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Page:How a play is produced by Karel Čapek (1928).pdf/162

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The Stage Inspector

HE is also known as the foreman of the technical staff, and ruler over the carpenters’ shop, painting-room, and store-rooms. It is to him that the scenic designer hands his suggestions, saying: “And now, my good man, manage that somehow with your cloth and laths.”

It is easy to give instructions; you can paint anything on paper, but to make it stand up and hold together in practice is quite another thing. For this reason the foreman always says: “Lord love us, that won’t do at all!” and “Lord love us, when have we got time for it?” Finally, it is demonstrated that it will do somehow after all, and is even nearly ready; how this is attained, I do not

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