Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-06-12
BEHIND THE SCENES.
A PEEP rNTol TIE ACTRESSES. DRESS
ING RooMs-ANECDoTE OF FANNY
ELLsLEH.

have often thought that a brief de-
scripiion of the dressing rooms of well
known actresses would make an amusing
article whercwith TO please the general
public who now and then like TO have
gllmpses "behind the scenes'' In the
olden time the was not much TO note i'm
dressing rooms. They were plainly. not
to say poorly, furnished. and unless the
artist added few hnick -knacks TO spruce
the place up the management provided
nothing but the bare necessities. Rose
Chcri of the Paris Gymnase was the first
actress who really taught her companions
TO upholster 'loge." rs they term it in
Paris. Her husband adored her; he was
rich. and as she spent six hours of the
twenty-iour in and about her dressing
room, he bought her furniture that would
have gratified the Princess Badroulbadour.
The carpet was of rich Aubusson; the
timepiece was Gothic; there was IL Psyche
OF Pradier on bracket; the lounge was
in velvet of Utrecht; there were satin
hangings of sheeny texture in poetic
cloudy blue-in short. nothing was want
ing to make the retreat of this gifted lit
tie actress boudoir of beauty. Nine.
Desclee. who came next. stripped this
nest of its opulent adornments The cir
andoles and the splendors they reflected
were cast away. and dull draperies OF sad
| colored cloth replaced them. The loge of
| the famous Nine. Grisi was ALWAYS sup
piled with store of raw eggs, which the
diva always sucked before entering on the
scene tie sing her great embroidered num-
bers. That of Nine. fersian never lack
ed the flavor of old cognac, with which
the cantatrice used TO strengthen her voice
or her ''organ,' as the critics at present
elect to term it. Taglioni, the sylphide,
was more temperate. Her little weakness
was limonade gazeuse, a harmless aerial
beverage, with stoutcr brag than body.
Nine. Guyemard was more sober still.
She. in her loge, was satisfied with gilt
looking glass and four horse-hair chairs.
Marie Batlu received her friends in a
room white. clean, and cheerful as a
Chester County farmhouse parlor, or a
Dutch kitchen. You will remember it is
only the field officers of the mimic army
who are complimented with loges-the
! subaltern must submit to the accommoda-
| ton Of the green room. Sara Bernhardt's
room at the Franchise was expensiyely
decorated and upholstered, and in the lat
| ter DAYS Of her career at the Varieties, the
| Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, Mme
Schneider, inhabited room that might
have been allotted TO real bona fide
Grand Duchess To-day the most lux
urious dressing rooms of Paris are en-
joyed by Theo and Judy. the opera bouf-
| fists, and Leonide Leblanc, the actress,
has spent $40. 900 on her loge.
While on the subject Of actresses and
their habits. let me tell You an anecdotc
ofthe celebrated Fanny Ellsler, which Ihave
never seen before in type. Her dressing
room was spacious, well ventilated and
well furnished, save that the furniture
was uniformly powdered with chalk-dust.
/, Chalk was everywhere-on chairs, floor
and toilet table. The dancer cannot do
without chalk-it is almost as indispensi-
/ BILE as legs. The soles Of her shoes have
to be coated with chalk to lend the sur
face the roughness that gives grip.
Well one might as the author of the .'Dia-
BILE Boiteux'' entered Fanny's loge, he
found her storning and painting in a pas
sionate fury most magnificent to behold.
my dear Burat," she cried 0,urat was
her manager) IL am in fearful rage.
Just fancy! my passeul is at hand and the
corps de ballet have stolen my chalk ~
| .sWhat, stolen it. Can it be possible ?''
Possible? 1t is. have looked every
where and questioned everyone-Nothalie,
Fitz-James, Noblet, her sister-all deny
knowing anything about it. It's all q
conspiracy that's clear. Burat you'll
come to the rescue and get me some
chalk, will you not?''
MY dear young lady," said NJ. Burat,
"where am l to get -
TContinued on fourth page.