The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-27

get perfectly correct costume. When Mr..
Mansfield produced Richard III" it was
found expedient to send an artist to War
witch to make copy OF the armor on the
brass effigy of that monarch in the Beau
champ chapel of st. Mary's Church. For
this same purpose a good print collection
like that OF the British Museum is invalu-
able. The collection in the Lenox Library
of this city is being used more and more
by costumers and dressmakers who do the
work for American plays. That collection
is but in its infancy as yet, but it furnishes
even now a goOdly variety and scope
One OF the most common anachronisms in
stage dressing is the use of modern mate
rial in the making of ancient or medieval
gowns and costumes. An Elizabethan gown
made of a silk that was never manufac-
tured till within the past few years may
not strike the average thea ter-goer in
any way faulty, but the expert on mate
rails will notice the mistake Immediately
When the time comes TO choose the mate
rails for the costumes. colors having been
determined upon, great stores of ancient
and medieval materials are collected from
whatever source is available. and this heap
fully picked over When Mrs Kendall
played Rosalind in LAS You Like It." il is
said that her dress might have been the
identical costume in which a maid of Rosa
lind's time disported herself. so perfect was
the choosing and designing Of the suit. but
the material was SO ancient that every
night the dress had to be worked over by
the members and put in shape for the next
performance. BY the end OF the season IL
scarcely anything but a mass of darns
and insertions.
HARMONY OF COLORS.
Little inaccuracies of costume lay a play
open TO the criticism OF specialists For in
stance. no one but an EgyptoIog1st would
be able to detect a slight mistake in the
costume of Cleopatra. and no one but a
close student of the history Of her time
could pick out a small defect I'm the couture
Of a Madame Sans Gene. Yet just such a
criticism was leveled against Miss Julia
Arthur in her production OF More Than
Queen When Seymour Lucas designed
the costumes for Henry lrving's production
OF Henry VIII he had recourse TO the
letters of the Spanish ambassador to Eng
land OF that time, and found there a most
minute and detailed account OF the English
court. Charles of Spain must have been
a patient King II he waded through the let
tiers Of that most accurate observer but
that they had their use was abundantiy
testified by the accuracy with which Mr..
Lucas staged that play, down 10 the very
fastening OF the shoes.
Another thing that must be carefully
looked 10 is the matter Of grouping. Sup
pose. for Instance. that the heroine is
CARRIED In a gown OF pale rose. the most
effective color for the lover whom she is
to meet and into whose act her own is in
brown. What a shock an artist would re-
ceive were the heroine. arrsyed as above
10 fling herself into the arms of cavalier
~ SSEcu III scarlet. from THIS
arises the difficulty OF getting the colors
just right. particularly ia scenes where a
great number of feminine costumes are TO
be displayed. In real life one brilliant red
dress in d ballroom attracts attention. but
is not criticised with regard TO it's effect
upon the general scene; but on the stage
its effect upon the whole scene is the first
thing that must be thought OF.
Sometimes a stage dresser strikes out an
idea OF his own in dressing. Such was the
case of Percy Anderson. who invented ac-
contemplating for the production OF
Faust Up TO Date" at the London Gaiety.
The milliners pronounced IL quite impossi-
ole and said some unkind thing about the
man who dared invade their own exclusive
domain: but inside the year they were max