The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-10
DRESSING ACTORs FOR THE PLAY
Mems Costumes as Expensive as WO-
men's-DresScs That Cost $1,000.


men's-DresScs That Cost $1,000.
From the New York Post.
Zach, meihherr," exclaimed the proprie-
tor of a Fourth avenue costume shop re-
Gently to a visitor who had aroused his
loquacity by displaying an interest in his
business, at needs much historical read
ing for the business, and then, oh, it is
easyy' He was short and square, with
heavy black hair and savage beard.
"nuch of my business has to do with
Society theatricals,' " he said, but sup
ply many actors. If my patrons are rch'
and say they will not wear costumes
which others have worn, then they buy
new ones; those who are poorer hire them.
See all this"
He waved his hand towards rows and
rows of boxes which lined the walls
marked Greek" "brgand," Gen.
Washington" etc) and towards the tall
cabinet filed with glittering unreahles
the stage jewels.
"Many persons come to me with sketch
es Of what they want in the way of cos
tune. Sometimes their pictures are col
ored dreadfully. If they but say to me
once, "A suit for Lord CORVALLIS in the
Song at the Castle,"' instantly know
Wildl - AGG4GNl-lGu NOdt1 "AAANS ~
and all that"
Are stage costumes, as a rule, costly
affairs?"
yes! You cannot look we'll at all If
YOU buy your costume for less than $50 or
$50 And mems clothes cost quite as
much as the average woman's costume.
Only yesterday l sent a star Louis
XIV costume for which he paid $3.50. You
see, it was brocades at $40 or $12 yard,
and besides"-with a deprecatory gesture
-"I must make a small trifle myself.
Would you guess" he continued, that
for mis- beautiful suit of brocade and sill
yer in Richard Carvel-l-l John Drew
paid about $3.50? Indeed, yes.
But YOU must remember that in sup
plying the costume the costumer adds the
shoes, the hat, the gloves-all! The price
is not SO large"
DO the women on the stage spend
| much on their costumes?' he was ask
&c.
"Of course. Maude Adams spent much
on her clothes in L'Aiglon.' Her Juliet
dress, also, was one of the most expen-
sive made 1t must have cost her nearly
| 81 600 l made one gown some time ago
on which the lace alone cost 81 900. 1t was
for the private theatricals of a society
woman.
what We call the Vatican gowns
while we may pay $500 for the material
can be initiated at $50 and very pretty
will be the imitation"
do grand-opera costumes cost as much
as the costumes for the drama?' Say
not So" he protested comically. Get me
but one piece of white cloth, drape it al
the shoulder, pull it up here and down
! there, and, behold! 1t is an Isolde Eliz-
| abeth-she is easily costumed. But in
! Les Huguuenots' and Figaro there il
! is expensive again.
Emma Games, she is perhaps the best
dressed woman in all the operas. Often
! though, she dresses out of the part She
has a Marguerite gown which is-oh
my But her gown as Eve in Die Meis-
tersinger' is grand"
The old man took up bundle OF photo
graphs, some Of them fresh, others faded
all signed with the names of well-known
! stage folk. Here is De Lussan. l made
many robes for her when she first came
here, so young and so very pretty. And
! Pauline Hall-she once paid me 900 for
three costumes when she sang first N
! Il Puritani.'
The bell on the door 1lngled and the
costumer hurried away to exhibit pink
dominos to two laughing girls. saying as
! he went: The great trouble with actors
and singers is that they do not dress
the part--they dress out of It, II is moi
in color but in period that they fail"