, 1921-11-01
Character Can
Be Portrayed
ByStageDress
Dramatic Quality in Costumins
Developing as an Art-Mrs.
O'Kane Conwell Largely Re
sponsible for This Progress

Perhaps more credit IL due to Mrs.
O'Kane Conwefl than to any other
individual for the new era in stage
costuming. Eight years ago Dartn
keane had her costumes for -RdA
nance" made from the sketches OF
Mrs OKane Conweil. At that time
Mrs. Conweil vas an art illustrator for
4 magazine and had nevcr done actual
iesigrfing for costumes.
Her keen sense for the dramatic
quality In dress. her artistry I'm color
combinations. n her gift for repre-
n~entation OF the character being por-
tvayed, making the outstanding fea-
lures of tho character apparent at
the first glance. won for her the
speedy recognition of the play pro-
iuccrsl She Is no more the artist. as
s proved by her own comment on her
work. although her ideas are regarded
by some as being fconoclastic-
Costume Expressing Character.
THE first impression on the audi
enco should be expressive Of the char
acter." Mrs. conwell explains. So the
IMPRESSION OF character, OF purpose. in
a costume must overbnlance line or
color or texture. that Is line or color
Or texture must not DO exploited for
their own sake. On his first appear
tnce. a character should impress the
audience with some one quality he
should seem bombastic. intriguing. sin
.ster. or ~flower-iike, let us say. The
net that his costume, In addition to
emphasizing tho characters person.
lIity. is well balanced and pleasing in
solor and fits In with the other cos>
like parts of q design. Il only
Incidental Any artist a design
pleasing costunes-the fitness OF an
artist of the theater depends upon
his ability to infuse into his designs.
THE artist is perhaps n little ex-
IRENE in wanting 10 tell much in his
designs. but that is only naturnl-that
is his language. There is a constant
struggle during most productions be-
tween the actors who want tho play
staged realistically with almost photo
sraphic accuracy. that is, and the art
list who would treat It imaginatively
and make the costumes and settings
symbols.
w in the theater have hgred be-
hind tho other arts. 1t Is only recently
the theater has spoken to cny extent
In the modern voice at all. To me
1t is heart-brealking for the theater
artist to mako concessions. A distin-
yuished failure like Robert Edmond
Jones' costuming and setting for Mac
beth seems so much finer than all tho
settings which are a compromise.
but apparently the theater-goinC
are not ready for such a.
departure yet. It is our problem to
feel tho atmosphere OF n play so keen
iy hat We can tell It convincingiy in
our costumes and mako every one I'M
derstand.
What would be the use of sending
the central character of Catherine the
Great upon the stage in a costume
that would bring admiration from the
apd remarks like how pretty
or Isn't that just like the old por-
traits OF Catherine. She must be made
the golden symbol of all that is roy
atty, a figure Off an ikon. not a repro
duction OF a portrait. She should be
played against a light background SO
that she throws sinister shadows In n
decorative pattern"
Mrs. conweil has designed the cos
TUNES for such successes as Camille"
The Betrothai.' and .Prunella" and
Hush" American theater-goers ar.s
becoming more appreciative OF the
finer shades in play-acting. and Mrs.
Conwell Will perhaps be heraided as
the first in the new era when her
are made real.