New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-11
THE ACTORS CLOTHES.
NOT HIS COSTUMES. BUT JUST HIS
CLOTHES.
WHAT TROUBLES he HAS IN WEARING THEM
THE DIFFICULTY OF LOOKING LIKE
GENTLEMAN

THE DIFFICULTY OF LOOKING LIKE
GENTLEMAN
The costumes Of the actor would be simple
theme. for schoolboy's composition. the
clothes OF the actor another matter His cos
tunes are what he puts on when he wants TO pre-
sent himself king. beggar. pirate. peas
ant. soldier, a savage. a god. mountebank. or
anything that Is distinctly different from his own
nature and personality His stage clothes, III the
in which the term is here 10 be used. are the
garments which he when he has 10 represent
not anything uncommon distant In time or
place. but simply the man. the gentleman the per-
son of unassuming dignity and refinement that
every actor should be when he Is not called upon
to pretend that he Is anything else
ANYTHING But A GENTLEMAN.
1t is marvellous how the knack of making him.
self for the instant anything grows upon the
trained actor till he 10 be within himself
everything. He seems TO put on the very nature
and being of Alexander. of Diogenes, of St Jerome,
OF Don Juan of Columbus, OF Captain Kidd with
the dress that belongs to each Before only one
character does his conquering spirit quaii-thc
modern gentleman. 1t is because the modern gen.
tleman Is type OF man harder TO represent than
any other. or is it because the modern audience Is
better judge OF him than of the other characters
and more quick detect flaws in his representa-
ton? Perhaps both reasons apply
Let the attention rest for instant, in passing.
point avoid later misunderstanding
and heart-burnngs The word gentleman" is not
used here quite in the in which Thackeray
uses 1t. II is used here to mean a who carries
within him soundness and truth and nobility OF
character with generous impulses and thoughtful
ness for others and who carries also without. the
fneness and the polish of manner which make his
presence much ornament OF any society In
which he moves as his life Is a benefit to the m
among whom 1t is passed. Even Major Dobbin
might be wholly unable TO look like a gentleman OF
this Sort through his defects in this very surface
polish. and so an actor who cannot dress himself
so to counterfeit gentleman successfully may
yet be able to represent and may even be himself i
man Of true nobility and dignity OF character.
1t is the experience. then, of all makers and pro-
ducers Of plays. and It Is the observation Of all
thoughtful thea:re-goers that there is character
seldom we'll represented the modern gentle
The remark may apply TO his conduct
well 10 his personal appearance but II is the
intention to speak here only Of his clothes. cer-
tain actor some time ago, having been occupied for
time with character parts, had occasion TO
evening dress the stage The moment he
stepped from his dressing-room he greeted by
one of the stage hands. who said to him: Ny don't
you look nice in them clothes, Mr.. -. You look
like regular gent" The actor went back into
his dressing stood before the mirror again.
pulled at his coat collar. tugged at his cuffs and
tried TO think what could he the matter II the
stage hand right-and he probably was-the
hopeless. The trouble was that he looked
Ike gent" and when anybody looks like
4 gent nothing but miracle can make
him look gentleman.
The usu: expression is that actor his
evening dress like waiter instead OF like a gen.
tlcman. Go 10 a play which calls for ball
reception scene, where the stage is filled tip with
men In evening dress and probably you will find
that nine OF the actors out OF ten look as II they
b9d borrowed he
Il It happens be In OF the very best theatres
the chances are that more than of the men will
show clearly that his collar and his coat and his
cuffs make him thoroughly uncomfortable
THE MATINEE ACTOR.
woman who knows all about such things said
the other day. In a burst OF confidence, that the
reason why women liked certain actors so much
when men could sec little nothing in them, was
| that they knew how to wear their clothes we'll II
| this is the case IL probable that these women
are overestimating the value OF n mere clothes
| horse but let that pass 1t is probable also. that
most men DO appreciate the depth OF this femi-
| nine devotion the being who has been contemptu-
| ousy termed the matinee actor Not very
long ago one Of the chief OF the matinee actors of
| this town had occa sion to play in certain new
German farce. II had a long run. and went its
way upon the road. After time its return 70 New
! York was announced. but In the interval the actor
who is the OF this story had been replaced in
| the by another. A Gay or TWO befOre the OPEN
| Ing woman came 10 the box-office OF the theatre
and ordered two seats for every matinee TO be re-
I served for her long as the piece should run
After the first matinee she to the box-offce
again and said: You need not reserve those seats
| for me: I thought that Mr.. - was In the play"
That actor Il appears his clothes
There are some who say that this Is all he do.
bu, he has his reward. There Is another actor who
! is well known and much admired In New York who
Is negligent OF his attire this last is scrup-
ulous He wears the same collar night after night
| Till the other of the company implore him TO
change H. for the sake OF the general effect of the
| MAY: and he keeps white necktie-white orig
| nally till the very buckle with which It fastens
behind instead of tying in front, IS clogged UP with
| grease paint And the girls mad about him. too.
though he IL OF the recognized and licensed
| matinee actors The wearing of the clothes like a
gentleman instead OF like waiter. appears indeed.
20 he not matter OF care. but point Of the wear
| ers nature. Moreover. II ii We're matter of the
same importance II would doubtless be found Just
as hard to wear clothes exactly like waiter as II
| t. IN wear them like a gentleman. one OF the ia
vorite New York actors T. NJ. Holland. be a
gentleman on the II he likes but when. some
time ago he had occasion to.play the part OF n
want the universal exclamation was: How exact
| IL like servant" And he When he was
| playing that part nobody could ever mistake him
for gentleman for single instant and yet II was
only plain evening dress that he had on. He had
worn one the week before In another play. and he
had been a gentleman in it-not d servant, or even
T-T1ITT / Ir---T ~