a sectional bookcase
which stood in the room was hung with purple cheese cloth and served as
an altar. Should the stage space be deep enough broad steps before the
shrine will give an added height to the priest and the angel.

If it is possible to have real scenery the most illusive method of
revealing and hiding the chancel is to have the back of the hut painted
on a gauze drop, which is backed by a black curtain. At the cue for
showing the chancel the lights in front of the gauze go out leaving the