The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
DESIGNS STAGE DRESSES
Az IMPORTANT THEiTRIcAL AR1
THAT GOES USRECoGSIEED.
DimeuItIe- OF DesiGninE Costumes mr. CeuaH
~operu-Tronsie Made BY tire Seaisszv -.
~starS-Credit FOR the Successful pes.gnoH
In Paris. bat Nose fur uIn Here.

s~tarS-Credit FER the saeee-rsi pesagnse
In Paris. bat Nose fur Hin here.
An artist who Is known among theatrical men
as one Of the best designers OF costumes In this
country and has devoted much Of his time In
recent years to this kind otyvork ssid several lays
ago that so Far as recognition from an audienco
was concerned he might Just as wcii be a stage
carpenter. His table was piled high With costumo
plates, ranging in detail from a hasty sketch
OF a style Of hNirdrcssing TO q full length ptc-
turc done in water colors' and representing
faithfully the costume OF the leading man In .
forthcoming comic opera. The more elaborate
plates were beautifully executed, and no oppor-
tunity vas given to the eostumer for guess
work. The plates represented several weeks %
research and work, and perhaps when the operN
is produced they may be placed on a stand inthO
lobby for advertising purposes.
Only in Paris, said the artist. and I have
worked there and in London and I know where
OF l speak, does a designer grt credit for his
work If 1t ia good and eensure II 1t Is bad. He n
closely identified with the success or The iailuro
of every operu. and this fact spurs HIM cn TO do
his best. know that in my time PHrts led tho
world in costuming plays, and most OF the the
atrcs had on their stan artists under salary.
whose homes always figured on the hfllns
Their work was closely Inspected when
the opera was put in rehearsal by q jury oe
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necessary they corrected it. Perhaps you don't
know that Gustave Dors was one Of the few
great artists who did designing well. and he suc-
ceeded in it because he had the humor. Stare
comedians have not infreIuently been made by
their costumes, and the designer should have 80
keen a sense OF humor as the man who interpreto
the lines IL he would succeed.
Most OF the theatregoers in this city imagine
il they give the subject a Second thought, thae
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property man who fishes them out OF n big store-
room that is kept well stocked somewhere at one
side OF the stage. They don't realize that new
humorous effects in costumes are difficult tn
conceive and execute, and that the work Of do
signing costumes for a well-s;aged comic opera
is much more arduous than that OF Designing
costumes for q Shakespearean play or for any
historical play that is set a century or two
ago. There are very complete plates for these
latter plays which may be obtained in any WELL
equipped library. To design successfully a man
must not only know how to draH but he must also
cry. lights, and group effects are hah the sue
cess OF a comic opera II they are we'll don1
hey are not they &irri5ate. For Instance. these
plates which l have Just completed are, 1 boz
are the result OF work that I have been doing for
many years. Before | drew alne / familiarile4
rGu isIs s s' i as ln 1 t 4psas Il It t should be @i prodnced.
The cast had been selected and stud
led carefully the peculiarities OF each mem
has q reputation as a stage beauty and Is alwayo
very blond on the stage, may wear these eolors
figure is very different and who is usually .
brunette, may wear those coiors- 1 have de-
median's natural characteristics. and have
made the quartet, Of villains Just as wicked az
faces would permit. I had to know their capa-
6ili,ies. hoTeyeF before I began on their
ness with the stage manager, and, In short,
got the entire opera In my iaind
happens that in the cast for this opera there
are several women who at one time or another
have been starr, and each OF them Is anxious to
her, and each Of them has called on ma and told
have designed Just the right costume for
myself said one of these women, and ] hope
that you will let me wear it,
She described the costume, and I told her
that IL she wore such a gown she would throw
That StDf Is very unteStuSaie. she said. .bus
you can remedy it easily. Just change the col
one that 1 have suggested,
But such a change. I said, would destroy
ed, and OF the lights and the whole color scheme
as II has been outlined
that 1 had adopted the Color Scheme simply to
help her rival. Unfortunately the rival herself
kind OF a costume she wanted to wear. and she
was equally indignant because / Wouldn't &C
cept her suggestions. Those are mere details.
however, and II. on the opening night, il is seen
that my colors are good. I shall be forgiven.
:" seldom have any trouble with the costumes
for the male characters except occasionally with
the tenors. There are some tenors who are just
as eager to look pretty as are the women. AMI
such men get very little satisfaction from mo
unless the opera requires a handsome costume
for them. You will notice that many Of these
plates are done in colors, and the costumers must
follow them accurately. Here are some plates
that / did in black and white, bnt you see ] have
made marginal notes giving the coStumer in
structions as to the color OF each garment. i have
even designed the earrings and some OF the con-
sptcuous stage lewelry. Every detail, no mat
ter how insignificant, counts in a stage picture.
1t will cost the manager thousands OF dollars to
FOR instance, that there are four complete
changes for the entire chorus, and their cos
TUNES must be made OF good materials in order
that the colors may be well displayed. Now
the cOstumer and l shall supervise his work in
a very general way. He know his business a.
well as / know mine, and he will have no diff
entity in making the costumes. l shall simply
assist in selecting the goods. 50 that there may
be no mistake IN the co!urs. You know that
stage pictures are seen under a strong artificial
light, and some colors that are effective In them
would be hideous in the daylight
How does a man study 10 become q designer
OF costumesl Well. in this country he must
their recognized designers, under whom q man
may study II he has a strong pull. That 10 not
so here. The designer must hrst bo an artist,
and then he should acquire u good knowledge Of
the stage. He ought to he something OF q the
%oretica! stage manager, and for comic opera he
should have humor in his soul. He can make q
living out OF this kind OF work II he 10 success
ful. but he can't hope for public recognition In
this country. The people who go 70 500 the
opera will admire his stage pictures, but they
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