The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-02-17
FACES ON THE STAGE.
TRICKS BY WHICH THEY MAY DEFY
THE FOoTLIGHTS.

TRICKS BY WHICH THEY MAY DEFY
THE FooTLIGHTs.
No Natural Complexion, However
Brilliant, Is Proof Against Their
GIare--Mcthods of Professionals In
Making Up.
There is no excuse for bad make up"
So runs the legend to be read weekly in
the advertising columns of leading the
atrical newspaper. Yet bad make ups
abound both on and off the stage. De-
spite precepts and awful examples, it
seems that some women will not learn
certain simple truths, as, for instance, that
theatrical rouge should not be used in the
oren mir by daylight; that the eyebrows
should never be made more than II shade
darker than the natural hair of the head
at its darkest, that bright red lip salve
makes the teeth look abominably yellow
unless they happen to be exceptionally
white; that mono but the blondest of
blends should ever wear dead white pow
der; that liquid make up of any kind
should never he used by daylight and as
spa,ingly as possible by night, and, last
and most important of all, that the lower
eyeiid should rot under any circumstances
re Garkcncd.
Eluc or gray eyes arc moro effective on
the stage thin very da!k ones. A pair of
blue eyes delicaiely shaded on the upper
lids, with the eyrlashrs carefully black
CnCd ard aftCrward coMb bed out, get over
TIE footli rht" III IL remarkable way,
whereas large and naturally handsome
GiaCk eyes are aTt-unless blue or black
mako up bo practically cschewed and the
compilations be most carefully tored-to
look, in stage parlGnce, like burned holes
in n blanket
Undoubtedly fair SKINS light hair, and
light eyes are far better materials with
which to produce stage beauty and effect
ivenCsS than brunette attractions. A
dark womdn's roso continually stands in
her light. If she makes it up with white
powder, it shines rs pillar of salt; if she
tones it down to suit the black eyes and
hair, it is apt to look rcd and hilarious.
n regular revolution has been effected
in the dressing room by the now almost
universal use of wig paste" or grease
paint " Certain old school actors and ac-
trcsses still resent the substitution of
grease paints for the dry, powdery make
ups of former years. a few old time actors
whom have met prided themselves upon
their use of dry colors, - but there is very
little doubt that if sparingly applied upon
an absolutely clean face and carefully
powdered over there is nothing which
produces SO smooth and natural looking q
surface as grease paint
A few years ago while playing at a
thentcr in Chicago l arrived late and,
darting through dark archway which
had always been open. broke the bridge of
my nose and cut my skin very severely
against closed door. There was nobody
to take my part, so had to go on. Some
body dressed me, somebody "made me up"
whilo l screamed and cried with pain.
Until that night had looked preposter
ously young as tho mother of a boy at
least Is years my senior, but that night
after the FIRST scene tho manager came
around TO compliment me on my "im-
proved mako up" my features being so
swollen that all trace of youth was lost.
After my accident Twas afraid of injuring
the skin and had the grease paint an
alyZed by local druggist, with the result
that he assured me it was ''almost all tai
low and would rather tend to heal than
to poison cut in the skin.
OF course grease paint, like every other
form of make up, can be oyerdone. In o
passionate love scene the well creased
cheek of tho lovely heroine has been
known to stick to the equally we'll creased
cheek of her ardent stage lover, but tEen
q desirable mako up for a realistic love
scene has yet to be invented. The public,
who are SO exceedingly inquisitive on the
subject of an emotional actress feelings
toward the actor with whom she habitu-
ally plays love scenes, might Judge moro
clearly of their nature could they hear her
effect of such stage direction as takes
her in his arms and embraces her passion
ately" upon tho heroine's mako up.
On hot nights making up is a misery,
the paint rolling off in pellets, while the
liquid mako up for the hands, neck and
arms to which l have alluded is always
inclined to turn black upon the skin and
invariably ruins the dress of the lady who
wears it. as well as the coat sleeves of the
men performers have tried all sorts of
prescriptions, cheap and dear, but l have
never vet discovered one that was really
satisfactory.
Masculine make I'D is, if my sex will
forgive mo for saying so, an infinitely
more elaborate and artistic thing than the
pink and white and yellow ideal of beauty
which most actresses strive to attain.
What woman ever could or would equal
MIR. Beerbohm Tree, fer instance, in the
versatility, the absolute perfection of his
different stage appearances? Mr.. Tree is
young or old, handsome or ugly, stout or
thin, virtuous or absolutely diabolical in
appearance at will. l have never seen any
actor who can transform himself so thor
oughly and yet look at short distance SO
lifelike as he. How he contrives it have
not the least idea. In interviews he ap-
pears to make light of this very remark
able gift. He has light eyes and light
hair in his favor to start with, but his re-
suits are marvellous.
Amateurs always make I'D badly. They
fail to "ioin their flats''-i. O., to blend
the complexion of the face into the whiten-
cd neck. If men, they wear mustaches in
powder parts and invariably fail to con-
ceal their own hair at the back of their