New-York tribune., 1900-11-25

Mistress Nell holds her court the players Of
minor parts have to provide themselves onlv
&ith boots. feathers and hats. In comic operas
and buriesques II is usual for the chorus girls
10 De required TO provide their own handker-
chieis' gloves and any such partly visible under
wear as pettlcoats. Shoes for the chorus are
considerable item in the Quitting of musical
dramas" and extravaganzas, because these arti-
cles OF apparel become the property of their
wearers, to whose feet they are fitted by the
dealers approved and paid by the management
The rest of the wardrobe provided by "tbe
house" or the company whether in burlesque
or in "the legitimate" has to be returned to the
mistress Of the wardrobe This functionary is
responsible to the manager not only for the
ultimate return of the houses costume prop
erty, but also for its care while in use
AN INSPIRATION FOR AMATEURS
To return to the subject of the fate of show
clothes, one way by which they reach the second
class theatrical costumer, when leading PLAYER
does not incline to the souvenir habit is by way
of the dresser \ dresser on the stage like
valet or ladys maid, is of the privileges
OF the exalted few. No 'dressers'' are provided
10y the house, and the relations between such
an official and his or her employer are personal
Naturally. the faithful dresser receives a good
many tokens Of regard from an appreca tive
employer in the nature of cast off stage wear
theatrical star may be of such magnitude
that presents Of this kind of small intrinsic
value become commercially considerable merely
on account Of their association with their former
wearer, and Sarah Bernhardt's maid when that
famous stage faporite making of her
former tours of this country, was in danger of
at least one American town of being mobbed
by Sarah's worshippers of both sexes, who were
anxious to pay any price for a cast off slipper
a broken hairpin of their idol. Fortunately both
Madame and her maid used their Pullman palace
car as residence during her weeks stand. and
the difficult of access. But the
monest fate of stage costumes which are judged
either superannuated or for other reasons-the
unpopularity of the period which they belong.
for example-not likely to be in demand in
the metropolis is to go to the second hand
costumer who rents dresses. In this way the
amateur player may take comfort III the thought
that n dress rented from New-York for the
theatricals in aid of the country town library
orphanage has had its hour of glory,
on the metropolitan boards by some professional
OF National reputation. This thought should be
inspiration to the hard driven amateur. 1t is
also argument in favor of patronizing the
small advertising costumer for the big firms in
the trade. who never rent costumes at any price.
have nothing to sell that is hallowed by such
associations with histrcnic greatness, except,
perhaps, the few half shoes which may
have been returned to them at reduced price
by their purchasers.
On thing that seldom II ever becomes of old
stage costumes is for them to be used again in
Intentionally ragged parts. The significantly
dilapidated suit by Beau Brummell at the
end OF the play Don Cesars tatters must be
specially made and purposely soiIed or tattered
for the part. The ordinary rubs of stage
would not produce effect strong enough for
their purpose in the glare of the footlights This
rule of necessary exaggeraton appears again
and again in the course OF inquisitive ex
cursion through the hand of Behind the Scenes.
1t accounts, for instance, for the absurd size
of the stars and orders worn by stage military
heroes. when them in the showcases
They, by the way, parts of stage costuming
which seldom change hands, being good for
many parts.