Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-12-15

It would appear that elegance and ap-
propriateness Of costuming. as well as
scenic embellishments, had about
reached It's zenith on the stage. There
was time, and not so long ago either.
that anything was thought good enough
to represent any period In history but
those days have gone forever. But II
the stage has entered a period Of great
IaNlshness IL has not been at the ex-
peuse OF good taste.
Miss Viola Aliens production OF I'm
iHe Falace OF the King and Richard
Mahsheids presentation OF Henry Y"
are cases In point says the Pioneer
fIess, The characters In each OF these
pays are I'm the main historic. and the
costumes which the actors wear are
exact duplicate OF those worn long ago
by me IDENTICAL persOuages themselves.
ii Will then be easily understood that e
requires a large expenditure Of money
10 put such plays as these on the stage.
During the early days Of the drama
there was no thought as to the costumes
VI the stage being appropriate 20 the
characters represented or IN harmony
win the period dealt with by the
dramatist
Nor did the spectators find fault with
this arrangement. II did not disturb
them In the least TO find Brutus and
CaSslus, for instance. wearing much the
same kind OF clothes as Bacon and Raj
eigh, And In this way anarchronIsms
Of other kinds readily obtained pardon
II indeed they ever moved attention at
all. Certainly the hero Of an early
Roman story should not have spoken OF
gunpoWier much less produced a pistol
from his belt. but his conduct In this
wise became almost reasonable, seeing
mat he did not wear a toga. but dOub-
lets ana hose-the dress, Indeed, Of a
gallant of Elizabcths day.
IL Is only iu quite recent times that
the correctness OF stage costumes has
undergone systematic consideration and
been treated as "a matter Of real ur.
aency. although occasional experiments
IN the direction OF reform are TO be
found recorded I'm early accounts OF
The drama. Mn Pcpys describes his
Visit TO the theater in 1904 to see Her
cactus. or the Emperor Of the East"
and notes the garments like Romans
very well - az the beginning, at the
drawing up OF the curtain. there was
the finest scene Of the emperor and his
people about him, standing In their
liked and different postures, IN their
Roman habits, above all that / ever
saw 40 any Of the theatcrs'
But attempts 20 be accurate In this
way We're only Of an intermittent Kind
any enduring amendment can hardly
De found until we approach a period
that is within the recollection OF liy-
Ing play goers.
Dome writes In one Of his essays on
the drama I'VE have seen The
Rivals performed I'm a sort OF the
chance medley costume-a century, in
teryening between the respective at
tires Of Sir Anthony and Capt Abso-
Lutte And he adds we have seen
the same comedy dressed with scrupu-
lous attention TO the date Of the wigs
and hoops but we doubt whether In
any essential respect that excellent play |
was gamer by the increased care |
and expenditure Of the manager"
Sir Walter Scott had previously writ |
ten' I'VE have seen Jane Shore act |
ed with Richard In the old English |
cloak, Lord Hastings In a full court |
dress. with his white rod like a lord |
chamberlain of the last reign and Jane |
shore and Alicia I'm stays and hoops. |
" nave seen MISS 1ouUG act as cara J
incased In whalebone to an Osman |
dressed properly enough Co. Turk |
while Nerestan, a Christian kniga. w !
the time Of the Crusades, strutte9 IA !
white uniform Of the old French /
guards
Another rem0nstrant describes Ed. |
mund kean as dressing Othello more |
In the garb Of an Albanian Greek than
q Moor Richard goes through the |
battle without armOr, while Richmond
b armed cap-a-pic, and Young plays |
Macbeth in a green and gilded velvet
Jacket and carries q shield until he
begins TO fight and then throws II
away"
The condition OF the Partisan stage
n regard TO It's improved and splendid
scenery decorations and accessories
lTed much 20 the special Intervention
md patrapoge Of Louis XVI. Sir
Walter Scott ascribes 10 Voltaire the
iole merit Of introducing natural and
'orrect costumes Before biz time the
ictors whether Romans or ythians.
lppeared In the fun dress OF the French
curt and Augustus himself was rep
esented in a huge fun bottom wig
by crown Of laurel"
Upon the English stage reform IN
his matter was certainly q matter OF
low growth. A German gentleman