The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-04-27
STORIES OF THE STAGE.
The "Grand Duchess. +" "Joeelyn, .
"Kajanka" and other
Good Shows.

M. tuff0 quotes bue IOtkOWlAg FtHdEk
Of Talma which was told him by one Of
the sons of the tragedian. One evening
in his dressing room, Talma had just put
on the costume of Manlius After hay
ing cast a long glance on the draperfes Of
his toga, he said to his son: "Tnerei
Half Of my part is played Which
proves the extreme Importance attached
by the celebrated tragedian TO the details
OF his dress. Melingae, who was widely
famed as melo-dramatic actor. and who.
created several of the leading roles in the
principal pieces of the elder Dumas, was
also noted for the careful studied details
OF his costume The artistic drapfng
of his classic robes rather wor-
ried the tragedians of the Rue
Richelieu 81 remember one day."
says Febyre, 1--WE were playing two Cir
cassian chiefs in the "Schamy1" of Paul
Meurice at the Porte ST. Martin. Me-
lingue was accustomed to come to the
theatre at 4 o'clock, though the perform
ance did not begin till T:30. On passing
before his dressing room | noticed that
be was very busy. | entered, and was
struck DUMB with amazement. He was
shaving his legs from the knee TO the
ankle, as q man shaves his chin. Then,
this operation finished, he painted his legs
as he had painted his face, and put on his
babouches As may be imagined, no
tights, however fine, could have given a
result similar to that obtained by this
novel process.
sat the same theatre, on the occasion
of the revival Of 'Lucretia Borgia.n three
rounds of applause greeted Melingue on
his first entrance IN his magnificent cos
tune as Duke Alphonso He had not as
yet uttered word. but the audience
were carried captive by his appearance
and warmly testified their approval.
M. Mathis, talented comedian, now
dead, having to represent III "The Bohe-
mians of Paris by D. emery, person
age who seeks in drunkenness forgetful-
ness OF his woes, used to stick tears of
gum upon his cheeks. Which was exces :
sive, I admit, and yet what torrents of
real tears those tears in gum have caused
to fowl
yet, in trying to be too accurate, the
actor may more easily attain the comic
stepped from its frame OF this / will
give two examples. In the drama of
olivier Basselin,' at the Theatre de la
Renaissance, Adolphe Berton was to play
King Charles VII. In his love of ac-
curacy the actor had borrowed from the
Museum of Artillery real helmet of the
period. Had it become rusty during its
long soiourn in the midst of all that his
torical ironware, or did it possess q hid
den spring of which the actor knew moth
ing? At all events, in the midst of the
most thrilling scene of the drama, the
vizor suddenly fell, and Berton, in spite
of all his efforts, could not raise 1t again
SO he was forced to finish the piece in
that unpleasant predicament, and Charles
VII. anticipated the legend of the Iron
Mask
I'm Louis XII. and his Great VassaIs.
represented at the Odeon, was confided
the role of the Due de Nemours. For one
scene l was to appear clad in armor. l
had found in the librarya curious engrav-
ing, representing the Duke with an I'M
mense double-handed sword without
sheath. This weapon was attached to
the back by q double chain, which was
brought forward and crossed upon the
breast. counted upon making a great
effect.
81 enter and spectator Stays me with
this exclamation:-sJu look there's
kidney on spitp
Febvre gives an amusing instance of
conscientiouSnesS in costume on the part
of an actor called Brunei. In the comedy
called IA House as a Lottery Prize, he
played the role of landlord, who spoke
on the other side of wall and in conse-
Nevertheless, every evening Brunei
dressed himself carefully, even to the wig
and spectacles. The manager remarked
to him one evening that he took great
deal of useless trouble since none of the
spectators could judge OF the correctness
Of his costume.
"No, moi it is not useless answered
Brunei. with the dress of the landlord
/ assume his bearing, and with his bear
ing his voice. Besides, suppose the wall
were to fallv'
Febvre also notes the fact that certain
STYLES of dress are only suitable for GER
tain kinds of plays He remarks, for in
stance, that the Louis XIV. costume is
seldom employed for tragic dramas, but
is perfectly suited for comedy, as are also
those of the Regency aud Of Louis XIV.
Rose Coghlan at the Academy.
Thu AcaAarrlxr Of AI11eic a11Aiar,n1s this