St. Tammany farmer., 1904-12-24
THE ART or MAKING UP"
earlier Days Actors Worked Won
oers with the Meager Equip
ment at Hand.

!. at acter and eccentric actors covered
aetaselves with glory in "the old days"
o1 dramatic history when "make ms"
10y. "slc OF the most primitive kind. Grease
ea.uls' crepe hair and the hundred and
=. ne accessories Of the actors toilet were
su unknown. writes Edward F. Cow
u' N the Theater Magazine. Such
anslormations as they did accomplish
were achieved through the ingenious use
~ wniteWash rubbed from the walls of
.ueir dressing room, red from the bricks
Tue chimney and black from the car
uizatlon OF an old cork. With these
nuple aids something was accomplished,
oat glance at the prints and engravings
" theatrical happenings when Garrick
was KING show that much was left to the
lnaslnation, and some remarkable
anacnronisms may be marked in the
way OF wigs and costumes. To have
achieved sensation as Macbeth togged
OUT IN a full-bottomed wig and the uni
lorm or Scotch soldier of the seven
leentn century speaks wonders for the
effectiveness Of the acting. Contrast
sucn picture with 1rving's wonderful
make up" as the Thane of Cawdor, and
tue marvellous advance that has been
mace IN this phase of the actors art
VIII De seen at glance. It was Ger
man who made face transformation an
art. Carl Baudin was his name. A Amem-
oer OF the Leipziger Stadt theater he,
.!ke many others, felt the need of some-
tn1ng that would hide that demarking
line between the forehead and the wig
oand. His grease paint was first used
for this purpose alone, but it's possibili-
Ties were recognized and he and his as
soclates quickly widened its sphere OF
usefulness. To-day grease paint can be
secured in any shade from corpse-like
pallor to the ruddy hue of wind-beaten
sailor. The color Of any nationality is on
immediate tap, and a few dabs from
tnese sticks of pigment and you have
an Indian, a Mongolian, or an Ethiopian
ready at hand. A palette may contain
all the colors in the rainbow. but it
needs the brush of an artist to blend
tnem into a picture. So it is with these
sticks OF grease paint To utilize them
TO the full advantage. study and ex-
perience are needed. How to cast shad-
ows. to bring wrinkles into relief, how
TO lengthen or broaden the face and
all the other phases of theatrical make
up" are subject to rules as imperative
As those employed in the composition
OF an oil painting or water color. It
VIII thus be seen that the player who
knows something Of drawing and paint
Ing has distinct advantage at the game.
There are many instances where clever
makeup" has deceived even expert
enced actors familiar with all the tricks
Of the business. Joseph Jefferson, see
ing Wilton Lackaye for the first time
In The Children of the Ghetto" could
not be brought to believe that the ap-
parently aged actor was man barely in
his forties. and ]. F. Dodson tells this
story: when I was playing the Jew
in After Dark made up the nose to
suit the part. One night at the close
of the performance was sent for by
Jewish gentleman who wished to meet
me. I divested myself of my makeup
and went to him, saying: Well, sir,
l am Mr.. Dodson, what can l do for
you? He replied: I want Mr.. Dod-
son. the actor I am he No, no. re-
toined the visitor. placing his finger on
his nose. He is one of u.s."