The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-09
THE STAGE BoUDOIRS
GARRET-LIKE APARTMENTS WHERE
ACTORS .MAKE up
Drcary Surroundings That May BE
Transformed with n Few Artistic
Touches-Loca1 BIlfs-

appear UtlOIe the UuUnC - AAAouCQ Will a
fascination both for the public and for the
actors themselves that will never grow old
or become blaze It's fascination for the
public is ev!nced by the annual crop OF
stage-struck people. Next 10 the passion of
love there is, perhaps, no incentive that ex-
erts so strong a hold on people generally.
The lovly offspring of a washerwoman or
the lovely scion OF an aristocratic family
of wealth, when once fired with the am
billion to go on the stage. recognizes no other
obligation. While the stage is the easiest,
In that II is the most accessible road to
fame, the debutante no sooner once be-
comes established in the profession that it
turns out to be an aggravatingly steep and
difficult road to climb. But no actor has
admitted to the writer that the life ever
lost any OF its fascination. No better ex-
ample of this can be cited than the cases
OF Joseph Jefferson, Mrs. Gilbert and Mrs.
Drew, all OF whom a passed their al
lotted three score and ten and still are de-
termined TO remain in the harness. Mr.. JEFF
ferson, as seen here last night in his famous
old play, is not the actor in whom the public
delighted ten or even five years ago. That
he has lost in power and is rapidly running
down was apparent to all. From hence
forth those who go to see Jefferson, and he
will never fail TO draw an audience, will do
50 more out Of a desire to see the man than
to enjoy his decrepit art. That it is de-
crepit may sound harsh, but IL is the I'M
vanished truth. Bus Jefferson, as all the
rest, refuses to acknowledge that his best
days are numbered. His brain is strong and
twenty years younger than his body and
he still takes pleasure in his art.
Blu for all the glamour of the stage, one
- - A-Ls-l
penetrated the fabulous green room finds
little there to bring forth raptures. The
cob-webby, desolate. barn-like surroundings
back OF the scenes have inspired few poems
and fewer paintings. Dressing rooms which
some one has f~acetiously termed stage
boudoirs'' are little better than garrett
chambers and certainly not half so attrac-
tive or comfortable as the average house
wife's knitchen. With the countless thou
sands, millions would be near it, that have
been expended in erecting and furnishing
beautiful theaters, there are not a half
dozen theaters in America where the stars
dressing room can ompare favorably with
q hail bedroom which a Chicago landlady
With great condeScension will rent you for
$50 a week The Grand Opera House in
81. Louis has Its rooms fitted up in a sump-
tuous fashion. Next to that the best fitted
dressing rooms In the country are in Alvin
provement has been made in the last few
years. but still anything in the way of a
comfortable apartment is the exception even
3n the best houses. A New York writer
made the rounds OF the star dressing rooms
IN that city recently and wrote them up as
follows:
my first visit was to the dressing rooms
of that pretty and talented English artist.
Miss Olga Nethersole, at Palmer's Theater.
The stars dressing room in this house is at
the side Of the stage in Thirtieth street.
1t is. or rather was, the basement OF the
house. The room is long and not particu-
larry inviting. To reach it the star is COM
PEELED to cross a passageway which leads to
the stage door, and If there be a draught,
she Is sure to catch 1t as she rushes from
the heated stage to her room.
but IL the apartment is dreary, Miss
Nethersole has an eye for the beautiful and
she has done wonders with the room. She
had her maid spread a neat white length
OF crash over the old and faded carpet. and
this alone gave a light and airy appearance
10 the room. Then she had her theater
trunks brought in, and these helped to fill
the place. With a dainty white cloth on the
and with her handsome and costly dresses
spread out on chairs or hanging on the wall
the apartment changed Its Character. When
lighted 1t has a cheerful look, but is proba-
by far less 50 than the apartment where
the actress passes her time when at home.
/ have said, the dresses add to the
appearance OF the rooms. And such dresses
They are what enthusiastic women would
call poems: or dreams The richest and
handsomest Is the ball dress worn in Ca
mile" This is OF white satin. the front
draped with four folds of crystal fringe.
which fall in fiounces the entire length of
the dress and veil the corsage at the back.
Ito a man it looked a bit risky TO depend
on the two straps that held 1t together at
the shoulder. These bands or straps are
adorned with rows OF Rhine stones. 1t
looked to me as If these slight bands We're
too little protection, but then women under
stand these things much better than men.
am certain that il a mans garments were
held by 50 slight a check there would be
disaster In a short time.
9Th French maid who attends the actress
remarked incidentally that IL took her two
hours to get Miss Nethersole's dresses ont
Of the trunks and arrange them properly.
There are only two trunks, but they take
up a large amount OF space. / have never
seen such large trunks. They would make
a good sized room If they were joined to-
gether. In their recesses repose the hand
some dresses Of Miss Netherole when
they are not In use. The baggage man who
attempts TO smash these trunks will win the
record IL he succeeds in his fell purpose
DO you receive friends in your dressing
roomT i asked.
VERY rarely" was the reply. Il am gen.
orally so busy changing my costumes that L
ind little time to chat with my friends. Be
sides. / do not think a dressing room of a
theater is the proper place for chatting. 1t
IS a place for business
Then she was to the stage by
the call boy. During her absence. and the
time is long in Camille, the French maid
kept busy packing away the dresses which
had been used that evening
The next actress / visited in her dress
ing room was Miss Isabelle Coe, leading
lady at Hoyts Theater. Miss Coe, who is
really not a miss at all. but the wife of
Frank Mckee, one Of the managers Of the
theater. has a tiny room; but If it is dimin-
utive. it is pretty. like the lady herself.
It Is lined with pretty. soft sateen. of pale
pink. while the floor has a carpet OF fine
Brussels. The room is not more than ten
feet long by six wide.
"TYes.' Miss Coe said. looking about the
apartment, which was pretty we'll filed by
its two inmates, this is a small place. but
goodness knows IL is a palace to some
rooms / have been forced to occupy on the
road. I have had IL fixed up since the run
OF The MIX White Flag began, and /
ind IL quite sufficient for my purpose. That
closet holds all the dresses 7 wear In the
play. and so IL Is plenty large enough
Miss Coe was arrayed In a rich dress
of brocaded silk, of soft pink, which She
wears in the play. The dressing table Is
small, as BELTS the apartment. On Ii were
neatly arranged the articles used in the
makeup which are always a prominent
teature OF an actresses dressing room.
Above the table was suspended a small
mirror. framed in silver. A few feet above
this was a pole, holding a handsome cur
tain. With a quick motion the actress
drew the curtain toward her and the dress
IT, ~ 49,. ~ - -