The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-27
MISS CAYvAN's LIGHTNING CHANGE.
She Makes Her Wedding ToiIe ct In Three
Minutes and y Half.
New York Sun

According to all preconceived notions it
requires more time for girl to array her
@eelf in bridal finery than to make any other
kind of a toilet Wedding guests remem-
Der the invariably long waits at the
church, while the fair bride wrestles
with her wedding vail and agonizes
into her bridal gloves But over
at the Lyceum theater Miss Cayvan does
the whole bridal paraphernalia in ex-
actly three minutes and half from the
time she speaks her last lines before the
wedding scene. If you happen to be a
woman favored with the entree of the
pretty dressing-room behind the Lyceum
stage, and will promise not to stir or
speak, you may be allowed to witness the
lightning change which beats tho record
of all ancient or modern costume trans
formation scenes.
AT precisely minutes to IL you hear the
swish of silken skirts and the quick fall of
slippered feet coming down the corridor,
and Miss Cayvan dashes in from the stage
in close-ttting yellow gown hooked up
in the mysterious hidden fashion peculiar
to the stylish dress of the day. She sits
down in front of the mirror
and while the deft-handed maiden,
Katy, changes the colored shoes
for the bridal slippers, Lady Bounti-
full has tossed off the big lace hat with its
yellow roses, and Invested herself of the
waist that is moulded so perfectly TO her
figure that one doubts its being desi gned TO
come Oft al all. And before Katy can pos
sibly button the slipper straps her lady
ship stands in the middle of the floor
with her arms over her head, waiting for
the heavy satin bridal dress, or rather
she would be waiting only that her
wish is anticipated, and as soon she
lifts her hands. the dress falls with
them, down over the fluffy hair, and slips
to It's pace at her waist. The sleeves of
the satin bodice are of delicate chiffon,
long and close, but the arms are thrust
reckiesSly into them. and with little
skip the yellow skirt drops about her feet.
She slips out of 1t, and Katy fishes il out
from beneath the long white train, throws
j; over a chair, and with q single turn has
the wedding veil ready.
The white bodice hooks from the throat
to the point and has mass of swaying
crystal frinces to be hooked up over IT,
While the maid secures these fringes the
mistress fastens her veil over an old silver
comb and smiles at you from the lace web.
She knows she is on the homcstretch now
and can afford 10 smile. She smoothes
on and buttons a pair of four-button
gloves. picks up her bouquet and has fif-
teen seconds TO spare OF the three minutes
and a half.
Before you have really recovered your
breath she IS back again, the act is over.
In lust five minutes from the time she
comes into the dresslng-room in the
yellow gown she takes of the one dress
puts on the other. goes on tor the scene,
finishes 1t. and tue people are leaving the
tAeater. Perhaps you don't believe
it, but time it Tor yourself. The
manager didn't believe it could
lie done either. The woman who
PLAYED the piece in London wore her we'd
ding dress under a cloak in the last act.
Miss Cayvan knew the New York audi
ence wouldn't tolerate such an auachron-
ism. The stage manager insisted that
she couldn't make the time; she insisted
that she could. Al the dress rehearsal Of
the piece he took ont his watch
and said to himself: Wen see how
long il takes her. and prove to her that
il can't be done" He did see. She was
on the stage before he could get the other
people there, and has been every perform
ance since. When a woman will she can
dress IN three minutes, and when she likes
she can take an hour 10 adjust a Veil and
pin on her little bonnet, and be busy every
minute. too.