The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-19

1t all turned out we'll and I did not have to worry about any eMgencies of costume as I might have to have done dn' a role which required more moving about.
 Our shoes. also, are all made for us from a wax impression. Foot wear is an important item to us. as we often have to make several changes. When I sang in Julien" made four or five changes of shoes in tho one opera
 Another most important detail of the costuming is the wigs. When one has been a member of the com pany a year, he has all his wigs mark ed with his name. These are of ev- cry colon and of every possible shape. They are kept clean for him and ready for his use in whatever opera, he may be called upon to sing. .a
 Our dressing rooms are all large and very nicely furnished. Each has plano. a couch. pierglass dress ing table and running water. Each, artist has, of course. her own maid.
 The only member of the Metro politan company, however. who has her own dressing room is Geraldine Farrar. This is because Miss Farrar asked permission of the management sonic years ago to be allowed to fit up an old, unused and unventilated store room as her dressing room. At her own expense she had it artificially ventilated and lighted and the walls hung with grey silk. It is beauti- fully fitted up and the door bears a silver plate with Miss Farrar's name engraved upon it.
 "Al1 of the other artists are assign ed to their dressing rooms for each performance. Sometimes when one has to make a very quick change, and be back on the stage in a couple of moments. they will build little can- vas dressing room in the wings where she can have her dressing table and maid in privacy.
 "One cannot be natural on the opera stage, one has to exaggerate every spoken word. every gesture and ev- cry word about 10 times before 1t gets across the footlights, across the or chestra and into the audience. For instance. one has to learn to walk, surefootedly, the woods and rocks have quite as many ruts and bumps to be gotten over as in nature, only they are not half so safe, as they have been put up by the stage carpenter Yet one has to get over them safely and without seeing. them. In ordin- ary life if you enter a room and ad- vance to a chair you usually concen- trate your gaze on the chair even while you are talking to some one. This would be a most grave offense on the stage. You would be direct ing the audiences attention to that chair instead of to what you were saying. Consequently you must walk along with your head in the air and when you reach the chair you must not look to see if 1t is there before you sit down. although it is most es- sential that 1t be there. you must feel 1t with your foot and then sit into it. There are so many little things about stage department which are SO diff ferent from the department of ordin- ary life"
 Miss Curtis will be heard in a re- cital of old English. French. German and Italian songs at the United Con- gregational church. She is giving her services for the benefit of the building fund for the church of which she has always been a member. Tick cts for the recital are being sold rap- idly. The list Of patronesses includes many of the most prominent women of the city.