The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-07
BEHIND TIE CURTAIN.
A Peep Into sara Bernhardts Dress
ing Room.
From the PhQndelphia =


wig. It is trls, but not to get the color,
which is exactly like her own bright auburn
hair. The wig saves her own hair i'm
mensely, aud, besides, keeps in arrange
mene much better than natural hair. 1t
saves the wear aud tear on the natural
hair made by the bands of metal
and other ornaments worn by Cleopatra
It also saves the natural hair from
the "snarls," TO inevitable when worn down
and half curled. The entire makeup Of Gle
opatra was little dusky brown powder
over the fsce, neck and arms, little touch
OF bright red 20 the lips, and about tue ewes
the blue-Siack color, put up TO make them
appear more almond shaped. Ii was so
blue-black as TO be almost the deepest indigo
shade, on5 1t did not touch the eyebrows
which we're entirely natural, and, of course,
correspond with the wig, because that was
the color OF her own hair She looked far
less brown under the bright gasligAt Of her
dressing table Than at stage distance to I o
audience. To convince me that she was
really quite brown she turned down my
glove and placed my arm close beside her
own, which showed the contrast at once.
lIftng her arms high Nine. Bernharit
takes her hair in her hands. gives it a toss
FROM the back over on the top Of her head,
and fastens it with single big, plable shell
pin. There 1t stays uatil-whati
A SURPRISE.
Not until she changes her gown. There
is no gown about it. She changes-we,, a
mystery-and IFS ell done in less than no
time, too, making tue mystery doubly RVS
terious. You see two pairs of hands, her
own and her maids. The hands make
few quick passes, giving touch here and
there. and, suddenly, as il by magic, down
and of falls the splendid attire OF Cleo
patra.
Only draperies and. pins" she said.
laughing at my surprise. You will now
see when l make on me the next. It is
Just draperies and the pins. We make 1t so.
Do we mott" turning to her maid. pretty,
sunny-haired French girl in black gown
and white apron.
"Qui, madame" she replied promptly in
q tone OF confederation, as sue caught up
the mass of transparent gauze aud silver,
gave IL little shake, and threw 10 lightly
over the hook on the wall.
This is the first costume and worn in the
first act, when Cleopatra begins the enslaye-
ment of Marc Antony. 1t is of the palest
blue. almost blue white, of the palest, softest
texture, into which is lnterwoyen silver and
jew els, making sparkling sheen with every
motion of the graceful, sinuous, seductive
figure. The second costume is of pale rose
color, the third of pale yellow, the fourth of
dead gold and the fifth of pure white. All
are or the fine transparent texture, u gauze-
like crepe, interviewer with silver, gold and
jewels All are made alike with "draperies
and pins" Each drops off with the same
presto flash and magic, leaving only the
foundation.
The foundation is a princess undergar-
ment of pink silk, the waist and skirt to-
gether, closely fitting, sleeveless, and low
about the neck. Mad. Bernhardb wears
this foundation right through without
change, and on this, with 'draperies and
pins" she creates the marvellous mysteries
presented as the Cleopatra toilets.
How does she dot Well, little like
this:
CIsopatra's drapsries ana pins leave the
arms bare to the shoulders. Around the
wrists and above the elbows ere coi!ed SER
pent bracelets full of jewels. At the neck
only the throat is seen above the gathered
neck Of the slip. for the FIRST drapery is sim
ply long, full, sleeveless slip, gathered at
the throat by an Invisible narrow ribbon.
1t hangs very full ard straight, and at the
back is long enough for the train. 1t is of
the wonderful gapze, so fine that the whole
Of the slip might be squeezed up in ball as
big as an orange.
The two pairs Of hands make few passes
over it, touching it here and there with a
safety pin, and, presto it fits the figure with
a loose, bewitching grace.
SLIGHT THINGS, AT MOST.
Over this Is laid several yards more of the
disphanous ma erial-that is, ID begins at
the waist, where it is wound low on the hips
and tied in hard knot in front. 1t falls
away to the bottom of the uuder Grapery,
but is wound so cl sely that the outlines Of
the limbs are plainly seen.
This masterpiece is all done by few
passes Of the divine Sara's" magical wand
her hands.
She then stands erect before the glass,
while her maid makes the sleeves, also of
'draperies and pins" Her arms are now
raised, then down, but not once making q
wrong movement or superhuous one. Ia
some Of the costumes the sleeves are bit Of
the gauze, caught high on the shoulders
falling apart and beneath the arms. In the
rose-colored costume, regarded by many as
most fascinating, and worn in the fourth
act, where Cleopatra is concealed on the
couch behind the curtains, the sleeves are
long draperies falling under the arms, and
seemingly part of the fullness about the
waist.
These costumes are without beginning or
end, and yet each is a harmonious whole,
A dozen pins, the string at the throat, and
knot at the waist, make all the "sewingn
there is in CleoQatra's toilets
The dressing is accomplished with the
bALIl6 magical bWllLU6sh as Tue undressing,
and by the two pairs OF hands giving the
touch here aud there. With little toss of
the head the hair is down and the orna-
ments are on. With the first costumes the
ieweled serpent coiled about the head, and
jeweled serpents for bracelets on the arms,
above and below the elbows Around the
waist is a broad girdle of Egyptian metal
and jewels, ciasped by silver lions claws.
From the claws hang a heavy fringe Of
amulets. With the se-colored costume
she wears broad band of leopard skin I'M
der another jeweled girdle about her waist.
With the yellow, which is covered with
gold embroidery, she wears many amber
ornaments. Her jewels and ornaments
worn with the five costumes would make a
prize exhibit at a worlds fair.
"No,n she said, in regard to her figure,
never In my life do | wear the corset.
could not wear the corset hut once. could
not wear the waist like the corset. 1t would
never do for me. am much better with
out the corsets always, think, Violsp' and
she moved her arms and body with much
ease and suppleness, that one could we'll
believed all that has been chronicled Of her
1.-THE, serpent-like. undulatlng grace
And what figure she has! Once so thin,
it is now of beautifully rounded slimness,
and just the natural symmetry the Greek
sculptora must have sought in their models
long ago. Her arms and shoulders are as
nearly perfect as can be. Taking on
''litte flesh" has given TO the oval contour
Of her face just the touch OF roundness it
lacked when she was thin. Without regu-
larity of feature she is nevertheless a
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