The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-11-26
THE ART or MAKING UP. =
In Earlier Days Actors Worked Won
ders with the Meager Equip
ment at Hand.

Character and eccentric actors covered
themselves with glory in "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 f. Cow
ard, il 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
bonization Of an old cork With these
simple aids something was accomplished,
but glance at the prints and engrayings
Of theatrical happenings when Garrick
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 a sensation as Macbeth logged
out in ful1-bottomed wig and the uni
form of q Scotch soldier of the seven
teenth century speaks wonders for the
effectiveness OF the acting. Contrast
such picture with Trving'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 a glance. TWAS Ger
man who made face transformation an
art. Carl Baudin was his name. A mem
Der Of the Leipziger Stadt theater he,
like many others, felt the need of some
ching that would hide that demarking
line between the forehead and the wig
band. His grease paint was first used
for this purpose alone, but its possibi1i-
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-like
pallor to the rudy hue Of wind beaten
sailor. The color of any nationality is On
immediate tap, and a few dabs from
these sticks of pigment and Won have
an Indian, a Monaghan, 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
them into picture. So it is with these
sticks Of grease paint. To utilize them
- 49, 1900 az Oil IelSG. SIulS dIu "a
per1ence 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 a water color. 1t
will thus be seen that the player who
knows something Of drawing and paint
Ing has adistinet advantage at the game.
There are many instances where clever
makeup has deceived even expert
anced actors familiar with ali 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 APP
Darenfly aged actor was man barely in
his forties. and j. f. Dodson tells this
story: when | was playing the Jew
in After Dark I made up the nose to
suit the part. One night at the close
Of the performance I was sent for by a
Jewish gentleman who wished to meet
me. I Invested myself of my makeup
and went to him, saving: Well. sir,
am Mr.. Dedson. what can I do for
you? He replied: / want Mr. Dod-
son. the actor 7 am he. No. no. re-
Joined the visitor placing his finger on
his nose. He IS one Of us. !"