III. THE COSTUMES
Before treating these in detail, it is necessary to treat first the general principles that were followed.
These were:
Now the foundations of Eastern dress are the following:
1. TheTunic.—This is a long-sleeved garment resembling an alb. It may be of any colour, or white. In the case of young men and boys it is drawn through the girdle up to the knees.
2. TheBurnousor Mantle.—This is more difficult to describe; but it may be constructed by taking a large rectangular piece of stuff, about four feet deep by six feet wide. Imagine this spread out on the ground. Then take the top corners and fold them in about eighteen inches along the top edge, folding in at the same time the whole length of the stuff below. Sew along the top edge only to right and left, thus making supports for the shoulders. Then cut at either side, near the top, in the crease of the stuff, two wide arm-holes. Finally, fix about eighteen inches down the front, on the folded stuff, a strong hook and eye on either side.
TheBurnous, then, is generally worn simply as a wide and voluminous cloak, fastened by the hook and eye; but in the case of one or two the arms may be put through the holes. It should be made of heavy stuff, and should hang loosely and even clumsily. It may be variegated with effect by long strips of stuff or some other colour attached down the front of the folded wings and straight over the shoulders down the back.
3. TheGirdle.—This may be of rope in the case of the poor, and of rich stuffs in the case of the rich. When the girdle is wide weapons may be thrust into it.
4. TheHead-dress.—This is of two kinds:
(1) The turban proper, made of voluminous thin material wound round the head and tucked into the top.(2) A large thin piece of stuff, made to fit the head by a ring of elastic on the inner side and flowing down behind over the shoulders and back.
(1) The turban proper, made of voluminous thin material wound round the head and tucked into the top.
(2) A large thin piece of stuff, made to fit the head by a ring of elastic on the inner side and flowing down behind over the shoulders and back.
5. TheFoot-gear.—This must consist of sandals, with the addition, in the case of those whose skirts are worn to the knee, of voluminous stuff wrapped round the leg and tied there by cris-cross bindings of string or leather, or the material used by gardeners for tying up plants.
Now, if these principles are followed, the rest is easy. (The “Kings” and the “Angels” need separate treatment.)
1.Mary.—She wears a night-dress to her feet. Over this she wears a tunic of dark-blue muslin, also coming to her feet; a white burnous; a long white veil; and sandals. In the fifth scene she is, after the first fall of the curtain, robed in a white cope, and crowned. A sceptre is also put into her hands.
Thecrownwas an imperial one, constructed of cardboard covered with crumpled gold paper, with strings of jewels and brooches, over a crumpled cap of dark-blue velvet. The sceptre can be made in the same kind of way.
2.Joseph.—He wears a white tunic to his feet, with heavy white or yellowish girdle; a dark-red burnous striped with white; and a white handkerchief over his head and shoulders. He is bearded and browed with grey over a stained face. [See below.]
3.Tobias.—He wears a dark-blue tunic with broad brown girdle, brown burnous and turban of “Rhodian” silk. He is girt to just below the knee, and wears hose and sandals. His face is stained and eyebrows darkened.
4.David.—He wears simply a short-sleeved dark-green tunic and cord girdle; hose and sandals.
5.Zachary.—He wears a long yellowish tunic to his feet, a brown burnous striped with white, a brown handkerchief on his head; and sandals. He is bearded and browed with grey over a stained face. [See below.]
6.Ezra and Ben-Ezra.—These are in short dark-brown tunics and are wrapped in deer-skins. If skins are not available, burnouses must be substituted.Ezrawears a red handkerchief on his head, andBen-Ezraa white turban. They carry spears.
7.The Three Merchants.—These are all in long tunic and burnous of various darkish colours. All wear turbans and sandals, and Eliphaz a fur wrap. The stuffs used should be of better quality than the others, each of them wearing at least one piece of silk. Each has a broad girdle, in which is a knife or two. They may carry or wear beads.
Martha.—She wears a white tunic, falling half-way between knee and foot, and dark-blue burnous; hose and sandals.
Abel.—He wears a white tunic and deer-skin, with hose and sandals.
Herald.—He is dressed simply in a long girded white tunic and sandals.
The Angels.—These, as a foundation, wear night-dresses, girded. Over this each wears the dress of one of the three Greater Orders. The “priest-angels” wear crossed stoles; the “deacon-angels” dalmatics, andthe “subdeacon-angels” tunicles. These garments are all made of voluminous white butter-muslin. They should wear no wings or spangles or colours of any kind whatsoever. Their hair is combed out at length over their shoulders. Two “priest-angels” carry drawn swords upright.
The Three Kings.—These must be dressed as gorgeously as possible, with any materials available; but the following points may be remembered with advantage. The colours used should be splendid, but not light or gaudy. (If, for example, light-blue is used, it is seen at once to be entirely out of scale with the other figures—heliotrope and purple and dark-red or green are far more effective.) Each should present one predominant colour. Each should wear, in addition to tunic and mantle, a long train pinned to the shoulders, edged with ermine. (Ermine is produced effectively by long strips of cotton wadding dotted with black stuff “tails.”) The crowns should be set inside or outside of voluminous turbans of silk. The jewellery worn by them should be heavy and effective and barbaric; for example, a twisted serpent of gold paper turned up the arm, or a heavy collar across the shoulders.
TheServantof the Kings should be dressed on the same lines, but without mantle or train.
Gasparshould be bearded and browed with grey; all four persons should be heavily stained on face and hands.
A suitable stain may be obtained from Mr. Peck, chemist, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, such as is used in the “Greek Play” at the University.
The beards used should not be the ordinary beards made in a piece. Hair should be obtained from a theatrical property shop, and affixed pieceby piece with strong spiritgum. For those who wear beards a few lines upon the face are generally necessary to blend the complexion with the hair.