The ‘snow’ that falls on a stage is white paper; if a snow scene is
required the blocks of snow may be painted canvas or may be blocks of
rock salt.
The snow that is to fall in a pretty snowstorm effect is gathered up in
a large cloth with slits in it. This cloth is held in the flies by two
men, who move it, in a rocking motion, backwards and forwards, so the
paper is caused to fall through the slits in the cloth to the stage
below.
That is one method. Another way is to have the ‘snow’ gathered up in a
long frame of wire netting—something like an inverted ‘pea net’—and this
is fixed in the flies and rocked gently backwards and forwards. With
each forward movement some of the paper escapes and the effect of
falling snow is produced.
[Illustration: ROLLING SNOW CLOTH OVER GRID]
Snow is mostly wanted for melodramas and pantomimes, and as the runs of
these pieces are always considerable the snow is used over and over
again. It is usually swept up with a broom and carried upstairs again in
pails, but if this plan is not practicable—owing to the changing of a
scene,—the snow is gathered up by an army of men with fans. They bend
down close to the stage and fan the paper away into a corner. Which ever
arrangement is used the amateur stage manager would do well to remember
that if the audience are allowed to see a few pieces of the stage snow
lying about the stage after the snow storm the illusion is spoiled. I
have frequently seen this bad, careless mistake made at good theatres.