ABSTRACT
“The world behind the scenes,” even for the oldest, most blasé playgoer, has a sort of indistinct enchantment; while its strange mysteries and complicated and ingenious system of devices, which regulates every action and movement, excite the curiosity and wonder of less accustomed visitors. It is in childhood, however, that the charm of delusion is as complete as it is welcome; the fairy queen of the “transformation scene” seems a glorified, supernatural being; the region in which she dwells, realms of real “bliss,” and suffused with an almost divine light. The art of scenic illusion, in spite of the triumphs of modern spectacles, is still in a rather rude state. It might be thought that there was nothing in Nature, from an avalanche to a moving swan, that the artist could not reproduce; and the prodigies revealed under the glow of the limelight might claim to be glimpses of Fairyland.
