Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-18
MAKING UP.
TIE ART OF MAKING UP FOR TEE
STAGE.
Row 1t is Done by Aotors-The Work
Behind the scenes-Effsets of
Gum and Paint.

Behind the scenes-Ifscts of
Gum and Paint
New York Timssl
If never permissible in ordinary life, for
old Ben Franklin's savage remark about
painted women has left its sting. on the
boards it becomes necessity. Though
the footlights of the future will beam with
electricity, and the yellow glare of gas be a
thing OF the past, actors and actresses will
still paint their faces. 1t is not alone
because the distance between the stage and
the audience is very great, and so the con-
tour of face is lost and false light is
impaired, but there are other reasons of an
ideal character. Notwithstanding that
keenness of perception which we have,
that imaginative faculty which is fostered
during theatrical performance, we want
more help. It is beyond the power of the
greatest mimic to be always holding in
check his facial muscles. Permanently of
an emotional character must be printed on
the actors face, whether it be in tragedy
or comedy. The ancients understood this
perfectly, and adopted the mask. 1t was
conventional of course, and would scarcely
be understood to day, but, then, how su-
preme must have been the talent of the
actor who, by his declamatory power,
while his face was as rigid as marble, still
moved an audience to tears or laughter
Joseph Hatton, in very pleasant article
in HGrper's Magazine, describes Henry
Irving in his make. up" See him sit
ting there at the dressing table. where he
is model to himself, where he converts
himself into the character he is sustaining.
His own face is his canvas, his own person,
for the time being, the lay figure which he
adorns. The right of his
mirror may be called his palette-it is an
assortment of colors, paint. pots, powders
and brushes but in hand, instead of the
maui. stick, is the familiar 's-foot-the
actor s best friend from the earliest days OF
rouge and burned cork.
PRODUCING EFFECTS.
Between, then, the ingenue, who is to
come simpering on the stage, with her
cheeks all abloom, and the actor who is to
present himself as character just step
ping out of the frame of Vandyke, there
is all the difference between the common
place and the highest art. a clown, though
he were Grimaldi with his spots of mot
ley color on his jowl, might use stencil.
A Booth as Richelieu exercises on his face
all the consummate skill OF great TRACE
dian. He has studied the portraits of the
time and laid down every line. Fechter
was wonderfully perfect In the art of the
makeup" and preserved those traditions
of the French stage which the incompara-
bic Frederick Lemaitre had handed down
to him.
Before the writer is little book bound
in blue which is entitled "a Makeup
Book" 1t is presented to that world
pretty large one-composed of "readers,
concert-singers and others, as well as act
ors," and is intended to teach them how to
"make up" SO that they shall avoid that
"pallid, frightened, older appearance, and
obviate its disagreeable effects upon the
spectators" Among the enumeration of
those to whom this little book is available
the comprehensive "others" means great
deal. Do lecturers ever use rouge? OF
course they do. There is one very accom-
plished lecturer who discusses yearly a
grave series of topics before Young Mems
Christian Associations who never wears a
dress coat save on such solemn occasions,
and with his dress coat, as part of the CO.'S
tune, invariably rouges his checks
"Use grease paints" says this little
book, :" for these do not fail the performer
in so hazardous manner las water-colors,
it is presumed), for perspration oozes
through them, and can be easily shaken
from the brows and face by several sharp,
quick jerks of the head" 1t is then quite
supposable that a Richard I'LL, after Pc
culiarly energetic scene, goes to the wings,
and, like Newfoundland dog after a
swim, bespatters his surroundings by these
several sharp, quick jerks of the head"
But greasy paint must be at times quite
Objectionable. Think OF an oleaginous
Romeo leaving an imprint Of his cocoa-b but
tered head on the sweet face of his Juliet.
That these criticisms appear to have solid
foundation appears from the fact that
"ladies, even gentlemen, fdget over the
idea of being creased up" They shrink at
first from being daubed, as they some
times tersely express it, " like Indians with
war paint, but they subsequent.
ly learn their mistake" Grease paint is
even beneficial, so the author tells us. cit
softens the skin, makes the face more fex-
ible to expression, and even makes it feel
more agreeable than without it. Some
little disadvantages are not to be made too
much of. If you grease your face you
ought to keep on the maxi even after the
performance" 1t is best not to wash at the
theater. The warm, heated skin exposed
shortly after to the outer cold air is likely
to suffer in consequence. 1t Is
even better not to wash the face after
reaching home. 1t is best to let
it remain on the face over night" Evil
IDENTIFY the writer of this book, wholly
taken up with the greatness of the subject
and requirements of art, is quite forgetful
of the iandlady, ON whose pillows q head
exuding grease VIII leave its histrionic
traces.
GREASE PAINT.
Grease paints run through the whole
gamut of colors, adapted not only TO age
but to an anthropological considerations.
There are not less than ten colors adapted
to youth, the same for manhood old age
used thirteen, and then there are special
pigments for gypsies, Moors, Cinnamon,
Indians and East Indians. Natural good
looks, we are informed, go for very little
on the boards, for they will not look as
well on the stage as another with ordinary
features well made up and in character.
The treatment of the hands and arms Is
particularly noticed. Never appear in
modern society plays, or of the powder
period, without whitening or tinting the
hands and the exposed portions of the
arms, or they will look coarse and red.
The sponging should be very thinly, and
rubbed evenly to look transparent, not
opaque" For the eyes, ladies are request
ed "not to make little dots with dark
paint On the lids themselves, between the
lashes, as some do on the stage, but actually
paint the lashes, upper as well as lower