The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-06-30
GOWNS THAT WERE SUPERB
AN ART EXHIBIT OF FAULTLEss
CLOTHES
a Keen Drama Presented by the Nelll
Company With Incompatible Appro-
priatcness and Finish.

a short time ago THE Old Playgoer'
expressed i'm these columns preference
for the wholesome melodrama over the
problem play / hope he was present
last night to witness the NELL cOmpa-
nys presentation of Lady Winder-
mere's Fan" If he was, l think he will
agree with me that he saw play that
i'm keen, polished intellectual qualities
is the equal of any problem play ever
put on the boards, and in fidelity to
truth, even in heart qualities. has as
true though it may not be as simple
and conventional "a ring as the most
touching melodrama of Virtue trium-
plant and villainy thwarted he ever
saw.
But whether he agrees with me about
the play itself, or not, l am sure he
will agree with me about the presen-
tation of it. II was superb The play
in it's scenes and characters presents "a
higly artificial strata of society, but not
necessarily, on that account, a state in
which human interest and human char
aCter does not work out according to as
unfailing and invariable laws as the
simpler passions and sentiments of the
conventional melodrama. But because
of the artificial, the more elaborated
strata Of society it pictures, ii requires
higher skill to present it truthfully
And in the fact of this requirement, and
sists much of the pleasure of witnessing
a dramatic performance unless, indeed,
| one resigns all cultivated intellectual
capacity on entering the theater.
But not to draw too fine a point, let
me suggest some things in the perfor-
nance that were a real delight to one
who thinks the dramatic picture should
be drawn true to life. one of these
things was the gowns worn by the
women on the stage, and the way they
| wore them, and the perfection of APP
| pointment and grooming in the clothes
| and appearance of the men. This may
| seem like an anti-climaX after what
/ have said about intellectual qualities,
! but it isn't. 1t may be no more than
an accessory of those qualities, but It
is such an essential accessory as to be-
| come a part of them. If a man or n
woman doesn't look the part" he or
she fails of the highest Characterization
of the part. Much more so an actress
or an actor. And herein lies the finish
! ing and final touch of the capable ar
| tist.
But let us get to the gowns, remem-
bering that the play is a present day
! one, in a state Of society where gowns,
and clothes and grooming are an inn
portant part of the scenes presented,
| where last years styles and last year
usages are as glaring defects as blouses,
or the two-tined table forks of our
grandmothers would be.
The play presents afternoon and ev-
ening scenes. Clothes must be not only
appropriate, but irreproachable They
were last night Edythe Chapman as
! Mrs. Erlynne,' would not have been
Mrs. Erlynne" at all If she had not
! been properly gOwned AS she was
! gowned no one could have been more
Mrs. Erlynne" than she was. Her ball
gown was faultless, perfect, ravishing
! black spangled net gown, with the sur
passing finishing effect of a large ros-
cite of turquoise blue on one side of the
! bodice.
But having said this, how shall / find
adjectives to describe the afternoon cos
tune she wore? In material it was the
most superb black lace over white satin
with a cOllarette Of white, ostrich feath-
ers so lavish and luxurious i'm it's pro-
| portions that 1t came almost to the
shoulders. With it she wore a hat that
simply reveled in white ostrich plumes,
and to complete the wantOnness of eff
| feet she carried a sunshade of white
| ostrich feathers.
This surely is not the simplicity Of
mOdesty and virtue unadorned. But
then Mrs. Erlynne" was not playing
the part of simple modesty and virtue
unadorned, but was playing the part
which her costume fitted to the nicely
and clearness of comeo. And the way
she wore them was a lesson in good
clothes properly worn, that few can ex-
pect to learn otherwise than by just
such examples.
The other women in the cast wore
gowns equally as appropriate to the
4 characters portrayed, but as it should
be, designed to heighten every effect.
Grace Mae Lamkin as Lady Winder-
mere" wore for her ball gown a rose
colored affair eXquisitely set off with
black and white net. Lillian Andrews
as 1.-THE Duchess of Berwick" wore a
ball gown of brocaded satin, of a rich
ness and incomparableness eminently
BETTING a duchess.
And the men! In a community which
for eighty years almost, has boosted a
court and has believed it paid some at
tention to the cOnventionalities of dress
appropriate to a court, the men of the
Neill company in last nights perform
ance, showed finish and appropriate
ness of dress that was truly refreshing
to one who has some recognition of the
relation of dress garments to one an
other, and to occasions
/ haven't said much about the acting
i'm detail. But though it is slang. / am
sure the "Old Playgoer" will under
stand me when I say it was i'm the same
: class with the play itself, and with the
gOwning and clothes I have tried to de-
scribe. A YOUNGER PLAYGOER.