The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-12-29
In 4HE FLAY-HOUSES.
Making Up Is an Art That
Few Can Master.
/" FAKES" FOR EFFECTS.
What May Be Seen at Our Home
Theatres New Years Week,

Iltne lhere remained nothing new to re-
veal in connection with the well-worn,
but interesting. theme But, although
innumerable books have been published
on the subject of theatrical makeup"
and thousands OF amateur Thespians now
understand all about the paints and
powders which arc required to transform
innocent young gentlemen into scowling
villains and niiddle-aged ladies into SIM
pering heroines of sweet seventeen. there
are dozens Of secret lodges, or fakes" as
the term is in theatrical circles, which
have never been made public
Many of these are known only to a
limited number of actors, who guard
| them jealously, for, trifing though some
of the fakes" may seem to the general
public, the possession of exclusive infor-
nation of the kind gives an actor an adj
| vantage over his fellows which is of
| considerable Importance in the dramatic
/ world
The witches in Macbeth" and in the
| Lyceum version of Faust were in real
| ity elaborate works of art. The actors
and actresses who played those characters
| spent q considerable time in preparing
| ing their wigs they turned their attention
to their eyes, one of which was usually
treated in the following way:-Half a
walnut she'll was taken and hole bored
| through the centre. 1t was then placed
| over the eye, and having been secured in
| this position was afterwards painted
| white. The effect of this arrangement
was CHASTITY.
| A simple dodge is to glue a small bit
of linen or piece of kid glove over the
optic, paint being applied as before. In
pantomlmes and spectacular pieces, the
| gnomes and tiny spirits frequently have
their eyelids painted like eyes, so that,
when the former are closed and opened
rapidly, n succession of eyes appear to be
rolling in their sockets, with q decidedly
horrible result. Slips of tinsel are also
affixed to the eyelids, the eyes in this case
seeming TO CLEAN with unearthly fire.
Mr.. Irving as Mephistopheles utilized this
notion.
AS for the nose, that feature is capable
of being treated in an extraordinary num-
Der of ways. The amateur actor gener-
ally contents himself with painting it, or,
If the eXigencies of his part require that
his nasal protuberance should be en-
larged or quantity shaped, he goes in for
a gutta percha feature, which is easily
attached by means of quickly drying
gum. These methods are very primitive
and old-fashioned, and are never resorted
TO by ''old hands"
In farceS, pantomimes and burlesques.
the low comedian often appears with a
turn-up, or very long, thin nose. The
former is accomplished by means of the
thumb of kid glove turned upside down,
so that the extremity points upward,
while finger filled with cotton wool, the
outside being painted 'to taste" is used
in the latter case.
Cotton wool is also largely employed
for charging the nose. Bunches are
stuck on and slightly damped. In that
~.
squeezed into almost any shape. Very fire.
quently, however, a special kind of paste
is used. This is first heated and then
applied to the nose and as soon as it cools
it sets as hard as q rock, SO hard, indeed
that if worn for several hours every night
for lengthy period it is liable to perma-
nently alter the shape of the natural
feature.
For hideous characters, witches and the
like, the nostrils are kept open by means
of little pieces of bent wire, and when it
is desired to give the nose one-sided APP
pearance the same fake" is utilized.
Fat cheeks are usually made with cot
ton wool, stuck on and colored.
An appearance of revolving hideousness
may be impaired to the face by applying
sheets of goldbeater's skin to the cheeks
The SHINY. crinkled skin graphically con
veys the ravages of time or disease
Freckles are made by dipping a stiff
haired brush into some brown paint and
getting some one to flip it over the face
But perhaps the simplest and most
ingenious fake" in connection with the
face is to be found in the method of man
ufacturing those little black circles and
dots which are worn in powder" pieces,
such as THE School for Scandal" and
1.-THE Rivals, and which go by the name
of beauty spots"
The popular idea is that these are made
of black court plaster. Those who are
clever, however, use the fiat heads of
periwinkles, which are easily attached
with gum and as easily removed. Would
any of our readers have thought oDthis
curious yet simple idea2
The hands of some characters often re-
quire as much attention as their faces.
The witches in Macbeth invariably dis
play long pointed nails, or rather talons.
These are made by attaching waters to
the natural nails and cutting them into
shape
Hundreds of those who witnessed Mr..
Beerbohm Trees extraordinary make
up' as Ealstaff doubtless left the theatre
wondering how the sparsely-built actor
contriyed to give his face, and especially
his neck so fatand bloated an appearance.
The cheeks were simply pads attached
to the beard, and their arrangement
called into play no special skillor ingen-
uity.
The neck, however, was most cleverly
arranged in the following way. An
ordinary handkerchief twisted into roll
was bound around the actors neck,
the extremities being concealed at one
end beneath the collar of his tunic or ier-
kin, and at the other under his beard.
The irregular folds were then thickly
daubed with grease paint and touched
up with the paint brush. All who wit
messed the play must admit that,
though simplicity itself, the "faken
was singularly realistic and thoroughly
effective.
The Academy of Music.
Evans and Hoey, in "a Parlor Match"
are at the Academy during New Years
week. The success of these comedians
has mainly been due to their great efforts
in giving the public fun. The parts of /,
McCorker, and Old Hoss have made them
popular throughout the country. This is
their sixth visit to this city and the
house viii probably be filled at every per-
Torrance. Both their roles have been
improved since last seen here and the
stage is seldom without one or both of
them. Their very appearance is enough
to set the house in roar. and it is diff
cult to decide which one of the two is de-
serving of the greatest credit rs laugh
maker. The man who want more stimu-
liant than the two hours and half of
ginger in "a Parlor Match is pretty far
gone.
The thousand and one bits OF business,
comical doings and the droll manner in