Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1992 - 40

rerum ro Spain (and Europe) of the new
plants, animals, birds, natives, gold, etc.,
can be imagined after witnessing the
parade in Barcelona before Queen
Isabella and King Ferdinand.
Also portrayed is the surrender of
Granada, Spain by the Moors who were
driven back across the Straits of Gibraltar
by the Spaniards. It was this event that
opened the way for Spanish exploration
in other parts of the world. With the
connict behind them, the King and
Queen found time and resources ro compete with Portugal in enlarging the
known world, particularly on the seas
and in South and Central America. Of
course, the two main incenrives were a
quest for gold and a shorter route to
China and Japan, known as "Cipango,"
so named by farco Polo.
Steele MacKaye telied heavily on
Washingron Irving's Life and Voyages of
Columbus for the text of Tbe World
Finder but also used Prescott and
Marquis de Belloy, quoting them as footnotes to aid direction of The World
Finder. Some further notes have been
taken from Samuel r-,forison's Admiral of
tbe Ocean Sea.
As the show was ultimately mounted
at the "Scenirorium," it was scaled at
somewhat less than full size and had no

live acrors, other than a narraror who was
Steele MacKaye himself as long as his
health allowed him. He was gravely illreportedly suffering from sromach cancer-and directed the final stages of the
production from his sick bed. For the
opening performance, 5 February 1894,
MacKa\'e was carried ro the theatre and
narrated The World Finder seated in a
chair at the edge of the stage.
The critic of the Chicago Post wrote of
that opening performance:
Daring as is the conception, and
elaborate its execution, the probability is that Mr. MacKaye's creation will not be imitated often, if
at all. The World Finder will
remain the only one of its kind, in
solitary glory. This scenirorio will
be the Alpha and the Omega of its
art ... Bur despite its impracticability as a prototype, ML
MacKaye's structure is remarkable
as a specimen of what energy and
idealism can accomplish; and it is
worth while for every Chicagoan
to see-and hear- The World
Finder at least once ...
There has been nothing like it;
therefore it cannot be described
by the usual methods of com pari-

son. It is an impressive combination of lights, colour, music, elocution, and phantasmagoric
effects-grand and peculiar. He
who goes ro witness it should take
his imagination with him. He
should seek, with Mr. MacKaye, a
sublimated consciousness, ro rise
into the ether of fantasy, where
the observer hears a voice that
others do not hear and see a light
that never yet was seen on sea or
land.'
Steele MacKaye died 25 February 1894.

Gordon B. Graham is a theatre historian
residing in Vermont.
Endnotes
I The main source for this article is Epoch. Til( Lift of
Stull' J\/I1(N~)f by Percy ~1acKaye (~ew York: Bani &
Li\'eright. 19r). Epoch is a rwo-\'olume biography of
Steele ~1acKaye wri([cn by his son. The book was
republished in 1968 by Scholarly Press.

The manuscriplS and drawings for TIlt' \r'orld Fil1daare
hOllSed in the special collections of Dartmouth College

Library. The rendering of the ~facKaye Spect3torium
was previously owned by l\ L R. Schweitzer and is currend~- in the collection of a Ne\\' Jersey pri\'ate colieclOf

who has granted permission for its reproduction.

3 Epoch 4 5.

1957

1992

YEARS
OF
EXCELLENCE

THEATRE

PROJECTS
CONSULTANTS

871 Ethan Allen Highway, Ridgefield CT 06877 (203) 431·3949
Fax: (203) 431-4790

1992 FAll

TD&T

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1992