The Washington times., 1918-04-25
KATHLEEN HOWARD
TELLSOF ORDEALS
INOPERAAT METZ

Kathleen Howard, . noted American
contralto, thus describes in the Satur-
day Evening Post her experience as
an artist at the opera house in Metz,
Germany:
In a theater like that Of Metz
don't believe the mems clothes were
ever cleaned. Things which had been
worn several times q week for seven
months year during the last hun
dred years had accumulated q rich-
ness and variety OF odors that must
be smiled to be appreciated-"a very
ancient and hshlike smell" indeed
I often wished At Nets that I had
no use OF my nose. and have wished
It many times since. As Amneris, to
force your way for the entrance in
the triumph scene through an Egyp-
tian populacs composed Of German In
fantrymen was a Bqueamish business
at best; but when they were attirsd
In clothes that hadn't been washed
for years Il was q feat before which
anyone might quail, especially II he
belonged to the number OF unfortu-
mates, unluckily far from rare among
singers, whose stomach nerves were
affected in any case when they had q
big part before them.
washing Not Popular.
Washing was not any too popular
In Metz eevn among the principals u
have dressed with leading women
whose arms showed streaks OF white
where the water, had run down as
they washed their hands, stopping
conscientiously At the wrists. Their
makeup would be removed with the
same dirty rag night after night dur
ing the whole season: and their per
sonal garments. under. more or less
smart outer raiment. had often done
overlonE service. I must hasten to
say, however, that this state OF AFFAIRS
was the exception rather than the
rule, and that In better thsaters the
women principals were always serupu-
lously clearly.
,oyerornamentation or Aneness in
undergarments was usually looked
upon as rather Questionable among
the solid middle classes In Germany.
Ny mother had made me q dainty sup
ply of beribboned linen, and was
told after I had been in Metz for
some time that at frst the Alsatian
woman who dressed me looked upon
Il with suspicion. However, she
her mind later on. and put Il
down to American extrRvaERnce-al-I
ways q safe play. Some OF the men
were much more careless than the
women. Our operetta tenor played
the whole season In the same shirt.
powderinE the bosom freshly each
evening with 4 yeIlowish powder
which he used for his face.
Dressed fer Three Days.
At carnival time some OF the actors
remained for three days in the clothes
in which they had played on Saturday
night, never going to bed or even re-
moving their makeup TIL the fun
came to an end early Wednesday
Many Of the older members dyed
their hair, as It had begun 10 turn
gray. OF course, they did not have
It done by competent people or nearly
often enough. and the shades OF rusty
brown green or purple Il assumed
were quite startling. Our hrst Ka~
pelImeister used to dye his hair q rich
black. He was q good-looking man
and very vain. He was also portly
and easily became overheated. OF
course, when this happened the per-
spiratIon, running down his neck was
dyed black, too. and he would De in
tensely worried for fear we should
see IL.
Some terrible creatures with q pas
sion for distinct enunciatlon and with
unfortunate dental formation sprayed
you copIously when utterinE words
like mutter or freude- This always
seemed to happen IN some impas-
stoned scene when you simply couldn't
get away from them, and had abso-
lutely no defense Others had palm
fully hot and wet or painfully cold
and wet hands with which they per-
sistedly paved you. / remember one
lyric tenor who was my bugbear be-
cause he had hands like q fresh cold
fish. The soprano and had O. scene
with him in one opera, In which she
had to say The hand, so soft, 80
warm" speaking OF his clammy men,
Der. dared her one night to say In
stead THE hand, so moist, SO cold"
and when II came TO the point, sure
enough she did so, her voice 90 shaky
with suppressed laughter that It came
out in q trcmulOus pianiBsimo. We
both had to turn away from the front
In silent convulsionS, but not . soul
in the house was the wiser.
D., sk~.kxy RI TnnAV