The Irish standard., 1904-11-12
THE ART OF "MAklNo UP"
In Earlier Days Actors Worked Won
ders with the Meager Equip
ment at Hand.

Character and eccentric actors covered
themselves with glory in 1.-The old days"
of dramatic history when make ups"
were of the most primitive kind. Grease
paints, crepe hair and the hundred and
one accessories of the actors toilet were
then unknown, writes Edward +. Cow
ard, in the Theater Magazine. Such
transformations as they did accomplish
were achieved through the ingenious use
of whitewash rubbed from the walls of
their dressing room, red from the bricks
Of the chimney and black from the car
boEization Of an old cork With these
simple aids something was accomplished,
but a glance at the prints and engravings
of theatrical happenings when Garricll
was king show that much was left to the
imagination, and some remarkable
anachronisms may be marked in the
way of wigs and costumes. To have
achieved sensation as Macbeth logged
out in full-bottomed wig and the uni
form of a Scotch soldier of the seven
teenth century speaks wonders for the
effectiveness of the acting. Contrast
such a picture With lrving's wonderful
make up as the Thane Of Cawdor. and
the marvellous advance that has been
made in this phase of the actors art
Will be seen at glance. 1t was Ger
man who made face transformation an
art. Carl Baudin was his name. A men,
Der of the Leipziaer Stadt theater he,
like many others, felt the need of some
thing that would hide that demarking
line between the forehead and the wig
band. His grease paint was first used
Tor this purpose alone, but its possible
ties were recognized and he and his as
sociates quickly widened its sphere of
usefulness. To-day grease paint can be
secured in any shade from corpse-lke
pallor to the rudy hue of wind beaten
sailor. The color OF any nationality is on
immediate tap, and few dabs from
these sticks of pigment and YOU have
an Indian. Monaghan. or an Ethiopian
ready at hand. palette may contain
all the colors in the rainbow, but 1t
needs the brush of an artist to blend
them into a picture. So it is with these
sticks of grease paint. To utilize them
to the full advantage, study and en-
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. II
will 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 a man barely ir
his forties, and J. Il. Dodson tells this
F., story: when l was playing the Jew
in After Dark made up the nose tc
suit the part. One night at the close
! Of the performance was sent for by 4
Jewish gentleman who wished to meet
me. I Invested myself of my makeup
and went to him. saying: We'll. sir
I am Mr.. Dodson. what can do fol
your He replied: 4 want Mr.. bod
son, the actor 4 am he No, no. re-
/ Joined the visitor, placing his finger or
| his nose He is one Of lis >"