It saved gas, too, and people were not sweated to death.
When I saw "King Lear" played, nobody was allowed to see a scene shifted; if there was nothing to be done but slide a forest out of the way and expose a temple beyond, one did not see that forest split itself in the middle and go shrieking away, with the accompanying disenchanting spectacle of the hands and heels of the impelling impulse--no, the curtain was always dropped for an instant--one heard not the least movement behind it--but when it went up, the next instant, the forest was gone.

Even when the stage was being entirely reset, one heard no noise.

During the whole time that "King Lear" was playing the curtain was never down two minutes at any one time.

The orchestra played until the curtain was ready to go up for the first time, then they departed for the evening.

Where the stage waits never reach two minutes there is no occasion for music.