The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-09

From the Philadelphia Times.
- # Is u well-known fact that all
stage folk are required to make
up" or paint their faces. when
they appear in the glare of the
footlights. but the reason wny
n they are forced to do so, and the
principles underlying the custom
are understood by but few. while
the tricks and minor details that go
towards making this branch of dra.
matte work n fine art are almost un-
known outside of the profession.
An actor playing in this city last
week agreed to explain to represent
tative of the Times some of the details
Of stage make up" When the news
paper man entered his dressing room
ne found the Thespian already seated
at his dressing table putting on his
paint for the evenings performance
The various articles of make up" that
Uttered the table were interesting in
themselves. Most prominent among
the grease paints were the foundation
colors," that looked like great sticks of
sealing wax, an inch in diameter. rang
ing from pale pink to ruddy reds each
bearing on its paper and foil cover
printed number designating the shade.
Then there were q half dozen or more
other sticks, very much thinner, which
included among their colors white.
black, dark brown. steel gray, very pale
pink. scarlet and maroon. Near by
was a brush. comb. scissors, numerous
queer pencils, a box of French Rouge
de-Theatre. hare's foot, bottles of
OF hnr M nj Of
line, another can of cold cream, n por-
celain box of lip 'isalve." several art
lists stubs and three or four cans with
screw tops. each containing a powder
Of a different shade ranging from pure
white to Il decided red. But most
prominent of all were a thick. fat bottle
of sticky glue, and ropes of crimped
hair ranging i'm shade from palest
blonde, through the browns and reds
to iron gray. black and snowy white.
These We're the most notable articles
of make up. but there were a dozen and
one other things on the table in the tin
make up box or suspended from the
walls.
ITO begin with" the actor remarked,
"a person must paint his face for the
stage because the light is so intense.
and falls upon the features from so
many different points that it's very bril-
liancy gives the skin a pale, or almost
deathlike grayness, while the distance
and position of the audience distortS
relative parts of the face in their line
of vision.The lights from above throw
the eyes into shadow, and the lights
from below tend to create ridges and
depressions that are, to say the very
least, disagreeabe and unbecominE.
Stage makeup is of several different
classes. The women generally use Il
foundation of cold cream or liquid color,
rubbed evenly into the skin. and pow
dered. with an over-dressing of rouge.
For very fine work. such as shadows.
emphasizing of eyelashes and the like,
compositions known as water colors"
are used, the powders and pigments
being mixed with water and applied
with Il camel-hair brush. But in the
great majority of cases. grease paints,
put up by half IA dozen different makers
In this country, are utilized exclusive
ly. They are composed of grease, mixed
with vegetables colors, and put up in
these sticks. and are said to he harm
less. one New York maker offering to
prove this last statement by eating the
paint he makes"
The speaker then proceeded to put
on what he called a Juvenile" make
up. explaining that this experiment
would show exactly how much paint is
required to make a face look natural
on the stage. First, he took a stick of
Foundation color"-a pale pink in this
casc-rubbed it here and there over the
face. and then blended and manipu-
lated it with his fingers until every
feature was overspread evenly, and
every crack and crevice penetrated.
This color will make the face look
lifelike.' he continued, but there
would still be heavy shadows here and
there. especially about the eyes. 1t is
well-known fact that red will increase
the size of any feature, and will kill or
deaden these same shadows, so every
where they occur or feature is to be
enlarged, Il bright color must be used
Acting upon this theory, he rubbed and
blended brilliant scarlet paint in the
sockets of the eyes. across the check
bones, and into the slight depressions
between the eyes and ears rubbing it
into the foundation color around the
edges until ii was gradually merged
into the paler shade. Then he made
up the eyes.
'"rhey are an actors greatest asset"
he said, but unless their size is in
creased and emphasized a spectator
one hundred feet away sees very little
of them. They are emphasized by
dra wing fine line of brown or black
II int
along the lower lid close to the lashes
This emphasizes the pupil, but also
gives it a staring. doll-like prominence
To overcome this II broader line or
shadow is drawn along the upper lid,
thus softening the expression very ma
terially."
The next step in the operation was
applying the powder, to deaden the
shine which the grease left upon the
face and soften the colors. 1t was
rubbed on thickly with a puff. then
brushed with soft. fine brush. This
left the skin faultlessly smooth and soft
and so delicately tinted that profess
siOnal beauty would have turned green
with envy had she seen it. 1.-The ad-
vantage of such a makeup" my in
formant remarked, ''is that it will not
rub off or be damaged should the face
be bathed with perspiration, and can
be freshened in a moment with a little
fresh powder and touch of rouge
rubbed on with this hare's foot" The
makeup was completed by coloring
the eyebrows brown, coating the eye
lashes with the same color. melted to
a liquid state In "A nearby gas jet, and
rubbing trifie of dark red grease upon
the lips, so as to emphasize their color.
This is the foundation of all make
ups" the actor remarked. but there