The record-union., 1891-07-04
HOW ACTORS MAKE UP"


HOW ACTORS MAKE UP"
A rrima Donna and ~ Low Comedian
Talk of Paints and Powders.
II haven't washed my face for five
years"'
AS Miss Pauline Hall made this re-
markabe statement she glanced III "a mir
ror and smiled. "Oh, it's fact, assure
you," she continued, ''and yet my face is
as clean as if bathed in water half dozen
times a day.n
Miss Hall sat in her dressing-room at
the Park Theater, wearing Hght-blue
gown and a hght-blue shade hat, each
trimmed with white. She had just come
from the stage, where she was the Prin-
cess, and in five minutes she would again
go on as Erminie. Her maid stood near
| the door, and out in the cool passage half
| dozen chorus girls were lounging by
open windows drinking in the refreshing
evening breeze.
You .see,n continued the Princess, 81
make up my face very little, and that is
the reason, i suppose, so many people
recognize me on the street. First Of all,
| carefully rub cold cream over my
cOuntenance, and use this as the canvas
if so one may call it, upon which to paint
the picture-the particular face needed in
each character. You know one makes
up ones face just as an artist paints a
/
tie, for my color is naturally high. few
delicate touches with a pencil for eye
brOWS, and a minimum of powder. There
we are. See?
After the performance I remove the
makeup with cold cream, and this / al
ways use as substitute for water in
washing my face. That is what l meant
when | said that | had not bathed my
face for years. OF course, warm water is
carefully used about the eyes, but not a
drop, thank you, on any other part of my
face. To this alone l attribute my sue
cess in keeping clear and soft my COM
plexion year in and year out.p
AS Miss Hall said, she makes up her
face very little; but Mr.. Solomon, her
low comedian, does so most elaborately.
AS Erminie was called TO ''go on,u 1
wandered into Mr.. Solomon's dressing
room, and found the little thief of the
company standing in front Of looking
glass. He was just beginning to make
up, and about his dressing table were
scattered sticks of grease, paint, powder
| boxes, pencils and the invariable hare's
foot, without which an actor would feel
| lost. And, by the way, theatrical folks
/ entertain a great deal of superstition
about this same article, which is used for
| blending the colors after being painted on
| the face.
For instance" said Solomon, speak
/
unlucky atpoker, the man who does him
up tells him that he'd better get another
! hare's foot. On 1t ones fortune is sup
/ posed TO hinge. You know actors are
| often very much influenced by signs
and manifestations. l recollect once that
! Lillian Russell arrived at Pope's Thea
! ter, in st. Louis. AS she walked in she
! saw some peacock's feathers standing by
! the prompt entrance. Well, sir, Miss
| Russell refused to go on the stage until
those harmless feathers were thrown into
! the street,
Yes" chimed in Arthur Z. Miller,
| who occupies the dressing-room with
! Mr.. Solomon, "and l remember when
| Amy Ames of the Boston Museum Com
pany was making tour of New England
some years ago. At one city she went to
| hotel and was given room No. IL. She
! didn't like it, but said nothing. At the
next city she was also assigned to room
No. 13, and this happened four consecu-
! tive times. Then she suddenly resigned
to continue with it. This matter of being
given four rooms '13' ratified her so badly
that she felt sure she was marked for
DEATH"
But, about making up ones face"
said Mr.. Solomon, first of all l rub on
this flesh tint, called No. 80 You see it
/ gives an even, equable ground upon
! hl1lCl1 W ShGlCA III IdC1dl ClldIdClcE.
Next comes the gray, which is really a
dead sort Of blue; and this, smeared on
1 the face, gives ii a dirty look, quite i'll
keeping with atramp's disappearance. Then
a little more of it for hollow cheeks, to
make me look hungry. Now comes the
! eyelid pencil. Y on see l shade my upper
/ eyelids with it, thus forming q dark
| background, and causing the eyes to
stand out prominently. Miss Russell, by
the by, was the first person who showed
ME the use of this.
And here comes into use the low come
dams stand by" he added with smile,
the red for toper's nosev
Mr.. Solomon then affixed his wig, and
/ proceeded TO smear fiesh-tinted paint on
it where it joined the forehead so tho
/ Juncture would not be noticed. After all
this was done he generously used huge
powder puff all over his face, giving a
| smoothness to the makeup. This pow
der is expressly made TO be used in con-
! nection with grease paints, and doesn't
interfere with the colors nor hinder one
from perspiring freely. Then when the
powder is settled the eyehd pencil is
again used, a stripe being placed at the
side OF each eye to max the latter look
wide. a couple of strokes from the nose
] to the corners of the mouth place lines
there, and others on the forehead cause
wrinkles to appear.
As the comedian spoke and worked he
paused every moment or two to rub the
various lines with his finger to shade
them with delicate tints, causing them to
blend and harmonic just as if he were
engaged on portrait. Then he Jumped
into the ragged old clothes which he has
worn 543 times, and started toward the
stage.
'tFhere is great difference in the abil-
itY of people to make up,p he concluded.
"Some can look like oil paintings while
others resemble chromos."
He gave a snirking farewell, pulling a
vagrant lock of his old wig. and, with a
pleasant good night,'' leaped from the
20. p. entrance to where the audience
could see ehim.-Philadelphia Press.
MOUNTAIN DIARIES.